Never Too Small for Travancore

Apartment Renovation, A Contemporary Haven Redefining Small Living

In the heart of Melbourne, where space is a precious commodity, Never Too Small For Travancore stands as a testament to the brilliance of small-scale living. Inspired by the ingenuity showcased on the "Never Too Small" Youtube channel, a favorite of our clients, this project redefines compact living with a focus on sensible design, ample storage, and aesthetic appeal.

Living in a small footprint doesn't mean compromising on sensibility or style. Never Too Small For Travancore is a celebration of efficient design, abundant storage, and a visually pleasing aesthetic that transforms a modest 2-bedroom apartment into a haven of order and harmony.
How do you make a small apartment feel bigger? With clean lines, plenty of integrated storage, borrowed natural light, and strategically placed mirrored surfaces.
The interiors of Never Too Small For Travancore are defined by sustainability and natural materials. From joinery to acoustic walls and indirect lighting, the use of eco-friendly elements not only adds to the aesthetic appeal but also contributes to a harmonious living environment.
Practical Joinery Solutions: Fold-up panels, sliding doors, hidden compartments, internal drawers – every detail in Never Too Small For Travancore is meticulously designed to create practical joinery solutions. These elements ensure that the space is not just visually appealing but also highly functional, accommodating the needs of our clients seamlessly.
Earthy Tones and Natural Light: The color scheme intentionally mirrors the earthy tones of the park outside, infusing the space with warmth and natural light. Despite the limited footprint, the design ensures that the interiors never feel dark, creating an inviting atmosphere that resonates with the tranquil surroundings.
Never Too Small For Travancore is more than a renovation project; it's a testament to the idea that small living can be both sensible and stunning. Join us in discovering the art of maximizing space, fostering efficiency, and creating a haven where simplicity meets sophistication in the heart of Melbourne.
2 Bedrooms
Apartment Renovation
Completed 2024
Photographer: Phil Ng
Travancore, Melbourne
Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Land
Moonee Valley City Council

Wooden built-in storage unit with shelves, hooks, and a seating area with olive green cushions in a modern interior.

Inspired by this project? Let’s create yours.

Book a Free 20-mins Clarity Call Today

Five gold stars on a white background representing 5-star rating

“They’re all over the best choices environment wise, included great elements of bio-philia and helped us to recycle a lot of existing items and material at our request.

Lastly, they’ve got a great attitude to integrated design and project development. They were really keen to link up with our chosen trades and work together on getting things right. Our tradies really loved that and were really impressed with the drawings and elevations Audrey and Winnie provided them.

A great team to work with!”

Our Amazing Clients

Modern kitchen with wooden island counter, light green upper cabinets, built-in shelving, and hanging pendant lights.

Wood-paneled entryway with a built-in bench, green circular hooks, and open shelving holding hats.

Part of a bedroom showing a neatly made bed with dark gray pillows, built-in gray cabinet above the headboard, a small decorative object on the aisle, a wooden sliding wardrobe, and a door with a black handle on the right side.

Modern kitchen with beige wood-paneled breakfast bar, two hanging pendant lights, green and beige cabinetry, open shelving with plants, glass jars, cookbooks, and decorative items.

Modern interior space with a dark blue desk, a round mirror, wooden slat wall, and potted plant near a window showing green trees outside.

“It’s not a matter of more space.
It’s a matter of the existing space working more effectively and being fit for purpose.”

Audrey Whisker

Modern living space with wooden flooring and built-in cabinetry, reflected in a round mirror, with a blue wall and decorative vases on a dark blue console table.

Modern living space with wood-paneled wall, black desk with a computer monitor, white chair, decorative vases, built-in bookshelf, white cabinets, and a kitchen area with a black faucet and white refrigerator.

“Working with Audrey and Winnie to renovate our first apartment has been great. Their process was really solid and client centred. They’re great listeners and very thoughtful, as well as open minded to boot.

They never put any time pressure on us and had a very human and gentle approach - a great asset because re-designing your home can become really daunting and a much bigger task than you imagined! But they held our hands all the way!”

Our Amazing Clients

Thinking about transforming your own home?

Explore our Renovation Architecture Services

See how we help homeowners reimagine existing spaces with clarity and purpose.

Looking Back

The rendered walkthrough still available on this page offers a glimpse into an earlier phase of the Travancore project – a visualisation tool we used to test layout ideas, light, and flow. While the final built outcome has evolved since then, it’s a valuable window into our design process and how we guide our clients from concept to completion.

Floor plan with annotations and routes marked, showing areas for clean and dirty clothes, prepping work bag, and items like jackets, gym bag, keys, lead, collar, shoes, and dog feeding station.

Floor plan sketch with annotations and arrows indicating a flow or sequence. Includes labels for 'clean clothes for character prep,' 'dirty clothes,' and 'home clothes change.' Numbered points are marked from 1 to 6, and include areas like kitchen and bathroom.

Floor plan sketch with handwritten annotations for organizing items and routes. Key areas include noted spots for phone, clean clothes, gym clothes, shoes, keys, and wallet. Ideas for adjustments like "shorten?" and "no breakfast?" are written. Pathways are marked with dashed lines.

Floor plan diagram with handwritten notes and arrows, depicting activities like "Dekit," "Chat," "Fold Laundry," and "Wash" with numbered steps. Includes rooms and furniture layout.

Apartment floor plan with pink dotted paths and numbered points marking a route through rooms.

Mapping Daily Rituals

““Removing friction from the everyday” means understanding what the ideal everyday looks like for our clients and streamlining that through simple design interventions.

Here we mapped the habits of the clients’ routines to understand what was important to them.”

Audrey Whisker

Clarity Starts with a Call

Starting a home project can feel overwhelming. You need the right architect—someone who understands your vision, budget, and timeline.

At Whisker Architecture, we guide you through every step:

📌 Dream It – Define your vision and goals
📌 Design It – Create a tailored plan with the Home Masterplan Report
📌 Build It – Bring your project to life with our expert guidance

Let’s start with a quick chat to see if we’re the right fit for your project.