Since late 2018, town planner and lawyer Craig McGaffin has lived and worked in a warehouse on a quiet residential street in Islington.
He loves it, and he can't see himself moving or selling any time soon. The warehouse has a modern, natural, artsy vibe with music-themed decor and plenty of thriving plants.
McGaffin jokes he's turning into a crazy plant man.
He lives in the four-bedroom, three-bathroom warehouse with his three teenage sons. The house also has a living and dining room with a kitchen and a dedicated home office.
There are three courtyards in the main house, the upstairs winter garden, the smaller narrow garden and the downstairs courtyard.
He also has a self-contained unit, with a balcony and internal courtyard, that he rents out as an Airbnb.
"I was drawn to the volume of the space and loved the original finishes as well," he says.
"A lot of it is pretty rough around the edges; that's what I was after."
Before Islington he lived in New Lambton, which was great when his kids were younger, but he wanted to be closer to the city.
He's never lived in a warehouse. Before settling on this one, he'd looked at a few others, but residentially zoned warehouses are few and far between.
It's one of four connected warehouses in Islington, and they're all the same size. Originally, they were distribution warehouses for supermarket chain The Owens, and the warehouses operated from the 1930s-1990s.
All the external walls and floorboards stayed the same, but the roof needed replacing. They made it two storeys and added internal walls. They used matte black laminated plywood, and plenty of louvre windows.
The renovations took just over a year.
"Stu Campbell from CKDS was involved right from the start of the project, even walking through it before I exchanged contracts," McGaffin says.
"In terms of the overall vision, I really wanted to leave a lot of the original fabric of the building and re-purpose it - not try to make it look new and crisp and perfect, but embrace the existing rough edges and character."
I really wanted to leave a lot of the original fabric of the building and re-purpose it.
The warehouse is large, and the brief was demanding. He needed enough space for his sons, but also the self-contained unit. Plus, the challenge of getting light into each room made it a bit like a game of Tetris.
"CKDS did an absolutely tremendous job of making sure every room that was needed is in the design - but nothing is oversized and nothing is undersized," he says.
"Working as a planner I have been involved in a lot of construction projects, but this was completely different to anything I have tackled before."
The architects at CKDS say they intended to create a vibrant comfortable home by retaining as much of the existing structure as possible. They exposed and celebrated the building's history, while introducing light and air into a deep plan. They reduced waste, reused materials and recycled.
CKDS appreciated how this project allowed them to stop a building from falling into neglect. They added layers, while honouring its history.
McGaffin's favourite feature is the double-ceiling height in the living room with his record player and the ethanol burning fire.
"I really love the courtyards too and have completely over-planted them and have climbers everywhere, but they seem to get the perfect amount of light and make an oasis," he says.
"Plus, in the main courtyard, we were extremely lucky to have Mitch Revs paint a mural for us."
The Airbnb has proved popular. Hospitality is a new business for him, but he's enjoying showing off Islington.
"I have set it up as a boutique experience and everyone who stays seems to really appreciate the uniqueness of the space.
"Islington has so much to offer with awesome cafes and restaurants and some of the coolest vintage and boutique shops in Newcastle."
