After 15 years of living in a one-bedroom flat above their specialty violin shop in the Melbourne suburb of Collingwood, the owners were ready for a remodel. Why? They were tired of trekking downstairs to their workshop in order to use the building’s only bathroom.

“It’s a veritable time capsule. There were few creature comforts, and midnight treks downstairs to the bathroom were grueling in the winter,” says Tsai Design. The homeowners approached the firm with a simple enough brief in 2019: to reconfigure the flat and add enough space to accommodate two bedrooms, outdoor access, and of course, a bathroom on the same level.

Upon evaluating the building, Tsai Design found the primary challenges to be two-fold—and greater than just the unfortunate location of the bathroom. First, the apartment was long and narrow—just under 15 feet across at its widest point—and natural light only illuminated a few spots. Additionally, the heritage building is sandwiched by its neighbors, and there was no outdoor access.

Tsai Design was able to double the home’s footprint via a rear addition that includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms. (The original home was 645 square feet, and the extension added 614 square feet.) The firm then introduced plenty of natural light and three separate exterior decks that add up to 270 square feet of outdoor space.

Before: Rear Facade

After: Rear Facade

The signature move in the redesign involved converting the interior stairwell into a light well by replacing the existing roof with transparent polycarbonate panels. “The stairwell/light well was an inspired idea,” says the homeowner. “Although it’s not a room as such, it’s the focal point of the center of the building, and it’s hard to overestimate how important a design feature it is to the whole build. It simply floods the central area with light.”

Before: Stairwell

After: Stairwell

Before: Bedroom

After: Dining Room

Shop the Look

Before: Kitchen and Living Room

After: Kitchen and Living Room

After: Principal Ensuite

After: Rooftop Deck

Related Reading:

A Tiny Apartment Is Transformed Into a Minimalist Masterpiece

36 Stunning “Before & After” Modern Home Renovations

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Tsai Design / @tsaidesign

Builder: Sustainable Homes Melbourne

Structural Engineer: MTO Engineers

Cabinets: MTR Cabinets