The Design Files

Magazine →

Go to

The Design Files Directory →

PRODUCTS →

Apartments

10 Of The Best Apartments We Visited Last Year

For every beautiful house we feature on TDF, there’s a clever apartment that proves less is sometimes more!

This year we shared some incredible apartment tours, including the retro revival of a Caringal Flats gem, a six-week reno of a colourful Fitzroy home and a tiny 27-square-metre abode that makes the most of its limited space.

Find 10 of our favourite apartments from 2024 below.

Written

Lucy Feagins

Float Sofa from Sarah Ellison. Kyoto ‘Chalk’ sheer linen curtains from Clearview Sun Control. Vintage Casalino chairs by Casala, spray painted pink. Replica Eero Saarinen marble tulip dining table. Escape Velour carpet in Esther from Supertuft. Wave side table from Bonnie and Neil. Boucle Stripe cushion from Bonnie and Neil. Rice Paper Shade Ellipse pendant from HAY. Translucent coffee table from Fenton & Fenton. Commissioned artwork of Caringal Flats by Draw My Home. Handmade and painted ceramic panther by Kieran’s grandfather, nicknamed ‘Frank’. Tullstorp cabinet from IKEA. Planters from Angus & Celeste. Vintage green Murano glass vase. Vintage pink telephone from Italy. Walls painted Dulux White Swan. Photo – Eve Wilson.

The building’s striking coral-coloured facade is its original colour scheme, restored only in 2022, based on paint scrapings taken by heritage architect Nigel Lewis. Photo – Eve Wilson

Custom-designed, double-sided joinery and room divider by Spaceworks Melbourne featuring Laminex Natural Teak and Laminex Golden Wattle bench tops. Escape Velour carpet in Esther from Supertuft. Rice Paper Shade Ellipse pendant from HAY. Cocoa linen bedding from In Bed. Living room walls painted Dulux White Swan. Bedroom painted Dulux Virtuous. Photo – Eve Wilson

A Retro Revival Of A Mid-Century Melbourne Apartment

Kieran and Pauline Morrissey are ‘serial movers’ who have lived everywhere from Sydney apartments, to London share houses, and even in a motorhome while travelling the U.S.

After making a sea change to the Northern Rivers in NSW, the couple were missing the excitement of city life, leading them to their new Melbourne home in 2023.

Located in the circa 1948 Caringal Flats building, this one-bedroom Toorak apartment has everything Pauline and Kieran need to suit their adventurous lifestyle.

They’ve given the home a DIY makeover, instilling the interiors with a retro-inspired feel that celebrates vibrant colour, and the building’s early modernist origins.

Read the full story here

Inside Stu Smith’s Fitzroy apartment. Beam painted Dulux Zatar Leaf. Custom stained birch ply doors and stainless steel shelving by NRG Projects. Louis Ghost chairs by Philippe Starck. Vintage Siesta chair by Ingmar Relling. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Using IKEA kitchen cabinet carcasses paired with custom doors and shelving was Stu’s biggest ‘money win’ of the renovation. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

‘The biggest change was removing the wall between the kitchen and living room,’ Stu says. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

How This Colourful Apartment Came Together In Just 6 Weeks

Anything this Melbourne one-bedroom apartment lacks in size, it makes up for in personality.

The 1960s apartment is home to Stu Smith (founder of sun-protective clothing brand Sun Ray) who challenged himself to design and renovate the Fitzroy North home in just six weeks, with a budget of about $47,000.

While he had to move in without a completed kitchen, Stu has brilliantly enhanced the home’s mid-century feel with customised IKEA joinery, cork flooring, and splashes of colour in every room.

Read the full story here

Illum Wikkelso ‘ML-90’ Sofa from Nord. Mattiazzi Cugino Soft Stool from District. Alvar Aalto Bar Stools 64. Halcyon Lake Nobsa Grey/Cream Rug. Various ceramics from Pepite. Basket in left corner from Pan After. Ron Arad Little Albert Armchair. Ron Arad Little Albert Armchair. Dulux Antique White U.S.A. paint on walls. Cabinetry in Dulux Trinket Gold (orange) and Dulux Buff It Half (off white). Photo – Pier Carthew. Styling – Elizabeth Bird.

Cabinetry in Dulux Trinket Gold (orange) and Dulux Buff It Half (off white). Cabinet handles in Dulux Manor Red. Photo – Pier Carthew. Styling – Elizabeth Bird.

Normann Copenhagen Bit Stool from District. Dulux Antique White U.S.A. paint on walls. Photo – Pier Carthew. Styling – Elizabeth Bird.

The apartment is part of a 1960s building in Parkville, Melbourne. Photo – Pier Carthew. Styling – Elizabeth Bird.

Original Features Are The Hero Of This 1960s Apartment Renovation

When renovating a 1960s apartment, the first thing many people do is remove the original tiles. Not Healy Ryan Architects!

Not only did the architects save the tiles in this Parkville apartment, they leaned into the mid-century look by adding matching orange kitchen joinery.

This kitchen is now the social hub of the home, and a more open (but not open plan) and joyful space to inhabit.

Read the full story here

A statement ‘pod’ clad in copper, mirrored, metal laminate has transformed the look and function of this tiny 1970s studio apartment. Photo – Tess Kelly.

The bedroom is defined by a floor-to-ceiling blackout curtain that provides complete darkness. Photo – Tess Kelly.

The pod features integrated pantry storage on the kitchen side. Photo – Tess Kelly.

A ‘Jewellery Box’ Transformation Of A 1970s Studio Apartment

Tsai Design renovated this 1970s studio apartment with two purposes in mind: as a part-time home for the new owners (who are predominantly based in Europe), and short-term accommodation.

