Small Apartment Makeover - City Apartment With DIY IKEA Home Bar | House To Home E11

This video is the eleventh episode of the House to Home series, where I'll be transforming a compact two-bedroom apartment in inner-city Melbourne into a cozy space with a custom barn nook. Follow along as I take you through a tour of the space and the thoughts behind these selections. The apartment features an open-plan living, dining, and kitchen area, a cupboard laundry by the entrance, two bedrooms, a study nook, and a balcony that is accessible from the living and master bedroom. The entire apartment comes to a total of 66 square meters, with a 7 square meter balcony for a total of 73 square meters. While the apartment has a beautiful view of the river, there were a set of challenges that we were faced with early on. There was limited space in the small dining area next to the entry, where the client wanted to prep food and seat 3 to 4 people comfortably. The balcony is a bit awkward, as they're quite long and narrow, and the color looked a bit depressing. There was also a decent-sized study nook, which the clients wished to repurpose into a bar that would integrate well with the rest of the space. In terms of the look, the clients wanted to create a warm and inviting space in a typical Scandinavian style. The initial mood board we created features a Scandi-style neutral color scheme with warm timber tones, one that is light and airy. What became the highlight of this space was the built-in coffee and bar cabinet that was one of the most substantial DIY aspects of the project. We were inspired by wet bars and wanted to create something similar in a DIY-friendly manner, without the water access as it was going into the study nook. My job was to design this nook, pick out the hardware and finishes, and guide the client as they embark upon this DIY journey. For the base, we used an IKEA method kitchen cabinet in order to save on cost, but with custom doors and plinth as I wanted a modern slim shaker panel, which IKEA does not offer. The countertop was ordered separately from Bunnings. Here, we got a simple laminate countertop as we're not using it as a wet bar, so it makes sense to save on cost. The initial plan was to install floating shelves, but we couldn't locate any studs along the back of the wall. Instead, we decided to line the study nook with custom-cut timber framing all the way to the ceiling, with two shelves attached at evenly spaced intervals to achieve something like a built-in look. This would allow the shelves to be more secure as we put weight on it. To strike the right balance between form and function, we decided to combine both doors and drawers, and finish it off with a linear timber handle. For those who didn't know, IKEA uses plumb hinges and runners in their kitchen line, so they're really smooth and high quality, which is a great bonus. The backsplash is an interesting one. After some back and forth, we went with a mirrored tile backsplash on the first shelf as the clients loved the look. I think this was a great choice as it worked really well with the gold accents, ties in with the mirrored kitchen backsplash, and also gives a feeling of spaciousness. The second shelf features a white subway tile backsplash. These are actually peel and stick tiles that are very easy to install, but we got ones made out of composite laminate, so they're a bit thicker and less glossy than the typical vinyl tiles. Finally, we added some IKEA LED light strips on the shelving that gives the cabinet a beautiful glow and make it look like a proper built-in. All the lighting can be controlled with the remote and dial, so there's the ability to adjust them throughout the day. Before we continue, I wanted to quickly thank Ekster for sponsoring today's video. Ekster makes super slim and stylish wallets, which features a click mechanism that pushes your cards out, so you can easily pick out the ones you want to use. There's also an elastic strap to hold some cash, really handy when you come across cash-only stores. All the wallets also come with RFID protection to protect you from data theft and scheming. Currently, Ekster is offering 25% off until November 3rd, so if you're interested or looking for a gift for the upcoming holidays, check out the link down in the description box below or use code RL at checkout. For the dining area, the initial idea was to have a freestanding island with an overhang. The idea was to create a seating area underneath the overhang, whilst also giving the clients extra space for food preparation. While this was a good initial idea, we quickly realized that having a standard overhang would be an issue, as it would require a thicker base cabinet to stop it from tipping over. A standard kitchen island needs 70% of its countertop supported by a base, and unfortunately, there was not enough space for a substantial base in the room, as we needed at least 25 to 30 cm of overhang to leave enough knee room for comfortable seating. The other idea was to use custom brackets or legs for support, but this wouldn't be a simple DIY project. After the clients had lived in the space for a few weeks, they decided that a standard 4-person dining table would be better than an island. It could also be used for food prep every now and then. That is why we opted for quartz top dining table, as they're extremely durable and stain-resistant, a material that is often used as a countertop. In order to navigate comfortably around the kitchen, we went with an upholstered bench on the kitchen side as a space-saving measure, which allowed us to have a bigger clearance between the table and the kitchen. This is paired with two light oak chairs on the other side. This combination allowed for more seating space for the occasional gathering, without taking up valuable space on a day-to-day basis. We added a shoe cabinet across the table just by the entry, with a small mirror and hooks to store shoes and everyday carry. We kept this setup relatively simple, as there's another built-in cabinet for less frequently used items. A standard 3-seater couch and a TV unit was all that was required for the living area. We continued the light Scandinavian theme from the dining area into the living room, with a pale couch with a light oak base, textured wool rug, a no-coffee table, and neutral pillows and a throw. The space is finished off with sheer curtains to give that softness and filtered natural light. We installed them on a free-flowing track, so there's the flexibility to stack the fabric in multiple ways. We also left the existing roller blinds in place to allow for maximum light control, and to block out heat in the summer. We replaced the original downlights in the living area with Philips Hue system, which allowed us to adjust the brightness and temperature with the remote dial and through our phone. The initial plan was to emulate a French-style balcony, with a small round table and two chairs, but after further consideration, we thought that a rectangular bar table against the railing would be better for traffic flow and also for dining. It would also take full advantage of the view. We installed the random decking from Ikea to add some warmth, with a grass patch that separates the garden area in the corner. The finished balcony features a skinny bar table with woven bar chairs that allows you to take full advantage of the river view, and a surface to drink or dine. The opposite corner is a group of potted plants of various heights to further the calm and relaxing atmosphere. Going back inside, one of the bedrooms is converted into a simple home office, with a two-seater sofa that can be converted into a bed for guests to stay over. And that wraps up the 11th episode of the House to Home series. Thanks for watching, and I'll see you in the next one.