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D. Hage Designs principal Dominique Hage knows how to make the most of a small home.
The designer lived and worked in Amsterdam before moving back to Sydney, when she and partner Hepa Taahi (who are also co-founders of design brand Taaha) purchased this 44-square-metre Potts Point apartment on the top floor of a 1930s building.
‘Because this neighbourhood has such active public spaces, beautiful parks and cafes, we felt we could live in something with a small footprint. After living in Europe, we gained more of an appreciation for high density living,’ Dominique says.
The one-bedroom home had been renovated about 14 years ago by the previous owner, who also happened to be an architect. There was a lot to love about the compact light-filled home, from the original parquetry floors to the incredible views overlooking Darling Point.
The floorplan, however, featured a big bedroom, which left little space for the areas where the couple wanted to spend the most of their time: dining, watching movies, cooking, and hosting friends.
‘We knew we wanted to do some restructuring,’ Dominique adds.
‘There is a tendency in small space design to miniaturise everything in an egalitarian manner: small living, small dining, small kitchen, small bedroom. When you do this, there is no “moment” that feels grand or generous.
‘Our approach was to create a floor plan with more extreme proportions. We prioritised spaces that are to be shared with friends and family, rather than private spaces of solitude.’
Limited by NSW’s stringent building regulations regarding alterations of walls in apartments, the home was completely reconfigured using custom joinery.
Installing a large veneer cabinet that runs the length of the apartment created a cosy ‘bedroom nook’ — dedicated solely to sleeping — hidden behind a sliding door. In the living room, the joinery wall serves as a TV unit and a bar, while in the kitchen, the tall cupboards are used as wardrobes.
‘We wanted all of the spaces to be multifunctional and spent a lot of time thinking about what programs would never be in use at the same time,’ Dominique says.
‘When you are dining, you are never getting dressed, and when you are getting dressed or putting clothes away, the big table is useful!’
The kitchen was also updated with pale yellow cabinets and contrasting dark green Avocatus Quartzite. And the existing bathroom with a small shower was transformed into an indulgent, hammam-inspired bath, layered with terrazzo and handmade tiles.
Dominique says these changes made way for statement pieces like the eight-person dining table and a vintage modular blue sofa: ‘Ironically, in all our larger homes, we never had such a big sofa or dining table.’
There’s no denying the little home is an overachiever, filled with moments that spark joy in the couple’s everyday life.
