It’s sadly rare to hear a Melburnian say they’re completely happy with their rental property, let alone use the word ‘love’ 13 times when describing their home.

‘Every part of this house is wonderful,’ says artist Abbey Rich, waxing lyrical about the apartment they’ve lived in with their partner photographer Sam Biddle, for five years. ‘Whenever Sam and I get a day to ourselves and we’re just hanging out, or even just dinner at home on a weeknight, one of us always remarks how happy we are to live here. It’s perfect for us.’

The couple are the first people to live in the new-build apartment, which they moved into upon completion mid COVID. They were initially hesitant, having previously lived in larger houses, but were soon won over by the community and mod cons that come with a well-designed, well-insulated building. Abbey explains, ‘It sounds so cliched, but the community in this building is the thing I love most about it. It also is gas free, and stays cool in summer and warm in winter, because the building was actually built well.’

Everyday tasks such as hanging washing, taking out the rubbish, and picking herbs from the rooftop veggie patches are now everyday joys, says Abbey. ‘Sam and I both travel so much for work and when one of us is home alone you never feel lonely because you have so many incidental meetings throughout the evening when you get home from work.’

Having visited other apartments in the building, Abbey has realised their style leans more on the maximalist side. ‘Everyone else’s [apartment] feels much more refined perhaps, and ours definitely has the feeling of being an artist’s home!’ they say. ‘There isn’t so much a vision but instead a life that keeps growing and shifting.’

While there’s definitely plenty of ‘stuff’ on display, the home has been styled with the intention of regularly hosting guests. ‘We just want our home to feel inviting, to feel comfortable sitting for hours on end over dinner no matter the season,’ Abbey says. ‘Our living room needs to do a lot; it needs to hold a lot of people often, but it also has to feel relaxed when it’s just the two of us, so we’ve made choices that allow for this: a big comfy couch and skinny long table to fit many chairs around.’

Several pieces were sourced in Japan, where Abbey has worked many times over the past few years; the dining table, bookcase and bedroom bench were made by their dad; and the M.A Estudio rug from Mexico City was their first big household purchase seven years ago. ‘It was a huge deal for us and it fits our style perfectly,’ Abbey says.

Blues, oranges and reds feature consistently across the artwork on display, matching the vibrancy of the existing terrazzo benchtops, and warmth of the timber floors. The only thing Abbey would change: the white kitchen cabinet doors!

Sam and Abbey feel they have almost everything they need within their small home filled with colour, art, books, and all the spices and sauces to make a delicious dinner. Anything else can be found within a 15 minute commute on foot, bike or public transport from their beloved pocket of Brunswick.

‘I love sitting on the balcony watching the wild sunsets chatting with Sam in the evening’ muses Abbey… ‘I love one of us cooking while the other sits on the couch finishing off some work. I love sitting at either end of the couch on the weekend reading our books and drinking a coffee, or heading up to the rooftop to do the same.’

In case we hadn’t made it clear – this is a very, very well loved home!