Small space masterclass PETIT PROPOSAL

A COMPACT APARTMENT GIVES AN INTERIOR DESIGNER THE CHANCE TO USE A CAREER'S WORTH OF TINY IDEAS

- RACHEL WHITE

When it came to designing a home for herself, interior designer Emma Blomfield wasn't short of inspiration. In fact, her problem was filtering through ideas collected over a 15-year design career. "I wanted to make so much of it beautiful," she says. "But I had to keep reminding myself that things needed to work well, or it would frustrate me forever." The two-bedroom apartment on Sydney's Lower North Shore with a bathroom and powder room, was built in the 1930s and possessed a layout typical of its era, featuring a series of small, segregated rooms. In addition, several unsympathetic renovations had removed many period features, leaving it devoid of charm. Undeterred, Emma says, "When I walked in for the first time, I saw so much potential."

She attacked the renovation in two stages. "Phase one of the project was the smaller, more cosmetic changes," she says. "I wanted to restore some of the features that had been removed over the years." This included painting the walls, restoring the original Cypress Pine floorboards and reinstating the Art Deco ceiling roses and cornicing details. Phase two involved the major tasks of creating an internal laundry and replacing the kitchen and bathroom. "I ripped out the kitchen and bathroom at the same time to streamline my trades and ensure I was only moving out for a short period of time," she says. "I knew I'd never muster the courage to come back for a second round, so they had to be done together."