The Philosophy of Organized Collecting: More Than Just Minimalism
Daniel Dorall describes himself not as a maximalist, but as a collector with a philosophy: “a place for everything and everything in its place.” This isn’t about bare walls and empty shelves; it’s about curated display and thoughtful organization. He creates a “blank canvas” with white walls and clean surfaces, allowing his art, objects, and books to truly shine. This strategy enables him to maintain a rich, personal environment without the feeling of clutter, turning his collections into a harmonious composition rather than an overwhelming jumble.Maximizing Volume and Light: Going Beyond Square Footage
Despite its modest 50sqm footprint, Daniel’s apartment feels remarkably spacious. He credits this to its “volume,” a crucial dimension that prevents a small area from feeling claustrophobic. High ceilings and expansive windows, like his impressive five-meter-wide, two-and-a-half-meter-high five-panel window, flood the space with natural light and offer grand views, including a unique perspective of Corinthian columns. Think of it like a perfectly designed miniature garden; even though it’s small, every element is chosen to create an illusion of depth and openness, making the space feel much grander than its actual dimensions. For urban dwellers, factors like location, convenience, and outlooks often outweigh the need for vast internal space.Clever Storage Solutions: Hidden Gems and Ingenious IKEA Hacks
One of the hallmarks of Daniel’s apartment is its array of innovative storage techniques, many of which involve creative DIY.Concealed Utility Areas: The Art of Disappearing Acts
Daniel incorporates hidden elements to keep unsightly necessities out of view. He conceals electrical panels behind large artworks, a trick that works by utilizing picture frames with a cavity behind them. Another ingenious example involves an IKEA hook inverted to act as a door stopper, cleverly holding a door ajar for ventilation. These subtle additions make the apartment highly functional without sacrificing aesthetic appeal. It’s like a magician’s trick, where things vanish and reappear as needed, making the overall living experience smoother and more beautiful.Kitchen Organization for Peak Efficiency: Every Inch Counts
In his open-plan kitchen, Daniel prioritizes keeping benchtops clear. He uses narrow, low shelves to stack more plates and jars, acknowledging that not everything needs to stand upright. A custom-cut magnetic metal plate keeps herbs and spices off the counter, strategically placed with a gap to avoid hitting cabinetry. Even the often-messy Tupperware drawer is kept neat, following his mother’s wise advice. For dishwashing, a sliding drying rack from Mug n’ Mison integrates seamlessly into a drawer, offering a practical solution for hand-washed items. He also advocates for a minimalist approach to tools, limiting himself to just three essential knives: a bread knife, a chef’s knife, and a paring knife. This targeted approach to kitchen *space-saving hacks* ensures everything is accessible yet out of sight.Creative Furniture Hacks: IKEA’s Transformative Potential
Daniel masterfully repurposes everyday items, particularly from IKEA, to create custom solutions.Here are some of his standout IKEA hacks:
- **Lack Table Plinths:** Standard Lack table legs are cut down and reassembled as display plinths for plants and objects, adding vertical interest.
- **Bathroom Shelving as Garden Wall:** Steel bathroom shelving units are repurposed as planter boxes for his balcony garden, creating a lush green wall.
- **Picture Frame Rail for Dyson:** A picture frame rail is ingeniously used to hold his Dyson vacuum cleaner, maximizing depth in a tight utility area.
- **Pax System Customization:** In the bedroom, the original, smaller wardrobe was removed and replaced with a self-installed IKEA Pax system, featuring multiple drawers for clothing, shoes carried from the doorway, and overhead storage for luggage and seasonal items.
- **DIY Wine Rack:** An IKEA hook, similar to his door stopper hack, is used to create a simple yet effective wine rack.
Personalized Touches and Functional Art: Where Personality Meets Practicality
Daniel’s apartment is a testament to the power of personal expression. The entrance corridor features a “salon hang” of various paintings and prints, immediately setting a unique tone. His brutalist poured concrete bench, a central feature, wasn’t created by a high-end designer but by a concretor. Over time, it’s darkened from oils and use, proving that functionality can deepen a material’s character. Despite concrete’s reputation for coolness, visitors often perceive the space as warm due to its layout and curated objects, demonstrating how composition and personal touches can alter perceptions. Daniel also connects with his past by collecting plants his mother once had, like the asparagus fern, adding emotional depth to his decor. His investment in electric blinds, a pragmatic choice after a dangerous manual blind incident, shows how practical upgrades can significantly enhance comfort and safety. Even his coffee table, found after a three-to-four-year search, is treated as a display platform, balancing curated items with practical free space for daily use.Ingenious Spatial Transformations: From Bathroom to Studio
Daniel’s most ambitious *space-saving hack* involved creating an entirely new room through an “excavation.”The Double-Entry Bathroom: Optimizing Flow and Access
When renovating his bathroom, Daniel designed it with two entrances – one from the bedroom and another from the living area for guests. This required a bi-fold door to avoid obstructing other openings, allowing it to tuck neatly away when open. He also crafted a custom Corian vanity with a small ledge for minimal bottles and a piano-hinged laundry bin underneath, along with additional shelving for toiletries and perfumes, secured with small painted nails. The washing machine/dryer unit is also cleverly tucked beneath the vanity, further maximizing utility in this compact area.The “Excavated” Studio Space: Unlocking Hidden Vertical Potential
The most remarkable transformation occurred when a leak from an upstairs neighbor revealed an unused two-and-a-half meters of vertical space above the bathroom, bringing the apartment’s total ceiling height to five meters. Daniel seized this opportunity, transforming a forgotten void into a functional studio. This involved moving pipes and the water heater, creating a tight but efficient new space accessible via a custom-designed trap door. LED panels overhead mimic a skylight, while a cutout into the bedroom provides natural light and ventilation, doubling as a comfortable leg rest when seated. This entire process demonstrates how a seemingly negative event (a leak) can be an opportunity for incredible innovation and *space-saving hacks*, uncovering entirely new dimensions within an existing footprint.The Evolving Home: Continuous Improvement in Small Apartment Living
Daniel’s journey with his apartment is one of continuous evolution. He believes a home should grow and adapt with its inhabitants, requiring constant “tweaking and tinkering.” His self-made 10-year-old bookshelf, his ever-changing art hangs, and the fluid arrangement of his coffee table demonstrate this philosophy. The journey of refining one’s *small apartment living* is ongoing, always seeking new *space-saving hacks* and design improvements to perfectly align the home with current needs and aesthetic preferences.Beyond the Blueprint: Your Smart Space-Saving Q&A with the Melbourne Architect
What is the main idea behind Daniel Dorall’s small apartment design?
Melbourne architect Daniel Dorall shows that a small apartment can feel large and functional through intelligent design and clever space-saving techniques, rather than needing a lot of square footage.
How does Daniel Dorall make his 50-square-meter apartment feel spacious?
He maximizes the apartment’s ‘volume’ with high ceilings and large windows that bring in natural light and offer expansive views, making the space feel much grander.
Does Daniel Dorall believe in minimalism for small living spaces?
No, he describes himself as a collector who believes in ‘a place for everything and everything in its place,’ using white walls as a ‘blank canvas’ to beautifully display his curated collections without clutter.
Can you give an example of a creative storage solution Daniel Dorall uses?
He uses many clever solutions, such as concealing electrical panels behind large artworks and repurposing IKEA items, like using a picture frame rail to hold his Dyson vacuum cleaner.
What is the ‘excavated’ studio space in Daniel Dorall’s apartment?
It’s a new functional studio created by transforming an unused vertical space above his bathroom, which he developed and made accessible via a custom-designed trap door.