Almost every room inside Stu Smith’s revamped 1960s apartment features a different splash of colour.

The fashion buyer and founder of UPF50+ clothing brand Sun Ray immediately had a vision for the renovation the moment he stepped inside the one-bedroom apartment in Fitzroy last year.

‘The potential to create a bright, open space with views to the treetops of Edinburgh Gardens inspired me to modernise the interior,’ Stu says.

‘I loved the apartment’s sunny northerly aspect, with big windows overlooking my favourite pocket of Melbourne. I particularly loved the 1960s bathroom and tiles, so I wanted to keep as much of the mid-century features as I could.’

How he maximised space

‘Before the renovation, the apartment had a traditional 1960s layout with separate rooms for the kitchen, living room, bedroom, and bathroom,’ Stu says.

He decided to rework the compartmentalised floorplan to increase the home’s sense of space, engaging Caedman Construction to remove a wall dividing the kitchen and living room — allowing natural light to flood into the new open-plan area.

‘We added a support beam, which became a design feature painted in a bold green. A nod to both mid-century style and a modern twist,’ Stu adds.

The best budget-friendly kitchen hack

Like most renovations, designing a new kitchen consumed most of Stu’s budget. But one savvy hack helped keep the kitchen’s cost to $22,700.

Rather than splurging on a full bespoke fit-out, Stu replaced the kitchen with cupboard carcasses from IKEA and enlisted NRG Projects to create customised fronts for the cabinets. The new sage green-stained birch plywood joinery brings a playful yet polished energy to the interiors, alongside sleek floating steel shelves.

However, the old hot water system had to be moved to create space for a dishwasher, adding on an extra $3000. ‘It was expensive and unforeseen… but I knew I wanted a dishwasher,’ Stu explains.

Enhancing the home’s retro character

‘I wanted to blend playful, bold colours with natural materials to achieve a warm, inviting feel,’ Stu says. The refreshed interiors toe the line between fun and functional, serving as a perfect backdrop for an ‘evolving’ collection of classic furniture and eclectic pieces.

New cork tile flooring from CorkArt was installed for a mid-century-inspired look and cosy texture. Meanwhile, each room also got a unique colour treatment; cream walls and green accents for the living room; dusty pink and red in the bedroom; and mint green with cobalt blue in the bathroom.

The challenges of a tight timeline

‘I had a pretty tight schedule as I was aiming to complete most of the renovation in the six weeks I gave myself between settlement, and the end of my previous rental lease,’ Stu says.

‘Unsurprisingly, everything took longer than expected, but I was still able to move in on the planned date, albeit without a kitchen. I lived in a construction site where the bathroom doubled as my kitchen for around a month!’

Final word

Stu’s decision to keep the ‘bones’ of the apartment and add his own flair with mostly cosmetic changes allowed him to balance ‘splurges with savings’. The total renovation, including necessary trades, cost him about $47,100. He changed some of the materials along the way, but overall his vision has come to life without straying far from his initial budget

‘Custom cabinetry added a bit more than planned, but it was worth it to create something unique.’ And in small homes, you can never have enough storage!

Budget breakdown

Kitchen total: $22,700

Tapware: $100
Sink: $500
Cabinetry: $4700
Custom door fronts: $3500
Custom stainless shelving: $1500
Benchtop and splashback: $3000
Lighting: $200
Flooring: $1000
Paint: $1000
Appliances: $4200
New hot water system: $3000

Bathroom total: $2,300

Tapware: $600
Cabinetry: $1000
Lighting: $200
Paint: $500

Living room, entry and bedroom total: $9,100

Wall removal/beam: $4000
Cabinetry: $1000
Lighting: $600
Flooring: $2000
Paint: $1500

Trades/labour total: $13,000

Renovation budget total: $47,100