After purchasing an off-the-plan apartment in a luxury Fitzroy development, interior designer Brahman Perera made an unorthodox choice: to reduce the two-bedroom home to just one.

‘Rather than maximising room count, we prioritised proportion and flow – spaces that could properly hold both daily life and entertaining,’ explains Brahman. ‘We worked closely with [developer] Piccolo and [design studio] Hecker Guthrie to reconfigure the original two-bedroom plan into a one-bedroom apartment with a stronger emphasis on spatial generosity.’

This kind of out of the box thinking exemplifies Brahman’s approach to interior design, which prioritises personal spaces rather than resolved design schemes. ‘I think that’s important,’ he says. ‘Spaces should reflect a life being lived, not just a design idea being executed.’

The decision to reconfigure the floor plan essentially set the tone for the entire apartment. ‘From there, we extended the material palette beyond its original boundaries,’ Brahman says. ‘The green timber veneer “core”, which wraps the bedroom and bathroom, became a kind of internal architecture – almost a room within a room. It introduces depth, but also clarity. It defines space, without relying on walls.’

He adds, ‘We extended finishes across surfaces where they wouldn’t typically go, which creates a more immersive environment. It’s less about feature moments and more about continuity – allowing the space to feel layered without becoming busy.’

The styling features several pieces collected by Brahman over the years, which TDF readers might remember from previous tours. For example, ‘The piano is constant – it moves with us and defines how the space is used. It’s less an object and more a presence,’ Brahman says. ‘The Albero bookcase is another… It has weight and movement, and it shifts the room depending on how it’s used. Those kinds of objects tend to endure.’

He adds, ‘Rather than replacing furniture to suit the space, we adapted the space to better accommodate those pieces. That approach not only reduces cost, but results in something more authentic. There’s less sense of everything being acquired at once, which can often flatten a space.’

The styling is essentially anchored around these pieces. From here, the remaining colour palette unfolded, resulting in a base of mushroom shades layered with pebbled stone benchtops, soft curtains, and a sparing of jewel tones across the rugs, Ligne Roset sofa, and art.

Statement light pendants and lamps add texture, and more importantly, build atmosphere.

The only challenge for Brahman was knowing when to apply restraint! ‘Apartments can quickly become overworked, particularly when you’re trying to compensate for scale,’ he says. ‘It was important to let certain moments remain quiet.’

This apartment has been Brahman’s home away from home or ‘pied-à-terre’. It doesn’t offer the same privacy or serenity as country living, but it comes close, thanks to the generous terrace that overlooks the inner-city Melbourne streets below. ‘It allows you to engage with the street – the movement, the trees, the rhythm of Fitzroy – without being fully exposed. That balance is quite rare.’

Brahman and his partner are spending more and more time at their Macedon Ranges farm, so they’ve decided to say goodbye to this Fitzroy home soon. The apartment will be on the market with David Ashby from Jellis Craig in the coming weeks.