Name: Steve
Location: Sydney, Australia
Size: 650 sf (including mezzanines)
Years lived in: Rented for 6 years, owned 6 month
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Normally we write a short blurb about our own impressions of a home we've been invited to house tour. But considering Steve resides thousands miles away and has also been so kind to provide a summary of his own, we're going to let Steve tell you all about his unique "man cave":
Steve, a reclusive failed novelist, rented his warehouse apartment in Sydney’s inner city suburb of Surry Hills for five years before buying it six months ago. His previous house was an ultra-modern architect designed abode. It was too light, bright and guest-friendly for Steve but he liked the openness. So after he purchased his new old apartment, he knew exactly what he wanted to do - knock out all the walls, paint it as dark as possible, and retreat into it at the end of the day like a cranky bear. Architecturally, one could say that many of the finishes were left raw to reveal the underlying structures and beams, but in truth it was just too hard to reach them...
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Lacking much of a social life, Steve likes to watch movies on the big screen, so the cave-like qualities come in handy. Black hides dirt too, which is nice.
The apartment has an unusual shape and as he wanted to be able to view the screen from both the bed-sized main lounge and from bed, the basic layout was obvious. It is completely open with a simple sleeping platform accessed via an industrial ladder. The mezzanine can be shielded with black silk curtains to create a cave within a cave. He frequently falls off it onto the black concrete floors, but says the consequent blood spatters create an interesting effect.
The mancave is very adaptable. The kitchen cabinets, entertainment console, speakers, wardrobe and main lounge are all on castors and can be rolled around to hide stains (and spatter) on the floor or to create a new layout. Likewise, most of Steve’s art collection can be moved on a whim. When not watching movies or Benny Hinn, the projector and screen are used to display a slideshow of over 600 works of degenerate art.
Steve hates clutter, and so has hidden storage for all his worldly goods and most of his chattels. He knows he has too many chairs and feels ashamed of this.
AT Survey:
My/Our style: Post-Modern Minimalist Industrial Mancave.
Inspiration: I’m a fan of minimalists such as John Pawson and Tadao Ando and I also like caves, so it made sense to combine my loves.
Favorite Element: The very high ceilings and original beams. There may actually be some bats hidden up in the crevices. Certainly there is bat guano.
Biggest Challenge: Storage. I ended up doing a very long ‘kitchen’ which segues into general storage and then a home office area. Fortunately, I found space above the bathroom which is ideal for bulky things and for hiding dead bodies.
What Friends Say: I’m not very sociable, so few people have seen it. Usually they just close the door and tip-toe away.
Biggest Embarrassment: The bathroom. I haven’t redone it properly. Instead I just painted everything. I even spray painted the toilet black. This makes it embarrassingly hard to find at night.
Proudest DIY: I did most of it myself and thus am surprised that the kitchen cupboards haven’t fallen off and that the speakers work. But my favourite bit is the floors. After pulling up the carpet to reveal a crappy slab, I pondered resurfacing it. Then, after a few drinks, I just decided to slather black stain on it and see what happened. The result is something that looks like the result of years of abuse, rather than an afternoon’s drunkenness.
Biggest Indulgence: The whole place is an indulgence, albeit quite a cheap one at around $20K for everything
Best advice: It’s easier to remove things than it is to build them.
Dream source: I’d like to have everything custom made
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Resources:
Appliances (all from eBay):
- Smeg oven
- Omega Cooktop and rangehood
- Underbench wine chiller
Hardware:
- Ikea Udden Kitchen and Entertainment units with castors added
- Ikea Mandal Wardrobewith Ikea stainless steel side panels and castors added
- Lockers are from eBay then spray painted
- Mezzalad ladder
Furniture (All were purchased from eBay or consignment stores):
- Bed-sized knock-off B&B Italia Charles lounge with added castors
- B&B Italia Lunar sofa bed
- Vitra Panton S, Ron Arad Plastic Fantastic Elastic & Tom Vac, Starck La Marie and Hi Glob, Bertoia Diamond, Walter Knoll Vostra chairs
- Moooi Container table
- Vintage triple school desk
- George Nelson Platform Bench
- Green Kartell Componibili
Accessories:
Mickey Mouse money box from eBay
Lighting:
- Arco lamp from eBay
- Foscarini Blob lights from Ambiente Direct
- Spare Lamp from POAA.com
- Metalarte Zen lamp
- Lumina Multi-X lamp
- Industrial fixtures from eBay
Artbox wall lamps from artboxproject.net
- Ikea Dolmen under cabinet lights
Paint:
Dulux (ICI) Drive Time
Flooring:
Black stained concrete
Rugs and Carpets:
All from eBay
Window Treatments:
Blackout Blinds from eBay
Beds:
- Ikea mattress
- Silk Curtains from Dharma Trading
Artwork:
- Karel Appel print
- Jean Dubuffet prints
- Judith Supine prints
- Bast Prints
- Ben Frost stencil
- Original Chinese Propaganda poster
- Weird Critter by Tez
- Puppy by Jeff Koons
- Joaquin Torres-Garcia Aladdin figures
- All other works created by owner
(Thanks, Steve!)
