How first home buyers turned a basic Sydney home into a piece of art

After renting for years in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, Alexander Kashin and his wife, Eva Kashina, were able to buy their first home in 2023 in the inner west.

Priced out of Bondi, they secured the keys to a “very basic” two-bedroom Marrickville unit at 11/5 View Street, for $700,000 at auction.

Alexander Kashin and Eva Kashina in their renovated Marrickville apartment.Credit: Janie Barrett

“Because of the condition, I guess, many people weren’t in love with it, but for us, it was perfect,” Alex said.

The first-time home owners then embarked on an exacting renovation that transformed the modest unit into a functional piece of art, with a high level of craftsmanship and bespoke furniture and cabinetry – and they’ve now put it back up for sale.

“We always knew we’re gonna renovate ourselves. We didn’t want a place which was already renovated because we always had a bit of a dream to build our own home, our own apartment, to the way we like it,” Alex said.

The property had good bones and was a private top floor apartment in a small set of flats. But it lacked proper ventilation in the kitchen and bathroom, had an outdated water system and the electrical work and gas oven needed upgrading.

The mid-30s couple spent the first two weeks giving their new home a thorough clean and redoing all the parquetry floor. Peeling back the layers was a physically exhausting process, especially as they were both working full-time day jobs.

“We polished the floors by hand, and then we applied natural wax on it. So it has a very sort of modern finish, but it’s also quite natural and non-toxic for people that have kids or animals,” said Eva, a community health worker.

Alex is an industrial designer and fabricator and used 3D software to design bespoke furniture and engineer every piece of cabinetry to the exact dimensions required in his workshop in Marrickville.

Before the renovation.Credit: Raine & Horne

A perfectionist, he spent countless weekends and late evenings redoing components such as the inbuilt wardrobes and fold-out dining table, much to the amusement of his wife.

During the renovation.Credit:

“If it was off by one millimetre, or two millimetres, it wasn’t good enough,” he said.

Renovating their first home was exciting. They relished the freedom to drill holes in the walls and put up art.

“It’s like an opportunity to get the things we couldn’t get when you’re renting,” Eva said. “That felt great. Such a rewarding feeling, making it your own way. And you look and think: I’ve done it with my own hands.”

After the renovation.Credit: Janie Barrett

Alex focused on engineering Australian timber panels and assembling them into functional pieces that maximised the storage space. The crucial element of the design was for it to be as functional as possible in terms of storage. “We learnt from living in rental apartments the more stuff you have the more time-consuming it is to look after it.” As for the aesthetic, he drew inspiration from the 1980s brick apartment building. He said he wanted people to walk inside and feel that the interior design made sense.

Eva helped with the cosy touches. She is passionate about natural materials and sourced Italian linen for floor-to-ceiling curtains that let in the natural light while softening the space.

Most of the artworks were given by artist friends of theirs. The front door was a unique stained-glass panel from a Blue Mountains auction and set the mood for the whole apartment.

Restoring the windows was the most painstaking part, as each old frame needed to be stripped back and refurbished completely.

The living space has a bespoke fold-out dining table.Credit: Janie Barrett

The entire process took a year from moving in to completion. Alex is certain they overcapitalised in certain areas but, for him, it was about the overall outcome.

“We lived there as well, during the renovation, so that was always a challenge. We pushed through and managed to enjoy the experience; it was a great experience as a couple,” Alex said, adding that it was a lot of “blood, sweat and tears”.

Mid-renovation their resilience was tested, but Alex said they “got hooked on the creative freedom” of the renovation. They are keenly interested in a new project now.

“For the next one… I’m sure Alex will have more design ideas, so we will test that out,” Eva said.

With a starting guide of $800,000, the property is listed with Norman Tran of Adrian William Real Estate.

“For any prospective buyer it is a very functional home, but it is also really a piece of art,” Tran said. “It embodies the beauty of Marrickville,” he added, noting the area is home to many creative types.

“When I first walked through it, I was quite shocked at the level of craftsmanship. It’s very rare to find that level of finish in an apartment,” Tran said.