Remember that old joke ‘How do you fit a family of elephants into a Mini?’
Take the roof off!
We are currently trying to solve that riddle on our Greenknowe Avenue project and I can tell you, from personal experience, it’s no laughing matter!
Once a dramatic one bedroom bachelor pad housing fabulous art, a concert grand Steinway piano and a wet bar for a kitchen, our apartment is transforming into a family home for four (well, six if you count the fur babies!). We had literally been bursting at the seams with the once-sleek interior becoming superimposed with Barbie dream homes and finger paintings.
We absolutely loved everything about the apartment and its location, it simply wasn’t big enough. So we dreamt up the perfect family home in the sky, complete with a rooftop garden and plunge pool. The project would involve adding two levels to an existing apartment building in Sydney’s Potts Point.
But first to persuade neighbours, council and the structural engineer!
After many, many years of planning and design we have finally commenced work on our dream home in the sky. And indeed, the roof did come off!
Retaining the original mood and feeling from our much-loved apartment was paramount. The concept is to preserve the black interior for the lower level and introduce a white ribbon into the dark box, whilst inverting this combination upstairs with a white interior swathed by a black ribbon. The apartment enjoys beautiful views and an abundance of natural light. The biggest challenge has been how to best capture the views whilst allowing some privacy from urban eyes.
Knee deep in demolition rubble with no roof and severe weather forecasts looming on the horizon have been conjuring the most dramatic of emotions – stress, excitement, denial. Did I mention stress?! To all our clients, past and present, I feel your pain.
Follow the dramatic images and #GreenknoweAvenue updates on Instagram.
Wish us luck and plenty of sunshine!
All images via © Alexandra Kidd Design