As soon as we entered Maddie Sewall’s apartment, we knew her story was one to share. Maddie, along with her delightful rescue dog Poppy—a staghound/wolfhound/greyhound mix—welcomed us into their home, a masterpiece of design and sustainability. Maddie’s apartment, nestled in the award-winning Nightingale Village in Melbourne's inner north, not only reflects her creative vision but also her commitment to sustainable living.
In the first issue of our new magazine, Maddie and Poppy grace our cover. Maddie, who is also the Director of Houses at Breathe, one of Australia’s leading sustainable architecture and design firms, offers invaluable insights into living beautifully within a small footprint.
Her eye for vintage and preloved treasures is impeccable—she’s furnished her entire apartment with unique finds, save for one item: her mattress. As Maddie puts it, “It feels like a treasure hunt—you get things that not everyone else has. It’s nice to feel like you’re not in a showroom. It gives it a texture, like a personality.”
We’re excited to give you a sneak peek into Maddie’s world in our magazine's first issue. Her tips on sustainable living, community engagement, and finding beauty in preloved items are not to be missed.
How can people promote community in their own apartment buildings?
- Events – organise simple community events like drinks gatherings, or barbecues, a games night or gardening day. This is a great way to spend time with neighbours and build connections over common interests.
- Start a group chat to encourage a ‘share economy’ – take advantage of having so many neighbours! Borrow tools, kids’ toys, kitchen equipment. Water each others’ plants when someone goes away.
What are your tips for finding beautiful, pre-loved furniture and decor?
- Look for things with ‘good bones’ – even if an item isn’t in great condition, if it’s structurally solid you can mend or repair it for a new life. It’s much better than buying something new and cheap that isn’t good quality.
- Vintage and antique items that have character and personality can really add a lot of texture and history to a space.
- Don’t be afraid to mix things up – it makes a space feel lived in and authentically you.
What sustainable materials excite you?
- Timber offcuts, small batches of tiles, and stone offcuts from second-hand marketplaces are all salvaged materials that I’ve used around my place for various projects and are usually easy to come by.
- If I can’t get salvaged materials, I look for materials that are recycled or fully recyclable, like timber and stainless steel.
What should people look for in an apartment or small-footprint home?
- For me, thermal and acoustic qualities are super important for comfort and good sleep.
- Daylight and cross-ventilation are a must – you can change a lot of things about a place when you move in, but the amount of light and air are hard to change.
What adjustments to their habits might people need to make if they’re committing to a small-footprint lifestyle for the first time?
- I think you can have almost anything you want or need in an apartment, if you’re willing to prioritise it – for me, I have a piano but no TV, which is a tradeoff that suits me.
- View apartment life as an opportunity to reassess priorities. It’s a way to work out what really matters and what you actually need, which is in turn a great way to reduce your impact on the planet
Any tips for how to maximise storage space?
- If you can find an apartment with a separate storage cage and bike parking, that goes a long way to freeing up space in your apartment!
- Personally, I love loose furniture solutions. It keeps spaces flexible and adaptable to changing needs over time. What was a bedroom could become a study or yoga room without extensive or expensive changes.
How can people incorporate sustainability principles into their homes in an affordable way?
- Buy green power. This is the number one thing you can do to make an impactful change. Whether you rent or own your place, if you buy 100% green power through your electricity provider, the government is required to invest more in renewable energy. It’s the easiest and most impactful way to make a difference.
- Managing waste and recycling – put the extra effort into taking things to specialist recycling facilities so they don’t end up in landfill.
- Buy second-hand as much as you can. There’s so much stuff in the world. It might take a little extra effort to drive around and pick things up, but it means less waste.
The above is an excerpt from our full feature on Maddie (and Poppy) in issue one of our magazine. To enjoy the full feature, subscribe to our magazine here.
