Renovation Diaries: How A 10-Year Makeover Transformed This Family’s 1970s Unit
Interiors
Inside Sylvie Sliskovic’s renovated 1970s unit. Kitchen renovation design by Imogen Pullar Architecture. Splashback tiles by Fifth Element. Timber battens by Porta Contours Timbers. Furniture Linoleum green joinery by Forbo. INAX Homura tiles from Artedomus on dividing wall.
The eye-catching joinery features cork with reclaimed spotted gum and blackbutt hardwood.
Art therapist Sylvie Sliskovic with her son Carlo (15).
The brick wall between the living room and staircase. Bespoke interlocking cantilevered lounge and study nook cabinetry by Sawdust Bureau. Artwork on left by Elizabeth Marks Nakamarra. Framed artwork by Sylvie Sliskovic.
Fibonacci Stone terrazzo on floors. LC14 Tabouret Cabanon by Le Corbusier for Cassina (courtesy of Mobilia).
Walls throughout painted Dulux Natural White. Ceiling painted Dulux Vivid White. Small artwork by local artist in Rio de Janerio. Large artwork by Elizabeth Marks Nakamarra.
Pops of green and pink contrast with the interior’s earthy materials.
Reconfiguring the floorplan helped maximised natural light in the open-plan space.
The recently completed bathroom. INAX Sugie Series tiles from Artedomus. Chrome tapware by Faucet Strommen. Vertical heated towel rack by Thermorail.
Furniture Linoleum on custom wall-to-wall vanity by Forbo. Mirror cabinet designed by Sylvie Sliskovic.
Rattan doors by Camberwell Cane. Handles by Auburn Woodturning. Circa 1970s Sarah Moon print.
Spotted gum hardwood floors feature in the bedrooms. Vintage Croatian art poster featuring Ivan Rabuzin.
The Brunswick East unit’s private entrance. Retro-look security screen door designed by Sylvie Sliskovic, fabricated by Mascoma Metal Design.
The home’s inviting foyer and staircase.
The living room and kitchen before Sylvie bought and transformed the unit in 2013! The brick wall completely concealed the staircase.
The bedroom and bathroom are unrecognisable!
Sylvie Sliskovic knew she found a diamond in the rough when she came across this unique unit with its own entry, located within a set of 1970s brick flats.
‘The most common adjective I heard to describe the original space was “weird” and that’s likely why it was overlooked by other purchasers in the market at the time,’ Sylvie says.
‘Not me though! I recognised the property had great bones: double brick, not a crack in sight, huge north-facing windows, a loquat and olive tree views plus a hallway that separated the bathroom and bedrooms from the living area. It felt more like a house than a flat.’
Buying the apartment after a major life change made Sylvie determined to create a home she absolutely loved – and with her vision, she knew this place could be the perfect dream family home for herself, her son Carlo (15) and his pet lizard Rico!
Here’s how the unit was transformed over two separate renovations — with a seven-year gap in between.
The inspirations
As an art therapist, most of Sylvie’s career has been spent in clinical spaces. ‘I wanted home to be somewhat of an antidote to the busy hospital environment,’ she says.
‘I was keen to remain sympathetic to the era, which was easy for me given the 1970s is my absolute favourite era for both clothes and interior design!’
To reimagine the home’s retro aesthetic, she blended inspirations from The Brady Bunch with locally designed homes by Robin Boyd and Sir Roy Grounds. This set the tone for the interior palette, with a mix of natural materials like cork, spotted gum, and blackbutt, alongside vintage-inspired pinks and greens.
Phase one
Sylvie started the renovation’s ‘phase one’ in 2013. The key changes focused on reconfiguring the floorplan, knocking down walls to create an open-plan living and kitchen space, and improving the connection between the private entry, staircase, and the home itself.
New open shelving by Sawdust Bureau made for a more subtle partition between the staircase and living room, which was also extended over the top of the foyer to make way for a study nook.
The original brick was rendered white to visually unify these zones, new square set plastering gave the illusion of more space, and the old grey carpet was replaced with terrazzo flooring.
‘In 2013, terrazzo was only available as salvaged material from demolitions or new for large scale industry projects — nothing like the availability of nowadays,’ Sylvie says.
‘Lucky for me, I scored surplus from a shopping centre, at a greatly reduced cost. It also meant I could install underfloor heating.’
Phase two
It wasn’t until 2020 that Sylvie decided it was time to put the finishing touches on the renovation with the help of Imogen Pullar Architecture.
This lengthy pause was crucial to enable Sylvie to stick to her budget of about $120,000. ‘Anything I couldn’t afford, I waited and saved up for, or learnt to prioritise,’ she explains.
Phase two involved a complete update of the kitchen and bathroom, bringing in colourful joinery, tiles, and integrated new appliances behind timber battens. They also upgraded all the windows to double-glazed and installed new ceiling insulation to improve the home’s thermal performance.
These final changes helped cement the home’s warm and inviting atmosphere, layered with art pieces by Sylvie, and things she’s collected over her travels.
Lessons learned
Managing and designing the initial renovation herself, Sylvie says she quickly learnt to ‘discern what I was willing to accept and compromise on, and when to push back’.
She also warns against jumping for the cheap alternative of your favourite finish or product, noting these are often still expensive: ‘Consider waiting until you can afford what you really want.’
But Sylvie’s greatest advice it to be wary of design fads and trust your gut – ‘trends and colour palettes come and go; knowing what you love means it will always feel in style for you!’
Budget: $120,000