With large rooms, a garage, natural light and a north-facing balcony, this Art Deco apartment in Newcastle ticked a lot of boxes for Molly Urquhart and her partner Jordan.

The downside was that its charm had been lost after a series of patchy, cosmetic renovations, with a dark palette that did a disservice to the 1940s building’s heritage flair.

‘We’re so grateful none of the previous owners painted over the original timber features or fireplace,’ Molly says.

‘As soon as we walked in the front door on the inspection and craned our heads to the kitchen, it was obvious the walls needed to go. It seemed very easy and straightforward then, of course, but the practicalities and realities came later.’

What they didn’t realise is that the 1940s block, comprising just four homes inside, was classified as a Class 2 building, which meant any changes were required to meet strict building codes, with meticulous documentation from registered practitioners and approvals from body corporate.

‘Just about every trade under the sun had to be engaged, and getting one’s ducks in a row is critical,’ Molly says upon reflection.

‘Everyone says it, and it’s true: a lot of money can be sunk into invisible investments. But the impact of well-done essentials like insulation, a functioning hot water system, and water filtration is huge.’

The plumbing and the wiring were all updated, and most of the apartment was repainted. Determined still to turn the living, dining and kitchen into an open-plan area, the couple engaged architects Archisoul for the reconfiguration, removing two hallway walls and old doorways that had made the 94-square-metre apartment feel ‘boxed in’.

With Jordan stepping up as the effective project manager for the renovation, Molly designed the refreshed interiors, taking cues from the building’s palette of cream and warm timbers.

In the kitchen, a new butter yellow tiled splashback is paired with resurfaced cabinetry — something that initially seemed like a ‘thrifty way’ of updating the existing fit-out, but finding the right contractors to tackle the singular task was a challenge.

While cosy new cork flooring was installed throughout, the retro floor and wall tiles were able to be retained in the bathroom, alongside glorious retro details like the reeded-glass doors and stepped cornices.

The finished renovation is a playful ode to the apartment’s past, with a contemporary character and livability that it required for the future. But there’s no denying it was a huge learning curve for Molly and Jordan, who encourage any first-time renovators to work with their home’s existing services as much as possible, being especially careful not to ‘throw the baby out with the bathwater’.

‘Though we now have no regrets and are very happy with the outcome, had we known what was required for a Class 2 renovation in the beginning, we may have thought twice!’