Garage Makeover Creates New Living Spaces

Family turns car space into people space, with room for guests

Reed Maltzman and Jennifer Gosselin had a two-car garage off of their house in San Francisco, but they needed space for people, not cars.

So the couple enlisted Maltzman’s childhood friend, architect Jonathan Feldman, to transform half of the detached structure into this 400-square-foot guest room and office.

A place to work or hang out with the kids

“It’s small, but we’ve all found a different use for it when guests aren’t visiting,” says Maltzman, a fifth-grade teacher. He uses it as a quiet getaway where he can grade papers; 4- year-old Max has claimed the closet as a favorite hiding place; and Gosselin prefers the loft for napping.

“It’s exactly what we’ve always wanted,” Maltzman says. “It’s just cozy.”

They used Smith & Fong’s Durapalm for the flooring and added a dark stain. The plantation-grown coconut palm is relatively inexpensive and hardwearing.

Before the addition

Architect Jonathan Feldman increased livable space ― but not the home’s footprint ―  by smartly reconfiguring an existing structure.

After

Replacing the flat roof with a gabled one created space for the loft, which sits above the garage’s remaining parking spot.

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Fitzroy Apartment Renovation

Small and now perfectly formed, a Melbourne apartment doubles in size and gets decked out in timber sheeting for feature walls, furniture and fittings.

It took confidence, credentials and vision to change a fairly routine apartment into something dynamic – and unique. Owners Ben and Kat Edwards masterminded the canny reconfiguration of the space, then topped it off with an unafraid use of OSB sheeting. Oriented Strand Board, as it is more formally known, has never had it so good – taken out from the shadows of ugly-duckling utilitarianism and into the limelight of high design. And architect Ben proved just the person to do it; he doubled the floorspace and then lavished the apartment with built-ins and installations of warm woody-offcut sheeting.

The result is a home that is memorable for its power to unite the hard-working with the handsome. It was the ‘water view’ that first attracted Ben and Kat, although it’s hardly crashing waves or twinkling harbour! “Normally, you would overlook houses across the street,” says Ben.“But we’ve got the pool.We have the feeling of looking out and having a view, even though we’re in the middle of Fitzroy.”

Located in what Ben and Kat believe was once a sewing factory, the flat was about half the size when they bought it 18 months ago. Downstairs, the living area – complete with bathroom positioned awkwardly in the middle of the room – had a spiral staircase, which lead to a tiny mezzanine bedroom space.“The upper level was within the slope of the roof, so it was a really narrow space,” Ben explains.“If you walked too far, you hit your head on the ceiling.” The conversion project was the work of Ben and his business partner, Juliet Moore. Having met while both were working for a larger firm, the pair set up the architectural practice Edwards Moore in October 2009, and this was their first residential project.

This was far more than a simple makeover. The architectural shell was completely altered so that the upper level (originally located in one of the ‘teeth’ of a sawtooth roof) became a complete floor. “We created a new roof and inserted a steel structure inside the shell of the existing brick building,” explains Ben.“We then added a big piece of glass, so that the focus was the pool outside. It gives you this slightly David Hockney-esque view, which is really nice, with the light reflecting off the pale blue.”

While this almost doubled the floor space of the apartment, at 95 square metres, it is still compact. To combat this, the height of the ceiling on the lower level was lifted to make the living area seem bigger and brighter. An oversized glass door pivots open to connect the living space and a small, enclosed balcony. Ben also considered innovative ways to use different materials and to stretch the area. “I liked the idea of making a space that created implied environments, rather than physically defining them,” he says.“So instead of having a wall and a door to the bedroom, it was more about using joinery and furniture elements to create either a sense of space or enclosure.”

An OSB wardrobe, mirrored on one side, is jointed so that it can be moved to create a guest bedroom when necessary. Downstairs, the kitchen is part of the living area, but is also raised on a reclaimed timber platform as part of the staircase.“The change in height and the island bench makes it feel like its own space,” says Ben.“When you’re up there cooking, you actually look out into the space and over the pool, rather than feeling isolated and staring at a back wall.” The living room’s OSB bookshelf has space for the television and and a nook for Jimmi, the French bulldog, to have a nap.

