Mathew Fowler was aware of the site of his future Redfern home back when a dated shopping centre occupied this block.

The shopping centre was rundown, but the area was established, green, walkable, and close to public transport.

It was no surprise, then, that the shopping centre became grounds for the major mixed-use development Surry Hills Village by TOGA Group, masterplanned by SJB Architects.

Mathew and his partner Jonathon Law were drawn to the relatively low density of the development, paired with the interesting design, green spaces, and use of brickwork throughout.

‘There was certainly a scary element to buying off the plan at a particular price,’ says Mathew. ‘After some research, we felt confident in the quality of the developer, backed by relatively new government standards, and the knowledge that the architect would be engaged throughout the build.’

They moved in four years later — after renting together for 12 years — ultimately glad they took the risk on buying into an off-the-plan development as first homebuyers.

The original design of the apartment interiors was relatively neutral — the ideal canvas for Mathew, who is the sales manager at Cult and creative lead at Nau, to apply his stylish touch.

The couple decided not to invest in major modifications straight away (‘It does feel a little wasteful to change brand new material’).

A new timber credenza, spanning the length of the living room, is foundational to how the apartment now looks and functions.

Crafted by Mark Tuckey, Mathew personally designed this piece to incorporate a desk, storage, and concealed cat litter tray.

Finetuning the lighting has also been transformative. They no longer need to use downlights, with evening light coming from numerous glowing lamps and pendants.

‘Quality of light is important,’ explains Mathew. ‘We have two types of sheer curtains, so that we can filter the substantial natural light easily.’

Their pride and joy is the Quaderna coffee table designed by Italian architects Superstudio for Zanotta (‘A really simple but technically precise piece of design from the early ’70s that is often replicated, badly,’ says Mathew), and their first ever art purchase, One Night Stand by Julian Meagher.

‘We had admired this collection of “goon bags” for a while and were lucky enough to find this one during a mid-lockdown wine-fuelled purchase frenzy,’ he explains.

Altogether the one-bedroom apartment is somewhat ‘busier and more layered’ than Mathew planned, but ultimately a calming escape from the vibrant precinct outside.

‘It’s pretty tough working with design furniture and knowing where to stop in your own home!’, he says.

There is a surprisingly diverse range of ages and backgrounds now living in Surry Hills Village, all of whom seem invested in making the precinct a beautiful place to be.

The development includes a new retail and hospitality precinct, Wunderlich Lane, inviting hundreds of visitors into the village every day.

Mathew says, ‘At a time when housing is often seen as an investment vehicle, we are just grateful to have stability and security, and to know it’s ours to do whatever we want with.’

An edited version of this story first appeared in The Design Files Magazine Issue 03.