Hidden Assets
Applying big ideas to a small block gives this Melbourne family plenty of room to grow.
Tucked behind a picket fence and a stand of magnolias in Melbourne’s inner north lies a cleverly appointed home in which old and new coexist harmoniously. An easy synergy has been struck between the charming heritage facade and an inspired renovation that perfectly accommodates a young family.
Daylightnowstreamsintothecompactformerworker’scottage; pre-transformation, the only sunny room was the laundry. “It had the best location in the house, as it overlooked the garden – great if you were doing the washing, but that was about it,” says owner Alice, laughing.
She and Brett bought the two-bedroom cottage in 2004, shortly after moving from New Zealand. “We’ve been here ever since,” says Alice. “We love Melbourne, particularly this part of it. We really are very privileged to live where we do.”
The home’s ultra-central location is all the more appealing for its friendly village vibe, something Alice and Ben really appreciate since becoming parents to son Hugo, six, and Manny, three. “We live in such a great community, and I think that’s probably why we have stayed,” says Alice. “We know everyone in the local shops and all of our neighbours. They’ve watched our children grow up.”
Phase one of their renovation, in 2005, involved restumping and rewiring the ageing terrace. A mottled green carpet was replaced by polished-concrete flooring. “That was all we needed to do at the time,” says Alice. “But once I was pregnant with Manny, we realised that we needed more space.”
In late 2015, the couple engaged Antony Martin of MRTN Architects and builders Technique Construction Group, giving them a simple brief. An additional bedroom with ensuite was their original priority, but the budget was later expanded to also allow for a new kitchen.
Antony’s visionary plans turned the conventional terrace renovation on its head. “The standard approach in a lot of these single-fronted terraces is to add an additional bedroom and a bathroom above the living area,” says the architect. “But this often means you end up with a compromised space upstairs, while also detracting from the living space downstairs due to an incorporated staircase. We decided to treat this project in a very different way.”
< Instead, a striking blackbutt-clad parents’ wing was built above the existing garage, connected to the home by a 10m-long brick hallway with sunlit work, play and storage areas.
Given the scale of the renovation, the family moved out for the duration of the works. “We rented for six months, then house-sat and went to visit family in New Zealand,” says Alice. “It wasn’t easy living out of a suitcase with two small children, but it was well worth it when we moved back in.”
In their luminous new kitchen and open-plan living zone, the organic beauty of marble surfaces has been effectively teamed with American oak joinery in a mix of natural and inky hues. And, much to the homeowners’ delight, the house is now visually connected to the leafy garden from many of the rooms. Favourite vintage pieces furnish the interior and cherished artworks endow spaces with personality and drama.
“In a smaller home, every space and every piece of furniture has to work very hard,” says Alice. “All of our furniture has been chosen because we love the look of it and because it wears really well.” > MRTN Architects, Melbourne, Victoria; (03) 9329 4145 or mrtn.
com.au. Technique Construction Group, Box Hill South, Victoria; 0418 337 069 or www.techniqueconstruction.com.au.