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Photos by Steve
Ah ha. What a fabulous man-cave. Way too dark for me to ever live in, but I love it all the same.
view Cashew's profile
Love the write up and the detailed description of how everything came together.
Best tour yet.
view kiljoywashere's profile
This is the coolest bachelor pad I've ever seen. I love the windows!
view sofistiphunk's profile
What a great space! I love the rug, artwork, the loft bed and punches of color throughout. The walls were a bit too dark and cave-like for me (but that is what you wanted to achieve..according to the title). What I found odd was the chairs on top of the cabinet? What was that all about? It made the place look a little like a furniture showroom in the picture.
view suzy8track's profile
Love the windows. It looks like it could be a wacky showroom for Vitra and Herman Miller. I do not like primary colors at all but this was a fun mancave tour.
view LoriSF's profile
Due to my dyslexia, when I scrolled past this post I read it as Steve's Massacre (sorry, Steve). Clearly, it is not.
This really is a cool pad. I appreciate the boldness in color as well as his deft eye at scoping out and snagging cool pieces from consignment stores and e-bay.
Great, job! Thanks for letting us chill in your pad.
view Seaside's profile
Ahh, the Ikea Udden cabinets. LOVE them. Great look and value, and perfect for this kind of space. My compliments on the whole shebang.
view btoddster's profile
It's completely sensible in an over-the-top way. I love it.
Who are you, Steve?
view sunan's profile
Steve,
Thanks for breaking the cookie-cutter style that is normally associated with the house tour write ups.
Cool place too.
view reiskid's profile
I think I might be in love. I just can't decide if it is with the space, the floor (really love the floor), the description or just Steve. Probably a combination of them all.
view marlamischief1's profile
yea, i agree that it is too dark. he should've used the only natural light source(the huge window) more effectively by having brighter colors or at least neutral ones. it would've also been better if he had some sort of lighting on the ceiling in the middle of the whole apartment, instead of having local lighting in each room. overall it is a nice apartment. i like how almost everything is mobile as they all have wheels. i think it would be nice to have an option to raise the projector screen to level up to the bedroom loft, that way he can watch from the bed.
view Mr. Programmer's profile
I love colors on black :) Awesome write up!
view Juliescript's profile
YOU SPRAY PAINTED THE TOILET?
holy crap.
creative and fun. great art.
view splatgirl's profile
Fabulous! For me, out of everything, the Mickey Mouse bust is boss.
view rosenatti's profile
I like this -- something different than the usual light and airy (which I also like).
Good inspiration.
view tenderleaf's profile
Great! I really really love it! You should totally invite some friends :-). Also, it would make a great place for romantic date... I love the gray with those bold colors, it looks like a modern painting to me.
view jjanul's profile
see guys? this is how you do it. you can have masculine, bachelor-ish decor that even embraces a bit of your inner child... and still has tons of style!
view foodefafa's profile
There is a lot about this place I really like; you've got some nice furniture and your overall aesthetic is very good. Too dark and gloomy for me, but I second the comment that this is a refreshing change on the usual house tour. Good job, Steve!
view Sydney's profile
Steve -- stop apologizing, you have a wonderful place with great style and personality. Cudos to you and your imagination.
view Kat1's profile
Fun. Have you thought of padded walls? They would contrast nicely with concrete floors.
view comicbookheroine's profile
Twas the Nightmare before Christmas and all through the loft... Looks really cool. Its streamlined Tim Burton!
view miscellaneous's profile
Wow, rad. 'Tis quite the man cave!
view bakek's profile
Dude!! You are the man! Love the colors and I have a fascination on your pair of speakers. What are they...did you make them yourself?
view trailingedge's profile
Hey, I really dig how you took the photo's of your place when it was dark outside. It added a very cool cavey vibe.
view mikelay's profile
Marla,
Thank you for the kind words. Alas, distance and some of my more extreme character flaws mean it is probably for the best that this budding romance remains unconsumated.
Trailingedge,
Yes, during a temporary attack of geekiness I did make them myself. They are based on these: http://www.linkwitzlab.com/
view SteveDodds's profile
I imagine this is where Jack Skellington would have Sally for an evening of horror movies, capped off with a messy, drunken make out sesh on the mezzanine. Lucky for her, falling off is no problem since she can just stitch herself back together.
When I'm done being a poor, starving student, I aspire to be a failed novelist with a badass mancave like yours.
I love you Steve.
view marc from vancouver's profile
i love this
view wampler's profile
I'm looking for a sofa/lounge like the purple one.
view Kenneth's profile
The original lounge is the Charles Large from B&B Italia, as seen here:
http://www.europebynet.com/Detail_nn_sku_BBSFA004-5.html
If $17,000 is little over your budget, then there are reproductions available:
http://www.designgallerie.com/pascal.html
view SteveDodds's profile
steve, nice mancave and self deprecating humour.
how does a cave dweller find himself in such an open, socialising, cool 'hood like surry hills?
view red.door.read.'s profile
Sicko, my man. Absolutely off the charts. I can feel the custom-made desire.
