Where do you live? (NG)

Surry Hills - one of Sydney's central hubs for all things art, design and some of the finest baked goods. (YK)

What is your favourite thing about living in this area of Sydney?

Surry Hills is the location I have been dreaming of for a while.

Urban aesthetics and energy nurture and inspire me, and when I step out of my place first thing in the morning - I want to feel it all. In this sense, Surry Hills is a perfect fit for me with a combination of edginess and refinement and some creative quirkiness peppered through in good measure. At the same time it feels like a small village around here. Everyone talks to each other, shares the latest gossip and offers help - lovely camaraderie you wouldn't expect from a busy city area. To me, it is a very happy place. 

What do we hear when we enter your place?

A free-flowing mash of funk, soul, disco, techno, electronic... you name it - I listen to it. When it comes to music, I don't discriminate.

What can you see from your windows?

A tapestry of rich and gritty urban textures made up of corrugated metal A-line rooftops, walls covered in chipping paint and concrete backdrops with a few big beautiful trees. As far as the city apartment views go - I consider myself lucky. Mostly because I don't see my neighbours' windows.

Which part of your space makes you squeak with joy?

Given the small footprint of the space it is hard to pick favourites. But if I did have to choose - it would have to be my living area. It is minimalist yet full of character and features some of my most loved furniture pieces, lighting and an empty wall for a projector. It is a place I look forward to coming back to every day. 

Anything particularly special about your space that you always dreamed of in the past? 

When I was searching for a rental I had a very specific brief in mind. A warehouse conversion with high ceilings and plenty of light. No carpet. Bathtub and balcony as an added bonus. I almost gasped when I saw my place and how perfectly it matched everything I was dreaming of. Still not quite sure how I managed to steal it from the 40 other applicants. I guess some things are just meant to be. 

Favourite piece of furniture/lighting in your space? And why?

Finding the right sofa to fit my space was not an easy task due to the small size requirements. 

So as I optimistically rocked up with a GoGet van to an archive sale at Alpha Modern I actually didn't keep my hopes up too high. But then I saw her - the 1986 B&B Italia Sity Sofa by Antonio Citterio. To top off my excitement about its rather unusual shape, it happened to be in the original upholstery in cobalt blue - my ultimate favourite colour. 

Needless to say, the rest of the space was built around the piece. 

Do you have any special sentimental items? Tell me the story behind it/them.

Every piece in my space is handpicked and has a very special meaning to me. But the most sentimental one is actually a present and the first piece of art that has ever entered my home. A gorgeous square artwork so beautifully painted by my STUDIO ODESSA partner - Nastia Gladushchenko. The name of the piece is Into the Deep and it is a part of Nastia's series New World dedicated to migration. It was given to me at a very special time of my life and resonates with me on many levels. 

Did you have any particular inspiration when styling your home?

My number one priority was to maintain a sense of airiness in space. In addition, all areas in my apartment are interconnected so it was important for me to think about the relationship of colours and textures between the spaces. I am a minimalist by nature so the industrial white and grey shell of the apartment was serving me quite nicely. However, I wanted to balance it off with some softness and colour. This was achieved with a combination of warm timbers with elements of chrome offset with some pared-back as well as accent upholsteries. Ambient light and linen pendants were instrumental in creating the warm atmosphere and a relaxed mood. 

What is your favourite time of day in your space?

Late in the afternoon, about 2 hours before the sunset. My windows are facing West and this is the time when the sun begins its warm shadowplay on the walls. 

What’s your favourite place to read? And what are you reading right now?

Corner of my living room, deep in the hug of a Wassily chair. 

I have just finished In Praise of Shadows by Junichiro Tanizaki - an essay on Japanese aesthetics. 

Next one up is The Flame - selections from notebooks and poems by Leonard Cohen. 

What’s on your walls?

A promise of art that I will bring from my upcoming trip to Europe in a few months :)

What are you on the hunt for, for your interior? 

Previously mentioned art. And a nice record player.