This one-bedroom basement apartment had been badly renovated in the 1980s, boxing in the rooms and blocking precious natural light to the 1860s heritage home. Our aim in restoring a sense of elegance and scale was to ‘lift’ the three main spaces with the minimum of solid insertions. One bedroom wall was removed and replaced with a custom-designed free-standing wardrobe, allowing light exchange between bedroom and hallway, and using a concealed sliding door for privacy.

To minimise the kitchen we designed as a luxurious piece of furniture, not a boxy bank of cupboards, with fine steel legs to elevate the cupboards above polished timber floors. With a white marble top, its angles and lines draw you to the living room’s magical surprise — a stunning western view towards the city.