Classic Curves

Divested of its constricting layout, a 19th-century Victorian home comes full circle.

This magnificent two-storey home in Melbourne’s north is steeped in history. Built in 1886, the house remained in the same family until its current owner, Elizabeth Wilmott, bought it in 2005. Design-wise, it’s a melting pot of Victorian, Art Deco, Mid-Century and modern elements – something Elizabeth, who lives here with her partner Takis Scordas and 17-year-old son Joey, is passionate about. “It took a while to find the right architect, someone who wouldn’t turn their back on its layered past,” she says. That person was Fiona Dunin of FMD Architects.

The front of the house – with separate but connected formal and informal living rooms on the ground floor, and two bedrooms, a study and family bathroom on the first floor – was stylish and jam-packed with character. But an ad-hoc lean-to at the rear, accommodating the kitchen and laundry, completely disconnected the living spaces from the large north-facing backyard. “It also blocked a lot of light from entering the core of the home,” says Fiona.

Her solution was to demolish the existing lean-to and replace it with a single-storey timber and glass extension, which contains the kitchen/dining area, a laundry and an additional bathroom, with a private terrace on the roof. “The design was inspired by Victorian women’s fashion,” says Fiona. “Seen from the street – the original structure and extension as a whole – the house evokes a formal dress with a bustle at the back.” A ribbon-like picket fence, winding its way along the boundary line, adds to the couture effect.

The materials are considerably more robust than the satin and lace used in Victorian dressmaking, however. The kitchen’s island bench, for instance, is made from concrete and faced with terracotta tiles. There’s also a built-in timber shelf for cookbooks, artwork and pottery. Equally sturdy is the dining table, a late 19th-century piece that – coincidentally – was once a dressmaker’s, used for cutting fabric and laying out patterns.

The garden, designed by Jo Ferguson, features curvaceous, ruffle-inspired walls by Elizabeth’s brother, stonemason Andrew Wilmott. It is lushly planted with a thoughtful mixture of waterwise plants, plus pencil pines and Syzygium ‘Pinnacle’ along the boundary, which will eventually screen out the neighbouring property. The centrepiece is a lovely old apricot tree, which is heavy with fruit from November.

In the 1930s, the then-owners modernised the house by installing a bathroom on the first floor – with an on-trend all-green colour scheme, right down to the pedestal basin and embossed mirror with whimsical sailboat motif. “You can just imagine how excited the family would have been when their new bathroom was finished,” says Elizabeth. Today, it’s Fiona’s renovation that evokes that feeling of excitement in its owners. “The house always had great bones,” says Elizabeth. “And now it’s also beautifully dressed.” FMD Architects, Melbourne, Victoria; (03) 9670 9671 or fmdarchitects.com.au.