Brooklyn Apartment

Lloyd Hartley Architects

The sixth floor apartment of Brooklyn Flats; a 1930s neo-Georgian building with an art deco flare, is a category 2 heritage listing, which added a little extra challenge for the Absolute Construct team, when renovating Ben Lloyd (of Lloyd Hartley Architects)’s apartment.

A full renovation of a floor in this 1926 building first involved removal of the lowered ceilings, narrow corridors, shiny lino floors, plywood doors and poor lighting from the 80s.

Removal of the wooden box frames from the 1920s ceiling beams revealed a unique wood-grain like texture in the concrete that was emulated in additional areas of concrete through use of the same type of wooden framing.

The renovation of the historic apartment required careful gutting of a large portion of the walls, in order to place necessary wiring and broadband into the previously electrically challenged apartment. Everything was then mindfully put back into place, requiring conscious effort to keep the picture rails and original mouldings intact and pristine.

A stunning French Oak parquet floor was put in place, that transformed the space, without undermining the beautiful 30s architecture.

Storm water pipes were recessed within the walls, coming out as a copper pipe feature when they are eventually revealed. Exposed copper pipes have been used in lieu of plastic conduit to conceal data and power cables.

A large part of one of the external brick walls was taken down to create a sunny external deck area with brick balustrade and a bank of large sliding doors.

The wall that previously cut up the living area and hid the light from the hallway, was demolished, allowing for the cramped kitchen to become more feasibly sized and let the light leak into the further corners of the apartment, allowing for a more flowing and generous home.

Photography by David Straight