Over the past few years, we’ve noticed a specific and unrelenting fascination with small spaces. From DIY-style ‘tiny homes’, to off-the-plan apartments, there exists an endless curiosity about these compact homes, and how clever design and styling can make them not just liveable, but genuinely lovable!
From a handbuilt cabin on the edge of a river, to a stylist’s pint-sized Sydney apartment – these are the most outstanding small spaces we visited over the past year. Squeeze in, there’s more room than you think!
The Sydney home of Sophie Bowers + Josh Climpson. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The Sydney home of Sophie Bowers + Josh Climpson. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The Sydney home of Sophie Bowers + Josh Climpson. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
This one-bedroom apartment in an art deco block in Sydney’s Kensington is owned by interior architect Sophie Bowers and fashion stylist Josh Climpson – and it’s the epitome of compact city living! With an innovative floorplan (expertly manipulated by Sophie) that saw unnecessary walls removed and banquette seating cleverly installed, living is easy without being cramped. Even the couple’s pup is pint-sized!
The Fitzroy apartment of Imogen Milford. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The Fitzroy apartment of Imogen Milford. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
The Fitzroy apartment of Imogen Milford. Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Just because it’s small doesn’t mean it can’t be maximalist! Throwing it right back to January 2020 (a simpler time!), Imogen Milford’s Fitzroy apartment is filled with pieces from all her favourite local artists. Where there’s not a plant there’s a ceramic vase by Tantri Mustika or a painting by Sophie Perez. Big colours and bold furniture make this family home a small-footprint treasure chest.
The home of Harriet Birrel (aka Natural Harry) on the Bellarine Peninsula. Photo – Nikole Ramsay
The home of Harriet Birrel (aka Natural Harry) on the Bellarine Peninsula. Photo – Nikole Ramsay
The home of Harriet Birrel (aka Natural Harry) on the Bellarine Peninsula. Photo – Nikole Ramsay
Perched on the idyllic Bellarine Peninsula, Harriet Birrel’s (aka Natural Harry) handmade home might be tiny but it’s surrounded by acres of luscious coastal land. At just 40 square metres, nearly every feature has a dual purpose; for example, the wardrobe is also the bathroom, a stand-up desk doubles as a bookshelf, and the kitchen includes Harriet’s study. This is hardworking design at its finest, but the rewards are unparalleled!
Jono Fleming’s maximalist Waterloo pad! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Jono Fleming’s maximalist Waterloo pad! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Jono Fleming’s maximalist Waterloo pad! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Jono Fleming’s maximalist Waterloo pad! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
We’re big Jono Fleming fans around here, and once you see his place you’ll see why we love his work so much! Since moving into his Waterloo apartment in 2015, the stylist and designer has been steadily creating an art and plant-filled haven reflective of his vibrant personality. Jono’s immaculate styling proves an off-the-plan apartment can still have oodles of individuality!
The secluded bush cabin of florist Katie Marx and her husband, Greg Hatton. Photo – Rohan Anderson.
The secluded bush cabin of florist Katie Marx and her husband, Greg Hatton. Photo – Rohan Anderson.
The secluded bush cabin of florist Katie Marx and her husband, Greg Hatton. Photo – Rohan Anderson.
We wouldn’t usually feature a for-sale home in a round-up of favourite homes of the year, but this one was too good to resist! Florist Katie Marx and her husband, Greg, built this cabin in the Hepburn shire from scratch, including all the furniture inside it. Everything including the bathroom tiling, kitchen table, outdoor stonework, joinery, staircases and the shower drain hole (!) has been custom designed and crafted by Greg. Located just 40m from the banks of the Loddon River, the secluded hideout preferences access to the natural surrounds at every opportunity.
Camilla Walker’s handmade tiny home at the bottom of her parents’ garden in Coburg! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Camilla Walker’s handmade tiny home at the bottom of her parents’ garden in Coburg! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Camilla Walker’s handmade tiny home at the bottom of her parents’ garden in Coburg! Photo – Amelia Stanwix for The Design Files. Styling – Annie Portelli.
Camilla Walker flew the coop thirteen years ago, only to land back in it again – in a good way! After more than a decade jumping between sharehouses and continent-hopping, she finally felt the urge to settle down. Buying a property wasn’t really a viable option, so she had to think outside the box.
Located at the bottom of her parents’ garden in Melbourne’s north, Camilla and her dad Patrick built this tiny home by hand between September 2019 and April of this year. Over those eight months, the Walkers did everything themselves – drilling, jig-sawing, hammering, and painting – until the tiny, cosy cabin-on-wheels came to life.
This was one of our favourite stories of the year!
