This Small and Simple Apartment Has a Sense of Grandeur
The client purchased a ground floor apartment in the Grand Hotel, located in Melbourne’s CBD, built in the 1880s and was formerly the headquarters of Victorian Railways. The building is grand in scale, with an elegant foyer and staircase and high ceilings, making quite a statement at the time. However, the apartment was pokey, lacked flow and openness, and the layout was not ideal.
Jack Chen, architect and Director of Tsai Design, was tasked with transforming this small 50sqm (538sqft) apartment, creating a welcoming home for the client and her cat.
The client didn’t need a full kitchen, so a simple kitchen wraps around the corner, with cabinets and appliances that help it almost disappear. The kitchen benchtop continues into the secret bathroom, forming the vanity and seamlessly flowing between the two spaces.
The living and dining are kept simple, with a built-in bench seat and TV unit. Designed by Jack Chen, the custom drop leaf dining table allows the client to have a functional and small dining table when it’s just her, but can accommodate friends and family on occasions.
The client is a fan of flexible furniture, and so the bedroom nook heroes that idea with a Murphy bed. During the day, when the bed is tucked away, the bedroom nook presents itself as a spacious walk-in-robe, complete with a mirror. At nighttime, the bed comes down, and it’s a cosy space to sleep.
The concept of the apartment looks to balance simplicity and grandeur. The material palette of white and timber creates a simple canvas for the client to inhabit, while the brushed-gold light fixtures and tapware speak to that grandeur and grandness.
Jack Chen truly demonstrates how small footprint living can be both generous and achievable. Although the apartment is only 50sqm, the simplicity of the space, the height of the ceiling, ample storage, concealed appliances and functional nooks makes this apartment feel larger than it is.
Videography, photography and words by Anthony Richardson.
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