The concrete floor wasn\u2019t the only aspect of this award-winning Auckland apartment to get a polish \u2013 its entire look was transformed in a bold revamp.<\/p>\n
\n New owners wanted to stamp their style on this light-filled penthouse apartment in a commercial building in Newmarket, Auckland. To help realise their vision,
\n they brought in interior designer Nicola Manning, of Nicola Manning Design.\n <\/p>\n
\u201cThe brief was to add bursts of colour to a predominantly white and black base,\u201d says Manning. \u201cThe owners were also keen to celebrate the concrete and steel materiality of the commercial building, rather than see it as a challenge.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kitchen designed by Nicola Manning Design. Photo \/ Mark Scowen<\/p>\n
Part of the appeal of the new-look interior is the celebration of the apartment\u2019s industrial vibe. The concrete flooring has become a feature, and steel structural beams and service pipes have also been enhanced with a coat of black paint. Once you\u2019ve cleared the entrance lobby, the space opens up dramatically, with most walls painted a soft warm white. <\/p>\n
The kitchen island acts as an anchor in this communal area, where the concrete floors have been polished to perfection. Natural light streams in through a large-scale window above the dining table. Eye-catching gold dining chairs add to the sunny warmth of this room. A Bocci pendant light, featuring hand-blown glass balls, is a stunning focal point, on view from both the dining area and the mezzanine hallway upstairs.<\/p>\n
The living room at the Newmarket Penthouse Apartment. Photo \/ Mark Scowen<\/p>\n
The footprint of the two-storey apartment remains the same but the layout was reconfigured, reducing the five bedrooms to three. Two bedrooms and two ensuites were combined to create one large space with a walk-in wardrobe, ensuite and a generous-sized bedroom. The lift was also extended to the upper level, where the bedrooms are located. This required converting a bathroom into a lift lobby and changing an existing bedroom into the new family bathroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cA new ceiling was created in the living room to allow space for the new ensuite\u2019s plumbing,\u201d says Manning. \u201cWe designed a black suspended steel ceiling which acts as a feature, doing double duty: defining that room and concealing the plumbing pipes for the ensuite above.\u201d<\/p>\n
The living area at the Newmarket Penthouse Apartment. Photo \/ Mark Scowen<\/p>\n
Manning has cleverly used furniture placement to create smaller \u201crooms\u201d within the large space. The lounge is a great example: a vibrant rug and sofas in leafy green signal that this is a gathering space. Her eye for colour and composition is evident throughout the apartment, particularly in the new powder room, created upstairs in what was previously a storage room. <\/p>\n
\u201cThis compact space packs a colour punch with richly coloured wallpaper and a bright pink vanity,\u201d she explains. \u201cContrary to what many believe, a small space can take a lot of pattern and colour.\u201d The makeover has achieved its goal, creating a home with the feel-good factor. \u201cIt\u2019s a space that the owners enjoy and that\u2019s what it\u2019s all about for us, creating homes that suit the lifestyle of the people who live there,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n
The powder room at the Newmarket Penthouse Apartment by Nicola Manning Design. Photo \/ Mark Scowen<\/p>\n
The apartment won the 2025 Trends International Design Awards Apartment of the Year.<\/p>\n