There’s also a storage unit – made from the same recycled material and, again, mirrored on one side – that moves to create a faux lobby.“When we first moved in, we’d be sitting in the living room and staring straight at the door of the flat the whole time,” says Ben.“Now, once you’re inside, you can move the mirrored box across and screen the door.” In the end, though, the finished apartment was about capturing the couple’s personalities.“One of the important things was to create an atmosphere in the space. Privacy was not such a big issue for us. For Kat and me, it was about entertaining and making a home that was sociable – flexible, open and quite transparent.”

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Michael Bechara's Home Renovation

Art consultant, interior designer and landscape specialist Michael Bechara turns his creative talents to converting a storage space into a guesthouse.

For Michael Bechara, converting the art-storage rooms adjoining his Surry Hills, NSW, home into a one-bedroom guesthouse was a chance to create a laid-back environment that was a welcome break from the clean lines of designs he handles for his own company. “I didn’t intentionally set out for the guesthouse to differ from my work; the raw aesthetic just suited our vision for the space,” explains Michael of the creative two-level retreat that many of his friends call a home away from home.

Art plays a starring role in Michael and his partner Axel Osborne’s lives – Michael offers art consultancy as part of his interior-design business, and Axel is a successful contemporary artist – so when it came to creating the guest quarters, it made sense to simply move the impressive collection of stored works straight up onto the walls. “It’s just a really practical, fun space. It has an artist’s studio feel about it,” says Michael. “For visitors to the space, there’s a lot to take in, and they defi nitely don’t get bored.” Michael created a pared-back white shell, complete with dark-grey painted floors, to serve as a backdrop for his mini gallery and vintage furniture finds from his global travels.

The resulting space is a rich combination of refined details against raw simplicity, such as a black glass Miele cooktop in the kitchen, fitted onto a simple plywood bench. Designed by Michael and constructed by Axel, who has a furniture-making background, the kitchen is a masterclass in creative reinvention, with benchtops made from salvaged material and the floor covered with the original 1960s blue mosaic tiles. Everywhere the tone is set by unfussy finishes and installations, nowhere more so than in the kitchen. Instead of a splashback above the kitchen sink, for instance, the render has been left untreated. “We loved the texture,” Michael says. “Rather than trying to refine everything, we thought we’d embrace the imperfections.”

The inventiveness continues in the living room, where lamps have been fashioned by mixing components from various vintage lights. “I’m always inspired by industrial and mid-century design,” says Michael, whose current favourite piece is a coffee table featuring a hand-crocheted tablemat encased in clear resin, which he bought in Beirut. “You can have fun in here,” continues the multi-talented designer. “When we were designing it, it was about creating lots of textures and visual stimulus. Nothing had to be perfect. It’s not about the latest and greatest.”


Michael’s immersion in Sydney’s art community means the display on the walls is never static. Frequently, pieces are borrowed by friends or artists for exhibitions. “I’ve never been a huge fan of salon hangs of artwork, but it just works here,” explains Michael, who plays on contrasts when planning the placement of the works. Figurative pieces are likely to hang beside non-fi gurative, while framed works often cosy up to unframed.


Michael’s skill with layering textures extends outside to the garden – a lush strip of vegetation, where he has created interest using different leaf forms and plant heights that play off each other. “I love succulents, water-wise plants and architectural specimens. Our garden is quite over the top, but I’m really happy with it,” he says of the appealing courtyard. At the back of the building, a wooden outdoor staircase provides alternative access to the upstairs bedroom; from inside, you climb an antique ladder through a hatch in the living-room ceiling. Emerging into the bedroom feels like discovering your own secret hideaway. “Everyone loves it,” says Michael. “It’s a really cool space. You feel like you can relax. With most guest spaces, people do the opposite and try to impress, when I think visitors just want to unwind.”

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Camperdown Apartment

The apartment template didn’t fit her lifestyle, so Fiona Lyda boldly reworked the space to make a unique home.

“A little bit of decoration is a positive thing,” says Fiona Lyda, who as the creative force behind the Spence & Lyda furniture and homewares showroom, lives by this ethos. Given her background as a former production designer, art director and, for 20 years, costume designer for film and TV before opening her Sydney shop, Fiona’s lifetime experience is boldly apparent in her family’s sumptuous inner-west apartment.

