There’s something different about designing your own home. There’s no clear brief, no final sign-off. It’s more instinctive. More layered. And often, still evolving.
This St Kilda apartment has been exactly that. A space shaped over time, balancing its original Art Deco character with the way we live today.
It was recently featured by Kip & Co, offering a glimpse into the apartment and how it’s come together so far.
Image credit: Kate Logan
Located in St Kilda, this Art Deco apartment has all the elements I’m naturally drawn to. Generous proportions, original detailing, and a sense of history that gives the space weight.
From the beginning, the intention wasn’t to overhaul it completely, but to work with what was already there. To retain its character while gently refining how the space functions day to day. The previous owner had lived here for 20 years, and it was in pretty rough-diamond shape!
The approach was always about refinement rather than overhaul. Working with what was already there, a relatively compact footprint, soaring ceilings and incredible natural light.
The focus was on bringing the apartment up to a level that felt both functional and aligned with how we live, while preserving its original character.
A full electrical rewire was one of the first priorities, bringing the mains directly into the apartment, updating everything to current standards and introducing additional GPOs and considered lighting throughout. Lighting is a huge part of how I approach any space, and here it became a key layer in creating cohesion.
We introduced Herman Miller saucer pendants in both the living room and bedroom, which was a bit of a splurge, but worth it. The soft, diffused light and sculptural form sit beautifully against the decorative plaster ceilings and help connect the spaces visually. In the study, I added a Verner Panton light, another favourite, and a simple schoolhouse-style pendant in the entry where there had previously been none.
The existing Baltic pine floors, over 100 years old, were completely sanded back. We removed sections of old carpet and heavier stains and worked with a custom light stain to create a softer, more natural base. In the sunroom, where the original flooring couldn’t be salvaged due to its history as an open balcony, we introduced a natural sisal floor covering, which feels more in keeping with the space than traditional carpet.
Painting played a significant role in tying everything together. All timber work was painted in a soft white, paired with a warmer, green-based neutral on the walls. We also introduced new, slightly higher skirtings and reinstated a picture rail through the hallway, allowing for more flexibility with artwork and reinforcing the home’s original detailing.
In the kitchen, rather than replacing everything, we worked with the existing cabinetry and had it re-sprayed on site in a subtle green. This was paired with new Tundra Beige honed limestone benchtops, sourced as an offcut, along with updated fixtures including the oven, tap and sink. It was a simple shift, but one that completely changed how the space feels.
The bathroom was fully updated, and throughout the apartment we introduced new window furnishings, including remote-controlled blinds and sheers in the bedroom, along with a café curtain and roller blind in the kitchen.
The fireplace was another considered change. The original brick was a very heavy, dark tone that felt out of place. After sitting with it for some time, I made the decision to paint it in a warmer, softer white, which has completely lifted the space. It’s now paired with a functioning wood-burning fire that we use regularly in winter.
Since the shoot, the apartment has continued to evolve. We’ve added additional shelving to increase usable storage, a new rug, and a larger sofa from HK Living that better suits the scale of the room. The original French doors between the living and bedroom are something we use flexibly, opening them up to create a greater sense of space, or closing them off when needed.
One of my favourite pieces in the apartment is the travertine coffee table, a Facebook Marketplace find made in Italy. It sits comfortably within the space, tying together the fireplace, lighting and overall palette in a way that feels effortless.
With homes like this, restraint is everything.
The original features carry so much weight, so the role of the design isn’t to compete with them, but to support them.
Proportion, flow and simplicity became the focus. Clean, contemporary elements were introduced carefully, allowing the apartment to feel current without losing the essence of its Art Deco origins.
It’s always a balance between preservation and progression.
At the time of the shoot, the apartment was in a transitional phase.
We had been moving between states, and the space had also been set up as a short-term stay for a period of time. As a result, it hadn’t yet been layered back in the way we typically live.
Since then, we’ve been slowly reintroducing pieces, adding rugs, shelving and personal objects, allowing the apartment to settle back into itself.
That process feels far more aligned with how I design. Not everything resolved at once, but built over time.
This wasn’t about creating a perfectly styled, editorial version of the apartment.
It was about capturing a real home, one that’s lived in and continuing to evolve.
I’ve always believed that what makes a space feel complete isn’t just the design framework, but what you layer into it. The books you reach for, the objects you’ve collected, the pieces that hold meaning.
Without that, a space can feel finished, but not personal.
The palette throughout was intentionally restrained, allowing the architecture and objects within the space to take focus.
This home was recently featured by Kip & Co. For the shoot, they brought in a selection of their pieces to style the space, including bed linen, a blue vase on the coffee table, a vase to the window sill and a lamp in the bedroom, adding an additional layer of colour and texture and was so fun to see the space through their eyes!
You can read more Heritage meets Heart here.
