[ Rushcutters Bay ]

NATALIE BRCAR of Brcar Morony Architecture had to work around an inflexible floor plan when reconfiguring this apartment in Sydney’s Rushcutters Bay. brcarmorony.com

What was the brief? The clients, who are a young family of three, wanted to explore the possibilities of creative storage and working solutions for a flexible and family-oriented lifestyle within a modest footprint. The brief was to transform a tired and dark ground floor apartment into an open, free-flowing and interconnected series of spaces that would extend through to their external private courtyard. What were the challenges of the space and how did you resolve them? Being a ground-floor apartment meant all the walls were load bearing and made out of heavy solid masonry which required considerably large steel beams to prop up the new openings. Describe the completed interior? The apartment was stripped and a contemporary, classic and warm colour palette was overlaid. The aesthetic consists of American oak solid timber floorboards laid in a herringbone pattern, a combination of American oak and white polyurethane joinery elements, black steel door and window frames and a restrained use of Carrara marble throughout the kitchen and bathroom. What are some favourite elements? Were there any devices used to maximise the sense of space? Innovative and clever strategies were used to create spaces and nooks throughout the apartment. A study desk now suspends within an existing doorway which transforms into a display or service area for the dining room. Slender-profiled joinery was designed to display, store and conceal while not becoming overbearing within the spaces. Solid timber American oak portal frames provide a visual connection, overall warmth and a sense of scale to the apartment, accentuating the generous ceiling height. What informed the selection of art, furniture and fittings? We wanted to keep the palette light and contemporary but warm with whites, oaks and black accents, supplemented with colourful art. Were the owners happy with the execution? Yes, they were thrilled with the result! In the client’s words: “The detail and thoughtfulness is immediately appreciated on arrival.”