About space

A design duo’s “small changes, big impact” ethos brought more functionality and timeless style to this Sydney apartment.

- Carolyn Parfitt

By foot, it’s just five minutes from the sea. Two minutes if you’re a jogger. It’s in the heart of one of Sydney’s iconic beachside suburbs, and yet this two-bedroom apartment’s prime position – on the top floor of a circa 1930s red-brick walk-up – affords it a feeling of relative peace.

From the outside, the building has a satisfyingly symmetrical charm. Exterior stairs march straight up from the street through the centre of the garden; inside, six high-ceilinged apartments spread over three floors, and on the rooftop, a communal terrace with an enviable view.

Gideon Silverman and his friend Shawn Greenblo bought the property in 2009. Ten years and one minor renovation later, however, it was in need of an update. By that stage Gideon was married and living here with his wife Ellie, an architect. Ellie designed a sympathetic transformation, working on the project with her then-colleague, Davin Turner of Studio Weave Architects.