![\"Carmen](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/1793279174_924_ace50329a6fc351bf5ebe7062efed58149d0f47f.png\")
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October 29, 2026 \u2014 7:00pm<\/p>\n
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Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Gift this free article<\/p>\n Share full article with anyone \u2014 no subscription needed to read it. It won’t deduct your gift credits. Learn more<\/a><\/p>\n Share article as gift<\/p>\n AAA<\/p>\n Amy Lee Moore and her husband, Timothy Moore, are used to working together. It\u2019s how they met. Interior designer Amy Lee, 37, and builder Timothy, 36, worked together for one year on a commercial project before beginning a relationship.<\/p>\n Fast-forward a wedding and two kids later and they have completed their fourth renovation in Wollstonecraft, bringing a bright apartment from the 1960s into the present day.<\/p>\n When the couple first walked into the property at 3\/50 Shirley Road<\/a>, it instantly inspired them.<\/p>\n \u201cIt was like walking into a time-warp, to be honest. It hadn\u2019t been touched in 60 years,\u201d Amy Lee said.<\/p>\n The couple purchased the off-market ground level apartment for $1,505,000 in January 2025.<\/p>\n It was a special feeling when they first got the keys and saw the place empty as a blank canvas.<\/p>\n With so many older buildings being lost to development in Sydney, Amy Lee said they were really passionate about \u201ctrying to keep these buildings alive and celebrate them\u201d.<\/p>\n \u201cWe love the idea of finding old places and giving them new lives,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n Related Article Amy Lee set about pinning a joint Pinterest board with their vision. Timothy set up tracking spreadsheets. And they designed their kitchen in 3D.<\/p>\n Fortunately, they were able to rent back the apartment they had just sold in Mosman. So they wouldn\u2019t need to move their young family, including a baby, out until the messiest and dustiest renovation works were completed.<\/p>\n By day, they both work on commercial projects which run at a fast pace, so as a team they were used to running efficiently.<\/p>\n \u201cWe had lined up every trade, and we had obviously programmed that to be as quick as possible,\u201d Amy Lee said. They found residential work comparatively slower and more challenging than they were used to yet overall more enjoyable.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s different when you\u2019re doing it for yourself \u2026 It\u2019s kind of nice to be the client and control the budget … There\u2019s a joy in it, for sure,\u201d Timothy said.<\/p>\n They had planned to retain the 1960s kitchen and cabinetry \u2013 but practically, the narrow bench-tops didn\u2019t leave room for essentials for everyday living with children, such as modern appliances or a dishwasher.<\/p>\n Structurally, they added a large archway, which opened the kitchen to the living room and changed the use of the space. They stressed the modernisation of the 1960s property did not mean converting it to open plan.<\/p>\n \u201cI don\u2019t love open plan. I think it\u2019s really nice to have individual spaces,\u201d Amy Lee said, adding, \u201cI think you can just create more \u2026 little unique moments \u2026 it feels a bit cosier in a home.\u201d<\/p>\n They honoured original colour choices but went for a softer palette. So the hot pink bathroom instead became rose with a brescia stone top. The lime green in the kitchen became a more muted shade in the splashback.<\/p>\n All door handles were retained. Timothy said they were \u201ctoo cool\u201d not to keep. \u201cYou can\u2019t buy a design like that nowadays,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n They love the layout. They used engineered timber flooring throughout which created a \u201cbeautiful flow\u201d and carpets for warmth in the bedrooms. Half of the living room is used as a playzone and their children have separate bedrooms.<\/p>\n They worked tirelessly after hours and on weekends. Timothy handled the \u201cgrunt work\u201d, demolition, project management and fiddly jobs such as hanging blinds and painting. Amy Lee handled all aspects of the interior design and documentation.<\/p>\n And unlike most renovators, they did not go over budget. Timothy said, \u201cI run a pretty tight ship.\u201d Amy Lee added, \u201cTim will reign me in. We are tracking it live as we do it.\u201d In addition to their labour they spent $140,000.<\/p>\n The building has well-known established gardens and there is even a communal vegie patch which had tomatoes last summer. All residents pitch in with planting, harvesting and enjoying the produce.<\/p>\n \u201cThe girls love going out and picking flowers\u2026 in the garden. So it\u2019s a lovely spot,\u201d Timothy said.<\/p>\n The only reason the Moores have decided to move on is because they want to grow their family.<\/p>\n \u201cIf we\u2019re lucky enough, we absolutely want more,\u201d Timothy said.<\/p>\n \u201cThe next project for us is more kids, and so we obviously haven\u2019t found the next place, but we\u2019re definitely looking\u2026 the dream is to get into a house,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n Selling agent Stephen O\u2019Sullivan from BresicWhitney Lower North Shore said, \u201cQuite frankly, there\u2019s not a lot of direct comparisons to the property.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019ve been selling in this area for over a decade, and you don\u2019t see properties \u2026 tastefully renovated to this level,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n The apartment has a guide of $1.7 million and is scheduled for auction on November 7.<\/p>\n Property alerts are now available in the SMH app. Turn them on to receive the latest market news and trends.<\/p>\n Save<\/p>\n You have reached your maximum number of saved items.<\/p>\n Remove items from your saved list<\/a> to add more.<\/p>\n Gift this free article<\/p>\n![\"Amy](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/8522e750169ed63802eb37c8ae9382d22b0f9477.jpeg\")
Amy Lee Moore and Timothy Moore have just completed their fourth renovation.Sam Mooy<\/p>\n![\"x\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/0beebfdcf48bea215321d0099a31ce2fbf0cc091.jpeg\")
<\/a><\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/82b8cce94860089fb362557ce0aefab802dc9b96.jpeg\")
The original kitchen.BresicWhitney<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/400da53dbc3534bd102e3b04107649e04f406569.jpeg\")
The new kitchen.BresicWhitney<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/549129e241135bf2c7200571db67a353a612532d.jpeg\")
The couple kept individual spaces in the apartment, instead of a fully open-plan layout.Sam Mooy<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/a8f9444a0ea54c00f9df73e369ac4cf7b37c9593.jpeg\")
The previous bathroom.BresicWhitney<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/6272b8fac219e77c4ba2c4ddcbb9150d6f769093.jpeg\")
The updated bathroom.BresicWhitney<\/p>\n![\"The](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/bf5ace833b55b55da7d68c2f0ec400d107070936.jpeg\")
The Moores have decided to move on.Sam Mooy<\/p>\n