A Blank Canvas, Two Colourful Creatives
In search of “Big House Energy” for their 55sqm/592sqft apartment, Sydney creatives Vicki Papa and Kirthana Selvaraj enlisted designer Nick Gurney to rethink how things in their home were stored, how they functioned, and where they belonged. “I’ve always wanted to renovate. It was a longer-term plan to save some money and avoid borrowing copious amounts – which happened anyway,” admits Papa with a laugh. “I just got sick of waiting. My friend had his apartment renovated by Nick Gurney. They were so much happier living in it afterwards, so that motivated me to think, maybe now is the time.”
It turned out to be a great fit. By asking the right questions early on – from where they needed storage to how they spent their time – Gurney was able to shape a home that felt entirely theirs. Selvaraj explains, “I love to cook, but I can’t just use one pot. Nick understood the assignment and was really aware, showing us how if this storage is centralised in this area, we don’t need to worry too much about storage in other areas.” While storage was a priority, Gurney also ensured the home would feel like a light, open canvas; one the couple could fill with their own touches of colour (of which there are many) and joy (of which there is much).
Where Colour Meets Calm
Throughout the home, the cupboards are full to bursting with a colourful array of everyday items. But as you move through the space, with its white walls and seamless storage, there is a striking sense of calm. From the wheeled coffee table that locks in place to a dining and work desk that slides neatly beneath the benchtop, nearly every element in the apartment has been designed for maximum efficiency. Gurney installed custom joinery that conceals appliances and daily clutter when not in use, while small touches, like feed-through holes for charging cables and a second kitchen sink, improve the daily flow of the space. “If I want to make toast in the morning, I don’t want to look at the toaster all day long,” says Papa – a simple sentiment that sums up the whole approach: thoughtful, practical, and made to suit real life.
But the home is far from a series of white boxes. The couple have used art to punctuate their space, anchoring the living room with a bold work by Vanetta Hudson, using its palette to influence the throw cushions and artwork choices throughout the apartment. In the bedroom, they hung a favourite piece by Karen Black above the bed and installed a flip-around artwork by Paul Donald that can be rotated to match their mood. Rather than curating a perfectly cohesive collection, their choice of artwork reflects the joy and ease with which this home functions. Even the sliver of balcony follows the same thinking – arranged with hardy plants and succulents not just for greenery, but as a simple way to to keep the ibis at bay. “Any bird in the ibis family doesn’t land on the railing because of these plants,” laughs Papa. “So they act as a kind of protection.”
The Everything Room
Selvaraj and Papa may be maximalists at heart, but their home speaks the language of minimalism in practice. The only exception? The so-called Everything Room – a space that holds a little bit of everything they love. “This room operates as a bit of a creative studio space. It’s kind of like us. Our personalities are really infused, specifically in this room. While the rest of the house is teaching us things, this room contains a lot of who we actually are. I think we need something like that in small spaces – something unique to the personality of the people inhabiting it,” Selvaraj explains.
Part studio, part guest room, part creative space, this room holds the couple's books, trinkets, hobby supplies, work things, and more. Gurney designed built-in bookshelves that wrap around the window and the custom desk beneath it. The couple also repurposed an existing IKEA desk along the adjacent wall, creating an L-shaped layout that allows both Papa and Selvaraj to work in the room at the same time. As a finishing touch, they hung an under-table curtain along the length of the desks to create hidden storage. “We’ve got some equipment from camping and our blues CDs,” Papa says of the eclectic mix hidden behind.
The Everything Room might be the couple’s secret to how they live small: not by cutting back, but by containing and curating. It gives them room to spread out, to work side by side, and to stash away the bits and pieces that don’t need to be on show. In a home where most things are built for calm and order, this space makes room for personality, mess, and memories – the good kind of clutter.
The Joy of Just Enough
For Selvaraj and Papa, living small doesn’t mean living less. Their compact home holds joy, function, and creative freedom in equal measure. The surrounding community only adds to that richness – from the warmth of neighbours to the open air of the local dog park, which they affectionately call their shared backyard. “A tip for living in a small space would be: invest in the design advice. That’s made all the difference,” says Papa. “In the discussions with Nick I spoke a lot about how work is really busy. When I come home, I just want to be able to walk into a space that feels organised. I just wanted it to feel peaceful, and I think that’s what we’ve ended up with.” And while the renovation brought clarity and calm, the home continues to evolve through the way they live in it. “This is one of the smallest places I’ve lived in,” says Selvaraj, “but it feels the most expansive internally.”
