Mr Neve plans to restore the historic premises at 5 Hanbury Street to use as a shopfront for his interior design business downstairs and as a residence on the upper level.

In recent years the building had gone into visible decline.

But that did not discourage Mr Neve from securing the 408 square metre property for $650,000 when it hit the market in March.

The interior designer, who has his own range of furniture and textiles, is documenting the process on his Instagram profile @timneve

"I've been calling it a renovation project online but it's also a restoration project," Mr Neve said.

"Every window in the building has been damaged in some way, shape, or form and even though it's not heritage-listed, I will still be paying respects to the age of the building."

He knows he has his work cut out for him.

The previous owner bought the warehouse in 2014 with ambitions to renovate the property and convert it into modern share house accommodation for young professionals with seven bedrooms, two bathrooms and open-plan living areas.

However, escalating building costs and the overwhelming size of the project led him to list the property for sale.

A major storm in 2015 tore the roof off the building, which has been replaced with a new one, and since then the building had remained vacant as a "fixer-upper".

Inside had been gutted almost entirely, with flooring in some parts while others were completely bare down to the ground.

"I always knew it was going to be a big one but all I could see was potential," Mr Neve said.

"It kind of didn't phase me because when you start renovating, the first thing you do is tear things apart to see what you're working with and that part had already been done for me.

"I'm so excited to refresh the spaces so they can live on as they have always operated."

He has titled the project Hipwell Haus as a homage to the original creator, storekeeper R.W. Hipwell whose name is featured on the building's 1926 facade.

Mr Hipwell operated a general store at the site for many years.

The building has a colourful history including housing a Holocaust survivor's tailor shop in the 1960s and a police raid in 2009.

"I put a post on [Facebook group] Lost Newcastle hunting for the history of the building," he said.

"Members of the group came back to me with photos from that era when the roof was blown off all over the streets of Mayfield, so people have a lot of memories with this building."

The bones of the building include open plan spaces, soaring high ceilings and large window openings, giving him plenty of scope to work with internally.

The first glimpse of the project came with the release of his first video chronicle, A Blank Canvas, posted on Instagram last month.

Episode two, Layering the Palette, has just been released on social media and follows the initial inspiration and selections as part of the design process.

He plans to mix the existing industrial features of the building, such as exposed brick, with his signature style of interiors featuring evocative colour schemes and textured materials.

"The more choices I make, I realise how 1920s and Art Deco they are," he said.

"Even though it won't be a period piece, all those kinds of elements are there like the geometric patterns, warm colours and warm metals from that era.

"It is subconsciously seeping into my design."

The series will feature other local businesses and products as they are used in the renovation.

As for when the project will be completed, Mr Neve said time will tell.

"It's an ever-evolving process," he said.

"I'm not blind to how long this process could take because there is so much work and to, and I want to get it right.

"This is my fifth property in six years and a lot of the others have basically been a flip renovation but this one is really a forever home.

"I don't want to say it's going to take 10 years, but even if it did, that would be fine because I'm ready to set aside that time for this building."

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