Paddington Apartment

Undeniably minuscule, a mere 48 square metres, but while searching for a biggger home to house their expanding collection of artwork, books and furniture, artist Ron Dowd and Amanda Gruhn jests that they found architect Scott Weston by “internet dating”, narrowing the research to someone willing and able to tackle the challenge of a small space. Weston manipulated the design through joinery and spatial planning, detailed as ‘marquettes’ rather than sketches, so that the ideas could be clearly visualised. The tiny apartment now glows like a precious jewel. “We saw this as an extension of the architect, like an artist creating an environment for us.” says Gruhn. Adds Weston ”The apartment was pulled apart and put back together in a way that makes it spacious and fun. What was dysfunctional and claustrophobic now possesses a Zen quality. You are in a very compact space, with a lot of things going on, but it doesn’t overwhelm. It feels calming and centred. It’s a beautiful space to live in.”