My Houzz: Calm Prevails in a Light-Filled Sydney Apartment
An up-and-coming designer brings his dated apartment into the 21st century and creates a welcoming home base
Emily Hutchinson
November 30, 2016
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff. I am always on the lookout for homes with that extra wow-factor to feature. I love hearing all about the design process behind these projects.
Houzz Australia Editorial Staff. I am always on the lookout for homes with that extra... More
Renjie Teoh, a graduate architect, renovated his 1920s Georgian-style apartment in the Darlinghurst neighborhood of Sydney with the goal of making it fit for 21st-century living. Reconfiguring rooms and installing a new kitchen, laundry area, flooring and cabinetry gave the apartment the fresh look and practical layout it needed to suit his busy lifestyle.
Drawing inspiration from Japanese and Chinese design, Teoh made use of new and collected pieces to bring his home to life. The result is a calming retreat from the daily grind where he loves to spend his downtime. “I just simply want to snuggle on the couch, feet up, with a cup of hot green tea in my hands, read a book, or just let the music run softly in the background. It’s a calming space,” Teoh says.
Drawing inspiration from Japanese and Chinese design, Teoh made use of new and collected pieces to bring his home to life. The result is a calming retreat from the daily grind where he loves to spend his downtime. “I just simply want to snuggle on the couch, feet up, with a cup of hot green tea in my hands, read a book, or just let the music run softly in the background. It’s a calming space,” Teoh says.
Photos by Ryan Linnegar
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Renjie Teoh
Location: Darlinghurst neighborhood of Sydney
Size: 678 square feet (63 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Teoh, pictured, found his apartment in mid-February 2014. “I couldn’t believe my luck. A location to die for, top-floor position, rather spacious, and, despite the apartment looking rather tired and dated, it presented great redesign potential and a chance for me to leave my architectural mark,” Teoh says.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Renjie Teoh
Location: Darlinghurst neighborhood of Sydney
Size: 678 square feet (63 square meters); one bedroom, one bathroom
Teoh, pictured, found his apartment in mid-February 2014. “I couldn’t believe my luck. A location to die for, top-floor position, rather spacious, and, despite the apartment looking rather tired and dated, it presented great redesign potential and a chance for me to leave my architectural mark,” Teoh says.
Teoh loved that many of the original 1970s features were still intact. The restored Georgian-style cornices, architraves and four large sash windows were particularly alluring. Aside from the kitchen and bathroom, however, the apartment was laid in thick navy-blue carpet. The unit was also in poor shape due to years of neglect.
The apartment’s inefficient floor plan also needed modernizing. Despite its large overall size, the bedroom was too big in relation to the living and dining rooms, and a tiny kitchen was squeezed into a corner.
Teoh gutted and renovated the apartment for about $80,000, including appliances and fixtures, before he moved in.
Recast sofa bed in Sand Begum fabric: Innovations; blue ottoman: Zanui; coffee table: Freedom Furniture; rug: Hali
Teoh gutted and renovated the apartment for about $80,000, including appliances and fixtures, before he moved in.
Recast sofa bed in Sand Begum fabric: Innovations; blue ottoman: Zanui; coffee table: Freedom Furniture; rug: Hali
Eco-conscious Teoh used dimmable LED lighting throughout the apartment, and had energy-efficient Aeratron ceiling fans installed. “Ceiling fans work very well in Sydney’s climate, and are perfect for passive ventilation and cooling in summer while providing assistance to heating in winter,” Teoh says.
Retro armchair in Arena Neptune fabric: Freedom Furniture
Retro armchair in Arena Neptune fabric: Freedom Furniture
Oslo mirror: OZ Design Furniture; goblet on stand: National Palace Museum shop in Taipei, Taiwan; pair of Japanese Bizen-style sake bottles: gift from a friend
Teoh’s biggest splurge in the renovation was the floating Tasmanian oak floor he laid throughout the apartment at a cost of about $22,000.
Eames dining table and Saarinen Organic chairs: Glicks Replica & Designer Furniture
Eames dining table and Saarinen Organic chairs: Glicks Replica & Designer Furniture
The apartment receives lovely natural light, one of Teoh’s favorite things about the home. “Whenever I spend time at home, whether on weekends or if I work from home, I just appreciate the way soft daylight filters through the tree canopy outside and in through the four large windows,” he says.
Side table and shelving: Ikea
Side table and shelving: Ikea
Teoh’s Chinese heritage is reflected in the home’s decor. The staggered built-in bookcase is decorated with traditional teapots, origami sculptures made by Teoh, architectural figurines and flower stalks.
The bonsai and pebbles placed on the windowsill give the apartment a dose of personality.
The single-wall kitchen from Ikea cost $4,400. Teoh says he felt lucky to find a design with a rough-cut, oak-veneer finish that works well with the Tasmanian oak flooring.
The Ikea cabinetry system is designed in standard-width modules and is compatible with most other manufacturers’ built-in appliances, sinks and plumbing fixtures. This made it simple and more economical to fit into a space than a custom design, Teoh says.
A Japanese-style sliding door connects the hallway to the bedroom, and stream-lined built-in closets provide ample storage.
Natural light floods into the bedroom, which Teoh decorated in neutral tones to create a calming atmosphere.
Studio love seat in Arena Cement fabric and Aberdeen Ivory blockout curtain: Freedom Furniture; Guido upholstered bed frame: Iniko; throw pillow on bed: West Elm
Studio love seat in Arena Cement fabric and Aberdeen Ivory blockout curtain: Freedom Furniture; Guido upholstered bed frame: Iniko; throw pillow on bed: West Elm
Bedside table: Freedom Furniture
The bathroom had a preexisting skylight thanks to its location on the top floor, which makes it a bright and airy space.
Although Teoh put in a lot of work to complete his home, he says the journey was made that much easier with the help of his parents, his partner and his boss, Peter Lonergan of Cracknell & Lonergan Architects, who provided him with invaluable design tips.
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
My Houzz is a series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more projects.
Browse more homes by style: Apartments | Barn Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Floating Homes | Guesthouses | Homes Around the World | Lofts | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Small Homes | Townhouses | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | Vacation Homes
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it looks comfortable, spacious, inviting and welcoming...a true home from what was once a drab apartment!
Hi Everyone, thank you all for the very encouraging comments, warts and all!! ;)
RE Cushions (there has been a few questions about that) - I got them variously from IKEA, Freedom, West Elm and online sources. I believe many of those cushions, however, have since been discontinued by their respective retailers.