Stable Influence
Once quarters for horses, this Melbourne home is now a contemporary stayer.
Built to house a gentleman’s horses, this property in Melbourne is now having a run as a sophisticated family home.
Tucked away at the end of a whisper-quiet cul-de-sac in Melbourne’s south-east, this sprawling 1920s property impressed its owners from the start. Seduced by the triple-brick home’s generous proportions and secluded site, the new owners were undaunted by the significant update they’d signed up for after one inspection. The couple, who have three school-age daughters, always had faith that the home’s rabbit warren of dark and dated rooms could one day be opened up to reveal a light and alluring living space.
“It had great bones and we could see the potential immediately,” says the owner. “There was talk that the house was once the stables and/or maids’ quarters for a mansion down the road,” she adds. “At one time, much later, it was converted into four apartments, and then back into a five-bedroom house by the time we bought it about 10 years ago. We always felt that this was the home for our growing family and were willing to wait until the time was right for the work to be done.”
After many years of living in the home as it was, the couple finalised their wish list and handed over the creative reins to husband-and-wife team Kathryn Robson and Chris Rak of awardwinning design practice Robson Rak. For all concerned, it proved to be a match made in renovation heaven. “There is such depth and longevity to Kathryn and Chris’ work,” says the owner. “They’re also both really calm and approachable; we all just clicked from the moment we met.”
Zeroing in on the home’s strengths and potential, architect Kathryn enlarged the opening between the formal sitting and dining rooms to make one, airier space, and extended the house on the northern boundary to create a walk-in pantry, a laundry and a powder room. Elegant steel-framed doors and windows
were installed to flood the home with daylight, and a new skylight punctures the panelled ceiling near the kitchen island. “The old window openings were very small and in the wrong spots, which made the house feel dark and cold,” says Kathryn. “It was important to bring in as much light as possible.”
Upstairs in the children’s zone, an additional bathroom and extra linen storage have improved the home’s functionality. “It was about redesigning the floor plan and reallocating the spaces without expanding the home’s footprint too much,” says Kathryn.
A study in timeless style, the restrained base palette of natural white on most of the walls allows the home’s timber, steel and stone to take centre stage. “We’ve used a select amount of natural materials, as well as some robust materials suitable for their active family,” says interior architect Chris. “For example, the benchtops are porcelain, which you don’t need to worry about, while we splurged on Concordia marble in low-traffic areas.”
Outside, the home is flanked by greenery on all sides, and there’s a generous stretch of lawn at the back. Landscape architect Mira Martinazzo of Mud Office incorporated existing hydrangea, wisteria and gardenia plants with new catalpa, crepe myrtle and magnolia trees for a fragrant garden layered with colour and texture. “There’s a real indoor-outdoor sense to the house now, which was very important to the family,” says Chris.
Despite being furnished with beautiful artworks and sculptural pieces, the home is very warm and welcoming. “We love having our children’s friends around and they’re here a lot,” says the owner. “This is a drop-in home and that’s the way we like it. To us, it’s the feeling of the house that gives it warmth and prevents it from seeming precious. We really feel that we are home.” Robson Rak Architecture & Interiors, St Kilda, Victoria;
(03) 9079 1860 or robsonrak.com.au. Mud Office Landscape Design, Clifton Hill, Victoria; 0412 534 987 or mudoffice.com.