The Design Files: An off-the-plan apartment brimming with personality and soul

Who: Imogen Milford

What: A soulful off-the-plan apartment serves as a maximalist family home

Where: Fitzroy, Melbourne

Off-the-plan apartments often get a bad rap for being small and soulless, but this one in Fitzroy shows just what can be achieved in these spaces.

Imogen Milford and her family have extensively renovated their apartment to feature customised finishes and an updated floor plan, complemented by maximalist interiors brimming with pieces by local artists and designers.

In 2016 Milford, her husband Mark Henry, who works in construction, their three-year-old son Finn and dog Wilson moved into their off-the-plan apartment.

Initially, it was the central location that attracted the family, being close to the city and great parks, but after a couple of years they realised the space needed updating to better reflect their lifestyle and personality.

“In 2018, we gutted the main areas of the apartment as the design and finishes were not what we were after. We just wanted the place to have a soul,” Milford says. As Henry works in construction, he was able to undertake the work himself.

Renovations saw the installation of reclaimed timber hardwood floors from Urban Salvage, and form ply cabinetry, introducing a more tactile feel to the home.

“We also flipped the floor plan to make better use of the space,” Milford says.

Milford calls herself a maximalist, with a fondness for local artists whose works naturally evoke personality.

“My husband has said, ‘I don’t think you can buy any more artwork!’, as every wall is covered, yet I always manage to find some space,” she says.

Her flair for interior design and styling is evident in this cheerful, layered space, filled with plants and pots from The Plant Society.

An (unintentional) pink and orange palette has emerged in her furniture, object and artwork selections, anchored by one of her most cherished pieces – a beloved burnt-orange Soriano sofa.

“They are so good for small spaces,” she says.

Most of the works in this apartment are now complete, except for two bathrooms the family hope to tackle this year. Already, the space seems so much more like home. “It feels like ours now,” Milford says.

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Melbourne-based CCSS trade mid-century and retro pieces, and are perhaps best known for their classic sofa and chairs options, including popular Togo couches.

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En Gold is a Melbourne-based maker of marble furniture, that also sources vintage furniture and wares nationally.