Billie Justice Thomson, an Adelaide artist whose work draws heavily from nostalgia flavours, has unveiled her newly renovated apartment for your next vacation.
The apartment is inside the zeitgeisty Ruthven Mansions complex at the corner of Rundle and Pulteney streets. It is now available to rent through Airbnb – perfect timing as Mad March hits Adelaide.

This landmark building paved the way for apartment living in the city when it was built at the turn of the 20th century. This place has been a true game-changer, the complex being one of the first in the city to have electric lighting, automatic doors, and mechanical ventilation.
Billie Justice Thomson is an artist-illustrator from Adelaide, South Australia. The daughter of singer Tubby Justice and author Mark Thomson, she was born into a world full of culture and colour.

Billie produces work for exhibitions across the country, including at Melbourne’s Modern Times gallery in Fitzroy. She also does private commissions and commercial work for companies big and small, including Lucia’s Fine Foods.
The State Government snapped up the building in the 1950s, now under new ownership, the building got a much-needed facelift and was restored close to its original state.

Finding an apartment for sale inside the building was a stroke of luck for Billie who has daydreamed about the building.
“It seemed like a bit of a dream when I saw the apartment for sale, so I jumped on it,” Billie says.
Once Billie got the keys, she got to work. Along with an army of family, friends, and tradespeople, she spent about four months replacing most things in the rustic building, from the worn-out carpet to the storage, she even added a new kitchen.

“It was already a beautiful old building with north-facing windows and a beautiful little balcony overlooking Scot’s Church, so the bones of it were already so perfect all we had to do was clean it up and make it fresh,” Billie says.
The spacious single-bedroom apartment boasts incredible features such as impressively high ceilings, a north-facing bay window and a small balcony.
The bedroom has a large queen-size Koala bed overlooking a small private balcony with views out towards the picturesque Adelaide Hills, the perfect view to wake up to every morning.

“I wanted to create something relaxed yet luxurious and something that was a retreat but was also an interesting place to stay in,” Billie says.
“If you’ve been out all day in McLaren Vale or seeing shows on a Sunday in the Garden of Unearthly Delights, you can come back and put your feet up and feel like you’re staying in my apartment.”
Keeping with the unique theme of the apartment, Billie curated rooms with South Australian-made ceramics, furniture, paintings, and sculpture.
This includes a sculpture from Amber Cronin, artwork from Pia Gynell-Jorgensen, a painting by Henry Jock Walker and ceramics and lighting by Jam Factory.

“The art scene here can be a little insular in Adelaide, so I wanted to give these artists a chance to break out of the Adelaide bubble,” Billie says.
“I often get asked where to stay when people visit Adelaide, and I’m stumped because we don’t have somewhere that gives visitors that magical experience.
“I saw this opportunity to make a space championing South Australian artists, makers, and the city itself because it’s ideally located to explore Adelaide.
Only a short 3-minute walk from the spectacular nightlife of the Fringe Festival and an hour’s drive to McLaren Vale and a 45-minute road trip to the Adelaide Hills, the 21 Pulteney Street apartment is the perfect inner-city escape.
For more information and to book your stay at the ‘Mini Mansion’, click here.
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