architecture - interiors - sustainability
project: art deco apartments in North Sydney
The apartments had been recently purchased by a family and they loved the building but wanted to improve and restore it. The following was done:
design and implementation
The existing front door of the house was covered by an unattractive round fabric awning. To create a more welcoming and elegant entry we designed a new cantilevered awning (below) in the same style as the little existing Art Deco awnings.
The result is a new awning that looks like it was always there with recessed downlights to create a welcoming entry day and night.
- New timber stairs were built to link the house with the back yard.
- The house was refinished including: floors, painting, window repairs, locks and handles, the outside was painted.
- New ducted heating was installed.
- Many repairs and upgrades were made including sash chord for windows, re-hanging doors, concrete cancer repairs, water heater upgrades, new taps and lights, roof structure repairs and so on.
the entrance
The front doors were remodelled and a stained glass expert was commissioned to design new glass panels that complimented the existing stained glass in upper windows.
The garden side wall of the sun room was redone including beautiful cedar bi-fold windows that peel fully back to bring the garden inside.
The best window hardware was found to ensure smooth operations and an integrated flyscreen that spans the full width included.
the kitchen
A new state of the art kitchen was designed. The kitchen has all of the latest technology yet complements the Art Deco aesthetics of the existing apartment. The benchtops are made of marble, and the oven is fitted under the bench to ensure ease of access and aesthetics. The original hardwood floorboards were retained, and the wood for the built in cupboards chosen to complement the floorboards.
Sustainability retrofit - the house was fitted with water tanks for use with the laundry, toilet and garden. Solar photoelectric panels were also installed.
At the garden level a new laundry was created and a new paved are for outdoor dining and clothes drying. The apartments retained their original style and are now better and more sustainable than they ever were.
The sunroom (left) and kitchen (right) as they were before the renovation.