At just 27 square metres, the studio needed to pack a punch to cater for these distinct objectives, without sacrificing on amenities.

The success of the project lies in the repositioned bathroom — clad in copper, mirrored, metal laminate for dramatic impact — and subtly defined bedroom, which create the illusion of a larger space.

Read the full story here

Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Editorial Styling – Sarah Hendriks.

Full of life and colour! The muted green carpet was dyed from the original pale pink colour. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Editorial Styling – Sarah Hendriks.

Built in 1965, the building is well set back from the street, allowing for a garden and lawn. Photo – Amelia Stanwix. Editorial Styling – Sarah Hendriks.

Inside A 1960s Apartment Complex in South Yarra

Mid-rise and high-rise apartment buildings are commonplace in Melbourne — particularly those built in the 1950s and ‘60s, thanks to a post-war boom in high-rise construction.

One such complex in South Yarra might look like any other from the outside, but behind closed doors lives a community of longstanding owner-occupiers with a deep appreciation for the building’s mid-century qualities.

While residents come from varying walks of life, they share a common interest in retaining the nearly 60-year-old architectural features.

In this story we visit two flats inside the building — one belonging to architect Brett Wittingslow and his partner Leo, and the other a vibrant dwelling filled with art, plants and beautiful furniture, owned for the past 20 years by fellow resident Gwynneth.

Read the full story here

Extra space behind the rear door allowed for full wall shelving using Australian blackbutt timber. Dining stools from Pop + Scott. Fritz Hansen ‘Caravaggio Read’ wall light also featured. Photo – Marnie Hawson.

Rich tobacco stained joinery adds to the Art Deco feel. Floral painting on wooden shelf by Betty Heinz. Hanging Kitchen Rod from Ferm Living in ‘brass’. Photo – Marnie Hawson.

The building was constructed in 1938 and features gorgeous Art Deco architecture including curved balconies and windows. Photo – Marnie Hawson.

How A One-Bedroom Art Deco Pad Cleverly Saves On Space

When designing a new kitchen and bathroom for this 1930s South Yarra apartment, Brave New Eco founder Megan Norgate ensured the upgrades would blend seamlessly with the original architecture.

She incorporated the classical sculptural curves of the Art Deco era, and stuck to a colour palette inspired by the building details — think jade tiling, stucco walls and rich tobacco stained timber joinery.

The result is a contemporary adaptation of a classic style, with plenty of space-saving features to accommodate for the small size of the pad.

Read the full story here

The light-filled living area opens out onto a small balcony. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Fiona Gould.

The kitchen featuring artwork titled ‘Middle Garden After the Firing #4’ by Leonie Barton via Curatorial & Co. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Fiona Gould.

Overhead lighting by Nemo via Cult. Photo – Jacqui Turk. Styling – Fiona Gould.

How This Potts Point Apartment Makes The Most Of Its Tiny Floorplan

Every cubic centimetre of this compact Sydney apartment has been tailored to meet the owner’s needs.

At just 35 square meters, the Potts Point home is the smallest floorplan Five Foot One Design has ever worked on. But by carefully examining the client’s lifestyle, the team has created a highly functional and beautiful apartment — where everything has a place.

Read the full story here

Lampe De Marseille designed by Le Corbusier for Nemo from Cult. Rug by Hali Rugs. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

Kate Reid in her Fitzroy home, located around the corner from her first dedicated Lune store, which opened in 2015. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

Eamon Sykes designed the additional landscaping in the existing courtyard. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

The Fitzroy Warehouse Apartment Of Lune Croissanterie Founder, Kate Reid

Fitzroy is a very special place for Kate Reid, founder of the world famous Lune Croissanterie.

Not long after opening her first dedicated Lune store in the inner-northern Melbourne suburb, Kate purchased her first home located just around the corner: a converted warehouse apartment in the former MacRobertson Chocolate Factory (which feels appropriate for a pastry chef!).

Kate has lived here ever since, adding a new kitchen to the apartment to reflect her love of olive green and cooking in a clutter-free space.

It’s an iconic Fitzroy home, for an iconic Fitzroy person!

Read the full story here

Yabby tapware. Buildmat sink. IKEA cabinetry with custom cut by PlyCo. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

Green curvy shelves custom designed by Marcus Rigon at Blu Haus Studio and built by Shaun. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

The dining table and chairs were also sourced from Facebook marketplace, and reupholstered by Shaun. Photo – Amelia Stanwix.

A Sustainable DIY Apartment Transformation

After purchasing a dark, cramped ‘hot box’ apartment in Brunswick West, Shaun Tompkins decided it needed a full renovation. But to keep to his budget and ensure the home was as sustainable as possible, he took on most of the project DIY-style!

With some cost-saving hacks like renting power tools from a local tool library, and some lucky finds on Facebook marketplace, Shaun completely transformed the tiny 42-square-metre pad by himself.

Read the full story here

Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

A shelving unit is a space divider between the bedroom and the living room. Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

Kelly’s work-from-home office! Photo – Eve Wilson. Editorial Styling – Annie Portelli.

An Off-The-Plan Studio Apartment With Colour + Character!

‘Off-the-plan’ and ‘character’ are terms not often used together when describing a new apartment… that’s because most Melbourne apartments aren’t owned by Kelly Cloake!

Kelly bought this Brunswick studio apartment in 2021, and moved in 18 months ago upon its completion.

With its high ceilings, floor to ceiling windows and brutalist-inspired design, the bones of the building (designed by Fieldwork architects) are a stark contrast to her tiny former studio in Fitzroy, yet Kelly has made the place feel like ‘her’ with vintage furniture, art, and plenty of colour.

Read the full story here