The Design Files: Inside a New York loft-style apartment in West Melbourne

Who: Nicholas McDonald (furniture maker, Made By Morgen)

What: Converted New York loft-style apartment

Where: West Melbourne

There is a slightly filmic quality about Nicholas McDonald’s house. The fall of the light through the loft-style windows, the precision of the object placement, and the consistency of the style feels almost curated. Not in an artificial way but, rather, it reflects the exactness of McDonald’s (aka Made By Morgen) aesthetic.

McDonald moved into this apartment in 2011, and immediately set about incorporating a second bedroom into the space. “My budget was pretty limited at the time so I was lucky to be able to do it all myself,” he says.

McDonald put his construction skills to task, and relocated the kitchen using FormPly, and “wrangled some plaster to complete the bedroom”.

He also painted over the exposed timber beams in a fresh white, and re-did all of the floors.

The West Melbourne apartment is in the former T.B. Guest & Co building, built in 1856. The factory was the home of the original Teddy Bear Biscuits and Butternut Snaps, and the site was converted into apartments in the late 1980s.

McDonald stumbled across the property after 18 months of trawling through real estate websites and papers, and enthuses, “When I found this place I knew straight away that I had to have it”.

The home is filled with his own handcrafted furniture pieces, including the island bench, which is one of the first pieces he ever created.

The genesis of Made By Morgen can be traced back to this moment: “It kind of dawned on me that I could be practical and creative at the same time.”

As a result, McDonald quit his job in construction and launched his own furniture business.

McDonald cites the uninterrupted westerly views, and sweeping sights of sunsets and storms as the key feature of this home. The New York loft-vibes are palpable with views across the Melbourne skyline.