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Original art deco apartments are real estate gold – especially in the leafy, central suburb of South Yarra. So what do you do if you’re lucky enough to have secured one, but it needs some attention to get you through the next decade (or longer!)? You bring in Rosanna Ceravolo!
The architect quickly assessed the excellent, ornate bones of the place, and decided that no structural changes were necessary. Only cosmetic updates were required to return the drab former rental into a snug, contemporary home!
‘The layout and finishes were fairly basic and typical of a rental apartment,’ explains Rosanna. ‘But the apartment had great access to natural light, ventilation and lovely original details, such as beautifully rounded external corners, solid masonry stucco walls, art deco plastering, window reveals and trims, and beautiful door leaf panels and hinges.’
Great care was required not to overwhelm the small footprint, or crowd out the delicate heritage features, so Rosanna decided on a clean, muted colour palette that would allow the 73 square metre space to breathe.
‘The interiors reference European apartment living, where bigger doesn’t necessarily mean better,’ she says.
Though used sparingly, soft colours and light, textural details (such as speckled flooring) have an important connective effect. The same terrazzo-like surface appears in different rooms throughout the house – the fireplace, bathroom cabinetry, kitchen splashback and entryway – to create flow throughout the otherwise simple spaces.
Notes of crimson offer moments of contrast to the predominantly pastel scheme. Solid red bar stools, a painting by Guy Maestri and a tufted ochre rug in the living room punctuate the space, also serving as markers to denote different zones of the floorplan.
Simple joinery conceals integrated appliances to keep the lean kitchen space streamlined and un-clunky, while in-built banquette seating prevents even a centimetre of wasted space. Custom black metal shelving references the iron balustrade on the building exterior, and creates a vertical storage space for everyday home items. The perfect, pocket-sized contemporary pad!
See more projects from Rosanna Ceravolo here.