The home is swathed in rich textures – upholstered walls, dramatic artwork, sheer fabrics, glossy parquetry and textured Asian rugs. “You want something to bring a smile to your face,” she says. “I get a real sense of pleasure every time I open the door.” Before purchasing the 14th-floor residence last August, Fiona had never contemplated a modern high-rise. She’d been living happily in a renovated school and headmaster’s cottage in Balmain with her husband and business partner, Morris, and 14-year-old daughter, Marlo, for seven years. The family had also bought a 400-hectare property near Bathurst and was considering downsizing the inner-city residence at some point in the future.

The idea was accelerated, however, when Fiona was invited to design the interiors for a display apartment in the imposing Trio complex built by Frasers Property. One look and she was instantly enamoured. “When I walked in, I realised what was on offer. The sub-penthouse had just become available, so we put our hand up straightaway.” Located on the site of a former children’s hospital, the towers are part of the City Quarter precinct in Camperdown. Architect Karl Fender, of Fender Katsalidis, designed 397 apartments, each with a loggia, of sorts – a balcony with retractable sliding screens or louvres to make the best of the indoor/outdoor feel – as well as an infinity-edge pool and gym for the complex.

Despite the impressive set-up, Fiona couldn’t resist stamping her own unique aesthetic onto the apartment. “It was designed for a different lifestyle to our own,” says Fiona. She reconfigured three bedrooms into two, leaving enough space to add a home office and a larger, repositioned kitchen.“It opened up the whole space immeasurably.” This allowed Fiona to incorporate the second bedroom into a self-contained studio for Marlo.“It is an ideal future situation for us, as our daughter will have a place of her own within the ‘compound’ while still being able to feel independent,” says Fiona.

The dining area was also relocated – bringing it closer to the well-used loggia.“You are effectively eating outside,” Fiona says.“I’m always startled at how spectacular the view is from up here, so it’s wonderful sitting around the table with friends and family.” Fiona and Morris, a production manager for huge music events, never shy away from entertaining in their home. But even her most precious pieces – such as art by Richard Dunlop and vessels from LA’s Rose Bowl Flea Market – are kept in perspective. “I have some significant investments in the apartment, but the reality is that you don’t want to be hysterical when guests prowl around with a glass of red wine in their hands and lose it all over the carpet,” says Fiona.“It’s just not worth it – life is for living.”

Her relaxed attitude belies the complexities of renovating the apartment. Designing, drawing up ideas and project managing were time-consuming tasks, but she did score some free advice from a qualified architect – her brother, Mark Spence, of Spence Pearson Architects, who became her sounding-board. The main issues were confirming that any demolition didn’t affect load-bearing walls and accessing the drainage of the new kitchen.“In apartments, you can’t move things like kitchens very easily because you need to have access to the pipes in the floor and ceiling,” explains Fiona. She was lucky that the original bedroom backed onto the ensuite of the master bedroom.“We could go straight through the wall to access the drainage.”

Apart from the structural issues, it’s the decorative flourishes that best illustrate Fiona’s style; carefully chosen accessories and graphic fabrics bring warmth to the light-filled apartment. But it’s after dusk when the sub-penthouse comes into its own. “At night, there’s the city on fire out the window.You put your candles on, and it’s a whole glorious story.”

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Melbourne Terrace Renovation - Part 3

Wall-mounted wardrobes have been lifted above the floor creating a roomier feel.

Willowy Scandinavian furniture, like the Swedese 'Libri' shelf maintains the flowing lights and uplifting quality of the living area.

A Mark Tucky 'Egg Cup' stool lightens the visual load of the bluestone walls.

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Melbourne Terrace Renovation - Part 2

The bedroom.

Modern elements, such as the Industria X stools enhance the rough texture of exposed bluestone walls.

The textured hallway.

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Melbourne Terrace Renovation

Using soft palettes and clean forms to maximise space, the owner of this terrace went to great lengths to ensure the outdoors acts as an extension of the living area.

The kitchen bench overlaps with the living room, doubling as a bar for guests.

Natural elements blend the old and new parts of the house. The Elba stone slab and splashback in the bathroom links to the kitchen.

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