Who lives here: Sophie Bowers, founder of interior architecture firm Strutt Studios; her husband Josh Climpson, a fashion stylist for various TV networks; and their mini dachshunds, Billie and Remi.
Style of home: A low-rise 63-square-metre Art Deco apartment in Sydney’s Kensington.
Timeline: The property was purchased before Christmas in 2016 and the eight-week renovation commenced in July 2018.
Budget: Approx $110,000, which has upped the property’s value considerably.
Interior architect Sophie Bowers was her own worst client when it came to renovating the home she shares with her stylist husband Josh Climpson. “The design process took 18 months because I needed to explore every possible design solution,” she says of the compact one-and-a-half bedroom apartment in Sydney’s Kensington. “Given that the spaces are so small, it was important to get that right.”
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The Jardan rug and cushion by LRNCE bring colour and pattern to the inviting sitting area, which is defined by a Hay ‘Mags Soft’ sofa from Cult. Overhead wall light, Onefortythree. Large pot (with a yucca from Josh’s plant collection), Pop & Scott.
The time and energy that went into the process has certainly paid off. “This project was a labour of love,” admits Sophie, who led the project while juggling Strutt Studios, her own busy design practice. She and Josh lived in the property for a year to determine how best to use the spaces, then moved out for the speedy eight-week transformation.
Sophie and Billie in the new kitchen with overhead cupboards featuring fluted glass, and a brass kickboard that matches the Lo & Co pulls.
Through clever manipulation of the floor plan and by removing a wall separating the kitchen and dining area, Sophie was able to incorporate features that are unique to the apartments in the block, namely a laundry, dishwasher and even a bathtub. “Function was the main driver for the design process,” she says.
Having the eating nook line up with a window was a coup. The custom banquette seating is only upholstered where absolutely necessary — as per the pared-back overall design of the apartment — and there’s storage underneath. Navigator timber dining table from Tuckbox Design. Half Hurdle chairs by Dowel Jones. Ceramic vase, Clay Canoe. Artwork by Bobby Clark.
While the apartment is small, it flows seamlessly. The entry corridor opens up to the living room with a low sofa separating the dining zone. The boundary wall steps in and out, but Sophie’s design for the kitchen joinery disguises this by including the larger built-in laundry and integrated fridge in the deeper areas and a pull-out pantry at the front to align the joinery.
Brass shelves with rounded corners do double time as decorative element and storage. They coordinate beautifully with the wall-mounted unsealed-brass tapware from Sussex Taps. The benchtop is Caesarstone Frozen Terra.
A secondary corridor framed by new arches leads to the well-appointed bathroom. Beyond that, the bedroom is concealed by a glass-panelled door, and double French doors of the same style take you out to a spacious and sun-drenched study.
White floorboards, white skirtings and soft grey walls provide a calm backdrop for the playful furnishings. Sophie added a bright white curved arch to the doorway leading to the bedroom and bathroom. Toro lounge chair in Night and Dang media stand, both from Blu Dot. Natural Rhythm artwork by Rachael McCully Kerwick, through Curatorial & Co.
Stylistically, the renovation was driven by the apartment’s Art Deco heritage. “I was inspired by original design features such as the pink terrazzo flooring and curved brass light fittings,” Sophie explains. Those textures and shapes influenced the pretty material palette featuring matt pink and ivory wall tiles, grey and white terrazzo floor tiles and unsealed brass.
In the living area, a Tom Dixon ‘Stone’ board sits atop a Muuto ‘Airy’ coffee table in Plum from Living Edge, providing a fitting platform to display objects such as the Hamsa (hand) incense burner. Hay ‘DLM’ side table, Cult. Popsycle Strawberry rug, Jardan.
The fluted glass references apartments of the same era and a tight, linear pattern is repeated in the white panelling above the sliding joinery doors and on the storage below the banquette seat.
Sophie cleverly fitted a Reece bath into the reconfigured bathroom. The fluted-glass shower screen across the bath, Norwegian Rose marble vanity top and custom brass shelf add just the right amount of glamour while the Cold Picnic mat delivers that sense of fun seen throughout the apartment.
Working on her own space allowed Sophie the freedom to break some of the rules. “Usually I would recommend that my clients bring in colour through furnishings rather than materials in such a small space, but the abundance of natural light allowed us to be playful,” says Sophie. The white floorboards, white skirting and windows, and soft grey walls provide a neutral foundation for the more flamboyant finishes. The kitchen and bathroom are united by Sophie’s decision to use a lot of the same materials, another choice that was driven by the scale of the apartment.
Concrete basin and brass tapware by Wood Melbourne. Mirrored wall cabinet from Reece. Brass vertical sconce, Onefortythree. Drawer handle by Lo & Co.
The furnishings evolved throughout the process. “Every item, from the dining chairs to the TV credenza, from the cushions to the towels, was carefully curated,” says Sophie. Open shelving in the kitchen and bathroom brings lightness and additional storage, as well as housing Josh’s prized collections of plants and ceramics.
Stronger, earthy colours with black accents feature in here. The glass-panelled French doors lead into the adjacent sunroom. Sophie and Josh chose a stunning yet cost-effective bed frame by Koala, paired with a side shelf and wall light by Onefortythree. Bed linen by In Bed X Tribe, a cushion by LRNCE and a rug from Freedom Furniture bring warmth to the cosy space.
Other key features include the banquette seat. “It has a combination of Raf Simons velvet on the base and custom leather straps with marble fixings for the back piece,” Sophie explains.
Sophie used a subtle technique for the tiny dining area of the apartment, bringing in furniture with slim legs so the floor space remains relatively clear.
Sophie’s holistic approach to the project means there’s no one room that resonates for both herself and Josh. “Our favourite rooms differ,” she says. “Mine is the bathroom and Josh’s is the kitchen. Our choices stem from functionality, and to have two spaces that not only look beautiful but work so well, with an abundance of storage in such a small footprint is an achievement we relish.”
A vision of Norwegian Rose marble, brass shelving and fluted glass, the bathroom is a perfect example of this. As is the Caesarstone benchtop in the kitchen, a practical yet stylish choice for the area more regularly used by keen cook Josh.
Sophie has transformed the compact sunroom into a cosy nook styled with cushions from LRNCE and Annie Coop.
“A year on and we honestly wouldn’t change a single element of this project if we had our time again,” says Sophie. “Each space functions perfectly for our needs and the interior-design style is timeless while still showcasing our personality and taste. The only area we still need to tackle is the front sunroom. It was originally an enclosed balcony and would look wonderful restored to its outdoor aesthetic with some patterned encaustic floor tiles.”
On the left side of the bed is a log stump that the couple cut and sanded themselves. Above their bed is an artwork by Andy Wauman that says ‘Fun Kills’ in black embroidery, which is totally in sync with the clever, whimsical fitout.
LESSONS LEARNED
“Don’t be overly optimistic with your construction deadline,” says Sophie. “During the demolition process, we discovered many hidden surprises in this apartment, such as mystery cables running all over the place, and we even had to replace one of the bathroom walls because the 90-year-old brick-and-mortar one had turned to sand.”
See Sophie’s work at struttstudios.com or on Instagram @strutt.studios
Watch! Sophie Bowers talks us through her small apartment renovation…
