Timber mouldings totally transform small 70s apartment

Sponsored by: Intrim Mouldings

Located inside a 1970’s apartment building in Sydney’s inner-west, this petite abode underwent an incredible makeover recently and its success can be largely attributed to the very clever use of Intrim mouldings. “I was going for a feminine Hamptons-style luxe vibe. The key elements were wainscotting and lots of white, so those two things were high on my list,” says Sam McDonald of The Curated Life who designed the renovation herself drawing on Pinterest and Three Birds Renovations for inspiration.

“I had been a follower of the Three Birds Renovations YouTube show for a long time before we purchased our apartment and it was actually on their show that I first heard of Intrim. Bonnie was talking about how selecting the right skirting boards can transform your room and that you don’t need to settle for the run-of-the-mill, boring skirtings,” says Sam who clearly followed Bonnie’s advice.

But before the mouldings could be installed, Sam made a couple of significant changes; namely the installation of a false ceiling and down lights together with new flooring throughout. “When we purchased the apartment, there were only three really dull, old ceiling light fans that threw next to no light. This combined with dark grey and navy carpet and grey walls made the space really dark and feel quite small. So the ceiling, new electrical and flooring were the first things we did,” says Sam.

As for the new mouldings, 185mm skirting boards were installed throughout the whole apartment, a chair rail was installed in the living and dining spaces and a combination of half and full wainscoting rounded out the mix. New cornices and architraves were installed throughout the whole apartment too with Jason at Living Walls Joinery working on the job.

The renovation also included a floor to ceiling custom bookshelf with cupboards at the bottom that was built by Jason early on in the project and rather paradoxically, the lowered ceiling and extra cabinetry haven’t made the space feel smaller. “Despite the statement bookcase and mantle taking floor space and the false ceiling reducing head height, it’s actually made the space feel much bigger and brighter. It’s a complete optical illusion but it’s exactly what I was hoping for!” says Sam.

The lounge room is also sporting a new custom-made fireplace. “I was browsing home decor stores and spotted an electric fireplace mantle and almost fell over a lounge in front of me trying to get over to it for a better look! I knew instantly that I wanted one and asked Jason to make it,” says Sam.

As for the dining area, it was a formerly unused square nook at the end of the living area but Sam had better plans for it. “I knew it would fit our round dining table perfectly. It was also quite a dark space so I knew I wanted to brighten it up and make it a space that had the wow-factor,” says Sam of the room the that now features floor to ceiling wainscoting and a pendant light.

And while Sam is very much enjoying her new home she believes the renovation was a sound financial decision too. “These changes have significantly increased the value of our property, well beyond the cost of materials and installation. It’s given the space new life and transformed it into something warm, inviting, charming and exciting. The reaction when people walk in is ‘WOW’ and when a space has that kind of impact on people, it’s definitely worth the cost. I’m still wowed every time I come home!”

Well done Sam on this amazing makeover!