Updated November 08, 2017 16:12:21

Photo: A mezzanine and small staircase create a 'second floor' for a bedroom and bath above the living space. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)

Could you live in an apartment that is just 24 square metres? That is one-tenth the size of a tennis court, or just two parking spaces.

Clare Davidson found her tiny space for sale in the heart of Fremantle's historic west end two years ago.

"It was just under $300,000 and that put it as one of the cheapest properties in Fremantle that I have ever seen," she said.

"For property in Fremantle at the moment that [figure] seems like a good deal, until you look at it per square metre.

"But they say buy the worst house on the best street."

The space faces directly onto Pakenham Street.

Photo: Clare Davidson and architect Emerald Wise inside the tiny apartment they transformed in Fremantle. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)

When Ms Davidson found the apartment, it had no kitchen and "the bathroom was kind of a cave".

It had previously been used as a storage room by a local café, and it was attached to an old warehouse that has since been converted to luxury apartments.

In fact, part of the neighbour's staircase juts through a corner of Ms Davidson's space.

The façade of the building is heritage-listed, and that meant enlarging the windows or changing the small front door was impossible.

But Ms Davidson was not perturbed.

Photo: The high ceilings allowed for a mezzanine floor above the kitchen. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)

"It provided a design challenge which really appealed," she said.

"There is something very precious about the size of it and how it is right in the centre of Fremantle, but it feels somehow secret.

"You come in through these two tiny little glass doors and it's right off the street front, but no-one would even know that it's here.

"So when you are inside you kind of feel like you are tucked away safely from the street, but still in amongst it."

Photo: The apartment, left, opens directly onto the street and is part of the former Fowler's Warehouse, a furniture factory built in 1900. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)

The space had one big redeeming feature — a double height ceiling.

That meant friend and architect Emerald Wise was able to create a mezzanine floor above the kitchen for Ms Davidson's bedroom.

There is an open living space on the ground floor complete with a shower bathroom. A large bathtub sits on the mezzanine level.

"I like to tell people that it's a one-bedroom, two-bathroom place," Ms Davidson said, laughing.

Photo: The bathtub on the upper level inside the tiny apartment. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)

Ms Davidson and Ms Wise did a lot of the build work themselves, using second-hand and recycled materials throughout.

"I love the kitchen a lot because it was all made with recycled marri and blackbutt and put together by an incredible carpenter," Ms Davidson said.

"Lots of things that ended up being part of this build were from the side of the road.

"I found a Smeg oven on the side of the road. That's my pride and joy; an electrician friend got it working."

Photo: The mezzanine bedroom in the tiny apartment has small windows, but they let in a lot of light. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)

The finished space is something the architect and the home owner are incredibly pleased with.

"Clare brought me down here when they were selling the place and said 'What do you think — we could do something couldn't we?'" Ms Wise recalled.

"And I though 'Oh, here Clare goes again'.

"But I thought it was a really great opportunity to do a little infill project, and it's worked out really well.

"I personally strongly believe that Perth needs to densify, and I guess this is a prime example of how that can work beautifully."

Photo: The double height ceiling in the tiny apartment makes it feel bigger and brighter. (ABC Radio Perth: Emma Wynne)

Ms Davidson said opening her apartment to the public for the Open House Perth festival would give people the chance to see that 24 square metres really is a liveable space.

"I'm really looking forward to hearing what people think," she said.

"And to talk to people about whether they think they could live here, because it's such a tiny space and not really how most people consider a residence."

Keanu Breeze is open to the public on November 11 and 12 from 10:00am to 2:00pm.

The ABC Perth building will be open on Saturday, November 11 from 9:00am to 3:00pm as part of Open House Perth.

Topics: architecture, design, house-and-home, urban-development-and-planning, perth-6000, fremantle-6160

First posted November 08, 2017 10:00:00