A Luxe Collingwood Apartment

While we are committed to celebrating the use of colour, we cannot deny that SOMETIMES the Melbourne love of monochrome can deliver the goods. For TDF long-time collaborator Paris Thomson, the genius boss-lady behind SIRAP, colour is ‘something I’m working on.’

We chat with Paris about adapting to an intimate apartment through the commissioning of bespoke furniture to perfectly fit the space. Black, white and chic all over!

Written

Lucy Feagins

The exterior of Paris Thomson’s chic, minimal apartment in Collingwood. Photo – courtesy of Gurner.

Frustrated with the lack of options available for small spaces, Paris actually commissioned most of her own furniture, including this couch! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Paris’ Taccia lamp is among her favourite possessions, ‘the curved glass contrasting against the strutted base is so simple but elegant.’ Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Paris’ teeny tiny kitchen. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

‘Apartment living forces a “quality not quantity’” mindset upon you – there isn’t much space to fill, so it’s definitely influenced my perspective on life. Less is more’, explains Paris of her home (and life!) philosophy. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

The living room, which gets flooded with natural light. ‘Meditating is a big part of my world, so it’s a beautiful spot to sit in the mornings with the sun falling on your face,’ Paris explains. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Paris Thomson, founder of motion content production company SIRAP and long-time TDF collaborator! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

A bright corner of Paris’ bedroom. The painting next to the bed is one of Paris favourites by her friend Parker Ito, an American mixed-media artist. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Everything element of Paris’ apartment is carefully curated. Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

A city girl ‘through and through’, Paris has lived between warehouses and apartments her whole life. This has encouraged a very thorough ‘less is more’ mindset when it comes to her living spaces – who knew bathrooms this minimal could exist?! Photo – Caitlin Mills for The Design Files.

Writer

Lucy Feagins

19th of June 2018

You are probably familiar with Paris Thompson through the beautiful and precise TDF Films she creates for us (Thank you Paris!).

For someone who spends their days capturing and producing highly considered footage, it is little surprise then that Paris’s small apartment is also highly edited, and captures her exacting aesthetic.

The Collingwood apartment is only two blocks away from the SIRAP studio (the dream commute!), but offers a serene escape from the office. Paris describes how ‘when I walk through the door I feel like I’m in another world,’ where the leafy aspect creates a sense of serenity and calm. The small space is flooded with natural light, which provides Paris with a ‘beautiful spot to sit in the mornings with the sun falling on your face’ and to practice meditation. While this might all sound very wholesome, Paris also notes that the apartment is conveniently located less than a block from a wine bar. A well-balanced life!

The size of the apartment has necessitated a clever and curated approach to make the intimate space feel like a welcoming home. For Paris, this meant adopting a ‘quality not quantity’ mindset, and applying a strategic use of textures to add warmth and softness. While admitting to following the Melbourne stereotype of ‘not being big on colour’, she describes ‘I love the classic look of black and white natural textures – stone, metals and timbers.’

Paris purchased the apartment off the plan in 2015, and moved in early 2017. ‘I wanted to get my foot in the door and buy something that I could actually live in’ she explains. The young entrepreneur had looked at a number of different apartment developments, both built and off the plan, but this one by Gurner stood out from the crowd. ‘I wanted to live in a smaller block and not a huge tower’ she explains. ‘This building is low rise and still retains elements of the original facade which was refreshing – there are so many squeaky clean new apartments, it’s nice to have a nod to what was once there.’

In seeking out soft furnishings and furniture for her apartment, Paris was surprised ‘how little options there are for furniture to fit in small spaces!’ As a result, the SIRAP founder commissioned a couch, ottoman, dining table, console and bedhead for the space.

Paris highlights the interior design details, by Elenberg Fraser, as a key drawcard of the apartment.’ The stone bench across the balcony is one of her favourite design features, ‘the perfect perch for a G&T!’ The size of the home means entertaining often ends up as a standing soiree event, but for Paris, adapting to living in this apartment has gently influenced her perspective of life. Now, ‘less is more.’