Someday, right?
view ThatKidThere's profile
dark but absolutely cool & bold man cave. you are the man!
view timmy jr.'s profile
Steve, we are a lot alike in style and humor. There are a lot of similarities between your place and mine including the bed loft, technology, furniture, style, geekiness... Except your loft is bigger and your budget is even still bigger! I am using your place as inspriation and would love to ask you a ton of questions! I will have to email you!
Love love love the place. Yes it's painted dark but it still looks inviting and open!
view msjessiemeghan's profile
Hmmmm. I think those extra chairs are for socializing. Perhaps you aren't as asocial as you claim ;-)
You are doing well for a failed novelist!
view kelleyk's profile
Ms Jessie,
Email away.
Kelley,
Trust me, I can document my failure as a novelist:
http://www.amazon.com/Clydes-Tale-Steve-Dodds/dp/1438202245/ref=pd_bbs_sr_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1235389650&sr=8-2
The new one comes out in a couple of weeks and I have equally low hopes.
view SteveDodds's profile
Not a fan. To me, this looks like what Ricky Stratton (Rick Schroder) from "Silver Spoons" would have designed when he finally moved out on his own.
view jef613's profile
Steve,
Sad to hear the romance must end here but I do understand. Seems you may be a tad hard on yourself, we all have some serious design flaws. Also I have a feeling that, although you may be a failed novelist, you may very well be a successful writer of some sorts. I at least hope I'm right because if not you are wasting your talent.
Once again the space is great.
view marlamischief1's profile
Absolutely awesome. I'm impressed that you found such a unique warehouse apartment and I don't blame you from moving from the ultra-modern coldness.
Specifics I'm crazy for...
the loft bed.
the red couch.
the old locker in the bathroom.
the alcoves where you can put stuff (including chairs).
the massive arched red windows.
the spray painted potty (who knew!?).
the floors.
your own description of your very personal space.
view Mudhouse's profile
I am so in love with your loft. Is it seeing anybody?
view painsthee's profile
Steve,
this is absolutely and totally 100% unique.
the windows and the sleeping loft are awesome.
your place made my day [i was having a bad one]
great job with everything.
-Scarlett
view scarlett1313's profile
I was just commenting that my job is making me want to bash my head in, then I come upon this tour and Im bursting out laughing. Great apartment, even better description.
view pearfreak's profile
Steve,
You are the man version of me. Any apprehension I had about painting dark walls in my home has completely vanished.
Your personality really shines through. It's excellent!
view islek's profile
You forgot the blacklight unicorn poster.
Dude.
view scoobydubious's profile
Nicely done.
Did you hack the loft ladder from a free standing ladder? Got photos of the hack if so? Where's the ladder from?
Seriously well done. But any girl that doesn't run away in the morning is trouble!
view nbabylon's profile
Thanks again for all the lovely compliments. If I hadn't donated my capillaries to science a few years back I would surely blush.
Marla,
Don't give up hope. The knowledge you are unattainable makes me want you anew.
nbabylon,
The ladder is commercially available (at least it is here in Australia and Europe). It is called a Mezzalad:
http://www.stockmasteraustralia.com.au/product.cfm?lang_id=1&product_id=7
A hack of a regular ladder wouldn't be too hard, although I'd suggest trying a timber ladder as it would be easier to work with.
Also, you can use it for firewood if you stuff up.
view SteveDodds's profile
I totally love this place!
view colleen2009's profile
This is soooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo good.
view Curtis's profile
Steve has bucketloads of STYLE.
view EAM's profile
[ps: I never read novels so I can't tell if you are a great novelist or not. However, you are smart and talented ... and macabre. Why not write about real life?]
view EAM's profile
Really. Couldn't sweep the floor for the photo shoot?
view Mikebdesign's profile
This looks like some kind of dystopian/futuristic bachelor pad. I'm thinking Children of Men or this book I read when I was a kid called Invitation to the Game. Take your pick really. Pretty bitchin. This place is like a whole other world. Myself, I'd like to play weird electronic music in it and have people come over in an afterparty sort of way at 4 in the morning. :)
view BarryLyndon's profile
Mikebdesign,
Thanks for noticing the artwork on the floors. I was a little worried that people would confuse the specially designed installations (constructed at great expense I must admit), with mere dust or (perish the thought) lint.
It was hard to capture on film, but when you get high enough the individual grains you can see in the photos actually form a floor mural that is a piquant comment on life's infinite jest.
view SteveDodds's profile
Great place. I was relieved to see the bathroom is not of your doing. It looks like somewhere George Michael has had sex.
Am also very impressed that in six-and-a-half years you have not broken your neck tripping off the bed platform in the middle of the night. You must have the power of echolocation.
view harbourbridge's profile
just one question.......do you tan in the sun....or do you stay away completly??
view rachelrachel's profile
I'm not a man, but I would LOVE to live here! You have such great taste, and even though it's a bit dark, there is some hidden bright optimism. Good job! I also love the floors. I'll do that some day!
Michelle
http://cheeseloversinternational.blogspot.com/
view michelleinbrooklyn's profile