The iconic Melburnian townhouse comes with its fair share of mandatories. This newly-refurbished 2-storey home fulfils the most important one: a seamless nexus of liveability, practicality, and modernist style.
This project began with the conversion of a bedroom into a walk-in dressing room, but as discussions with the client continued, we decided the house required a more comprehensive refurbishment. As a result I was commissioned to demolish and redesign the existing kitchen, design a more practical outdoor living space, and refurnish a child’s room, dining room, master bedroom and indoor living space.
I designed the new kitchen using components sourced exclusively from Italy: custom-colour cabinets, stone bench tops and a glass splashback. I also sourced modern appliances directly from local suppliers.
For the living area, we based the room’s design around an existing leather modular. I sourced decorative wallpaper from Germany for the main feature wall and accentuated its visual energy with a fresh coat of paint and newly-installed downlights. I also designed and had custom-made a central 3-ring pendant light with 120 individually-suspended crystals. I added bright white sheer curtains to soften the room and designed a custom 3.5 metre long TV unit to run along the main wall. The unit was built in one piece and was delivered by four handlers.
The client wanted a peaceful, calming feel for the master bedroom, so incorporating the existing bed into the design I began adding a soft metallic paint to all walls but one; the remaining feature wall was wallpapered with a stone-like pattern. I added beautiful sheer silk-lined curtains to reflect the feel of the walls, and the client sourced a crystal chandelier and bedside lamps to add vitality to the space. I sourced a dressing table and recovered two existing tub chairs to match the curtains.
In the newly-converted dressing room, I designed all the cabinets and hanging sections to accommodate the client’s ever-increasing shoe collection.
The child’s bedroom – belonging to the client’s son – required wall-to-wall carpeting, new paint on all walls and furnishings to suit. I added custom-made block out blinds and white sheer curtains to soften the space.
The backyard in its pre-project state was uninviting; my redesign incorporated a paved area and raised seating area, water feature, decorative pressed-metal wall cladding and a selection of drought-resistant low-maintenance succulents. This transformed the space into an appealing practical courtyard area connected openly to the living room by newly-installed bi-fold doors.
Location: Port Melbourne, Melbourne
Photographer: Brad Hill
