Brad Swartz Architects has become an expert in blending small spaces with wabi-sabi aesthetics and Australian modernism. This focus has been continued in Elizabeth Bay, with this tiny apartment taking inspiration from the client’s cultured past and the architecture of a historical Sydney building that resembles an ocean liner.

‘Kyabin’ is the Japanese spelling of ‘cabin’, a likeness which reveals itself when looking at the client’s brief to convert an 80-square-metre, two-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment into a one-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment with a single guest space. The living space is also made to be more spacious and opens up to the view of Rushcutters Bay.

Form over function was a defining principle of the modernist design philosophy that informed the interiors and overall style of the tiny apartment. Discovering the entire building was built with precast concrete beams – which had been concealed beneath ceiling sheeting for more than 60 years – also informed a refined materiality, deepening the interior design’s wabi-sabi undertones.

A pared-back material palette imbues the tiny apartment with a sense of calm, despite its small size, and a muted textural selection of stone and oak means the focus remains on the views beyond. The home’s design also has longevity in mind, allowing the next occupant to treat Kyabin Apartment as a blank canvas for personal expression.

Working in confined areas has its challenges with any home. In the case of this tiny apartment, Brad Swartz Architects devised and utilised joinery to both integrate and define its various public and private spaces. The use of a sliding door and a long passage of joinery embed the main bedroom as far from the living area as possible, so that the residents have a place of sanctuary. The warmth of the timber veneer also feeds into the motif of a ship cabin.

This restrained renovation is eloquently executed by Brad Swartz Architects to allow the view to remain the hero of the tiny apartment. Through an innovative use of spatial configuration, Kyabin Apartment feels like it is part of the ocean landscape beyond, imbuing sensations of space and awe.

00:00 - Intro to the Wabi-Sabi Tiny Apartment
00:52 - The Location of the Apartment
01:16 - A Walkthrough of the Wabi-Sabi Apartment
02:20 - Behind the Renovation
03:09 - The Clients Brief and the Japanese Inspiration
03:48 - Uncovering Unexpected Gems
04:14 - Playful Aspects of the Apartment
04:30 - The Paired Back Material Palette

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Photography by Clinton Weaver.
Architecture by Brad Swartz Architects.
Build by Align Constructions.
Styling by Room on Fire.
Joinery by Nu Space.
Filmed by The Local Project.
Edited by Luey Conway.
Production by The Local Project.

The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of First Nations peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present, and extend that respect to all First Nations people of these lands.

#TinyApartment #InteriorDesign #Architecture

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