NEVER TOO SMALL: Micro Apartment With Multifunctional Mirrored Pod, Melbourne 27sqm/291sqft

This is a 27 meter square apartment. It's just one big room. So the tricks we use is to try to break up and create different experiences within the space. A lot of little pockets, vibes and moods. It's about meandering, extending the journey. That gives you the illusion of space. I'm Heidi. I'm Jack. We're from Sai Design. We're an architectural and interior design studio based in Geelong, Victoria. If you're a fan of this Never Too Small episode, our new book is perfect for you. Discover our top 30 small footprint homes, available at the Never Too Small store. This apartment is located in St Kilda. It's a famous beach suburb in Melbourne. So there's a good mix of old and new buildings and cafes and pubs just down the street. It's a close proximity to the major hub of St Kilda and public transportation at the corner as well. We think this building was built in the 1970s. There's around 52 units and they're all studio apartments. The client's currently based overseas. They spend a few months at a time in Australia. They want to create a space comfortable for two people to live and work from home. They're also interested in exploring the potential for this apartment to be used as a short stay accommodation when they're not in the country. The original apartment is quite tired and really need a refresh. The bathroom is awkwardly placed and it's the first thing you see when you enter the space. The bathroom ceiling is dipping and we found a bird nest in the roof space. But the big window has great opportunity while capturing the trees in the front. So structurally, the only change we made was switching the bathroom door to a more discreet location. We also reorientated the kitchen, turning it 90 degrees on the short wall to the window fronts. We created a hero copper mirrored pot in the centre of the apartment. Outside, the idea is to have all the spaces you expect in a house. There is common laundry on the same floor in the building. So the client is actually using the common laundry instead of having a washing machine in the apartment. The moment you walk into the apartment, the first thing catches your eyes is the copper finish joinery. In contrast to the calm and pale palettes of the rest of the apartment. We also placed a small stool at the entry so people can sit and take off their shoes when they arrive. The copper joinery is the heart of the apartment. Wrapping around the existing walls to create a division and intrigue. This joinery is the main storage of the apartment. House and kitchen storage, wardrobe, a fold-up desk, display bookshelf and general storage. The initial idea of having the mirror copper cladding is to bounce the light around and create a visual distraction from a direct view into the bathroom. The skirting is mirror finish which creates an illusion of the floorboards continuing throughout the space. We used cob flooring throughout the apartment. The cob flooring is a bit softer than timber and has a bit of exaggerated texture which gives a bit more character to the apartment. We created this TV unit for the living room housing a TV and also more storage including a storage for vacuum cleaner on the left and more open display shelf. We created the curve to end the TV unit to create a bit more of a flow. It also mirrors the copper joinery which also has the same profile. For a small space, every pocket of space you can find we will try to make use of it. We utilised the space above the door creating a continuous shelf that extends from the TV units all the way into the bedroom. Because there is a curtain that separates the bedroom from the rest of the space, we created an illusion of a continuous shelf just by the alignment. The kitchen is repositioned in front of the big window and we extended the kitchen bench top on top of the windowsill to maximise the prep space. Our client is not a big cook so the kitchen is designed as a kitchenette setting. We have chlorine for the bench top and the sink so we can create a seamless continuous surface and copper tapware to match the copper joinery. Under the bench we have the bin storage, drawers for cutlery, dishwasher, fridge drawer and a standalone microwave oven. We integrated the appliances under the bench so we can have a clean linear kitchen. The rest of the storage are all housed in the copper joinery. We also play with the internal colour of the units so having the blue in the kitchen section, the yellow for the wardrobe and the terracotta for the shower space. The coffee nook on the side of the kitchen bench houses the coffee machine, capsules and all. To make it efficient we have to create a bi-fold door so it doesn't impede into the sink area. The dining table also doubles as a kitchen island and the chair can be folded away and stored in the wardrobe. The client themselves came up with a really clever idea of having a couch from E9 Design Furniture with flexible backings which enable us to use it for both lounging and dining simply by repositioning the backrest. Lighting wise we have track lighting for the living room and the bedroom and also wall light for the kitchen. We try to avoid having pendant light from the ceiling so that people can focus on the copper joinery. The queen size bed is at the darkest corner of the apartment. We have a block out curtain to separate from the living area. The block out curtain actually has linen and a block out sheet in the middle and then linen on the other side so it looks like linen fabric but it's actually a block out curtain. Wardrobe is housed in the copper joinery next to the bed and there is extra hanging under the overhead shelf. Occasionally both clients need to have a quick meeting separately then one can sit at the dining table while the other one can work on a small follow up study on the side of the joinery. Above the study table we have magazine racks so the client can put their magazine or books or any small display items. The toilet is just behind the concealed pivot door which swings both ways for ease of access. While the shower and the vanities is inside the cupboard pod. There's storage up behind the mirror above the sink and below the sink we also have more extra storage. The shower area is in terracotta and then the rest of the space is painted to match the tile colour. Due to the size of the shower space the shower door is a wide folding system so it's quite compact. We're trying to create like a layering of experiences so there's an open plant on the outside and then the bathroom has been more dynamic, moodier. Breaking up the space, breaking up the experience kind of extends the journey through the house and gives that impression as a bigger space. Thanks for watching. If you're an architect or designer with a project we could feature, please share it with us at nevertosmall.com slash submissions.