This project is a complete reconfiguration of a compact Mt Cook apartment, designed to radically improve spatial flow, light, and functionality. Originally enclosed and compartmentalised, the kitchen, dining, and living areas lacked cohesion, daylight, and breathing room. Our renovation approach treated the kitchen not as an isolated utility space, but as the beating heart of a small home — one that needed to serve cooking, gathering, and circulation purposes equally well.

Working closely with Abe Hollingsworth of Hedge, who designed and crafted the bespoke kitchen joinery, we reoriented the layout and removed visual barriers to expand the kitchen footprint, unify it with the dining area, and draw in natural light from an adjoining corridor. Key to this transformation is a custom shelving and storage partition that defines the entryway while maintaining openness. This unit acts as a subtle threshold between public and private realms — holding everyday objects like shoes and keys, as well as books, ceramics, and art — bringing personality and practicality together.

The material palette reflects a warm modernism, with timber cabinetry, a stainless steel benchtop, and deep green vertical tiles creating both texture and rhythm. Functional upgrades include energy-efficient appliances and layered lighting for ambience and task use.

More than a renovation, this project is an exercise in thoughtful subtraction — removing what wasn’t working to allow light, space, and life to move more freely.

Delivered by Pōneke Construction in collaboration with Abe Hollingsworth of Hedge, this project balances design precision with craftsmanship to bring new life into a compact apartment.