Recent project – helping a couple downsize into a 2-bedroom apartment

• Clients: retired couple

• Property: apartment with 2 bedrooms and 2 bathrooms

• Renovation objective: refresh and update the apartment which had been rented out for a decade, add features to enable the couple to live comfortably in it for as long as possible.

After a lifetime of work, bringing up a family and travelling the world, this couple had recently sold their large family home and purchased an apartment closer to the city. Their aim was to enjoy the city’s theatre and fine dining options, whilst having the ability to simply lock up and travel overseas to visit their children.

When we met the couple for the first time in their new apartment, we started by asking them lots of questions to better understand their current and future needs. For instance, how did they want to use the second bedroom, how often did they actually have guests staying over, and whether they needed storage and privacy at the apartment entrance. In our view, the apartment had lovely natural light and high ceilings, however had arches and other features that dated it. The bathrooms had mosaic flooring which was difficult to clean. Also, as it had been rented for a decade prior to the new owners moving in, the apartment looked tired and “beige” which did not reflect the couple’s personalities.

The clients engaged us to provide both interior decoration, and implementation and installation services, as they wanted all the work to be completed whilst they went on their next overseas trip.

Our interior decoration and design advice included mainly cosmetic changes as the apartment had great bones and a functional layout. We prepared comprehensive 3D drawings, colour scheme and concept mood board to enable the clients to visualise every aspect of the renovation. Their feedback was critical, as they were going to be overseas during the construction phase. As soon as we got their approval, we started planning and preparing for the construction phase and were able to commence work the day after they left.

The scope of our work included the following changes:

• Flooring - we levelled the floors in the living, dining and kitchen before laying new timber floorboards. This was important to minimise tripping and facilitate the use of walking aids/wheelchair in the future. We used LVT (luxury vinyl tiles) in the bathrooms in a similar pattern as the floorboards to give the apartment a seamless and cohesive feel.

• Bathrooms – we changed the shower screens, vanities, all fixtures and fittings. To make these facilities future-proof, we also added hand rails to minimise falls and widened the doors to facilitate the use of walking frames/wheelchairs.

• Entrance – we added privacy by installing a simple screen using timber battens. We placed a bench at it’s base with shelves for shoe storage, and added hooks on the battens for hats, scarves, coats, etc.

• Laundry – we removed the bottom shelf from one of the cabinets and added a power point for a robot floor cleaner – a handy solution made possible now that all the floors were level

• Paint – painting all the walls and ceiling instantly refreshed the whole apartment. We used a warm white to serve as the backdrop for the couple’s extensive art collection.

• Lighting - the last thing to do was to add the “jewellery” – new light fixtures and pendants to complete the renovation.

The clients were surprised to see how much thought we had given to make every space as comfortable as possible. It was extremely satisfying for us to “reveal” and hand over the renovated apartment to them on their return.

Find out more about our interior decoration, implementation and installation services, then call us to see how we can make the most of your space !