Like most renovators, Elliot Bastianon and his partner Louisa started the transformation of their Canberra apartment with a relatively optimistic timeline in mind.

‘We naively thought we would get the renovation finished in eight months, but it stretched out to two-and-a-half years,’ the designer and artist says.

Originally built in 1958, the 75-square-metre apartment was a great blank canvas, made from double brick external walls, and single brick inside. Plus for a building that is nearly 70 years old, there was no structural damage.

‘Despite its outstanding structural credentials, basically everything inside needed to be upgraded,’ Elliot says.

‘Some things hadn’t been touched since the apartment was built and those that had been changed were in dire need of replacing — the bathroom being the main one!’

They set themselves some clear guidelines for the updates: create a sympathetic new material palette, maximise space with joinery, and make the home comfortable for Canberra’s famously cold winters.

‘Having both lived in cold, draughty and uninsulated houses in Canberra and Sydney, we really wanted to make sure this apartment was comfortable not only for us, but for those who are going to live in it in decades to come,’ he adds.

While they couldn’t make any structural changes without seeing the building’s original plans, the renovation made a series of clever changes that dramatically transformed the space.

In the living room, the plasterboard ceiling was cut away to expose the concrete slab above. This made room for overheard lighting, concealed inside Tasmanian Oak veneer boxes custom made by Elliot. He also crafted the eye-catching floating bookshelves to free up usable space below.

New blackbutt flooring was laid throughout, and they ripped out the tired kitchen, replacing it with new custom cabinetry and contrasting colour subway tiles.

‘For the bathroom we weren’t afraid of a little colour and texture! A pink fluted concrete sink, made locally by Mitchell Bink Concrete Designs, is a nod to the pastels used in the original paintwork of the apartment,’ Elliot says.

But the biggest improvement was updating the apartment’s insulation and energy efficiency.

‘We installed double-glazed windows throughout, wall cavity insulation, underfloor insulation and completely draught-sealed the entire apartment — greatly improving its energy efficiency rating,’ he explains. Now, the home’s enhanced thermal performance means you can walk around just in a t-shirt and shorts, even in winter.

The catch was, right when the renovation was almost complete, the couple found out Louisa’s work was sending her to New Delhi for three years: ‘We packed up and moved to India a couple of months ago!’

‘It was a bit sad to have done all of this work to the apartment and not live in it — we literally finished it the week we were leaving — but we found some really lovely tenants to hold the fort while we’re gone,’ Elliot says.

‘And it’s actually a very rewarding feeling knowing that you are providing a thoughtful, well-designed and comfortable space for others to enjoy.’