Style And Grace Blending heritage and modern looks effortless at this Melbourne home.

A Victorian home with plenty of character but lacking “contemporary comforts” received a makeover that delivers the best of both worlds.

Ahigh fence around a home always elicits curiosity in passers-by. Should you peep over the high brick fence at this circa-1888 abode in Melbourne’s inner south-east, you’ll find a lushly planted garden – but no further clues as to what lies beyond. Step through the gate and walk up the garden path, however, and a charming Italianate villa is revealed. But that’s not the only surprise in store.

Built on an 880m2 block – unusually large for the inner city – the house was in virtually original condition apart from the kitchen/living area, which had been renovated in the 1980s and felt out of step with the rest of the home.

Kathy and her husband JP admit that when they bought the house in 2005, they weren’t exactly sure what could or should be done to transform it into the family home they’d dreamt of for themselves and their three children, Harper, Milla and Cuba, all now teenagers. They lived in the house as it was for a decade before engaging their heritage-architect friend Roger Beeston, director of RBA Architects+Conservation Consultants, in 2015, to sensitively modernise the home. “It got to the point where it was now or never,” says JP.

The couple were keen to restore some of the period features, open up the layout and draw more light into the home. The 1980s kitchen/ living area was the first thing to go, replaced by a pavilion-like communal space comprising a contemporary kitchen/dining zone, separate but connected living room, scullery and laundry. At the front of the property, the beautifully restored villa contains four bedrooms (the main with ensuite), sitting room and family bathroom arranged around a 2.5m-wide hallway. In the backyard, a two-bedroom granny flat was demolished; a swimming pool and freestanding pool house now stand in its place.

One of the biggest challenges when renovating a heritage home is harmoniously combining the past with the present. To allow both periods to ‘breathe’, Roger limited the materials palette and compartmentalised, rather than blended, them. For instance, Baltic pine, used for the flooring in the original part of the home, makes way for concrete in the new; likewise, rendered walls transition to oak lining boards, which are complemented by oak joinery and generous glazing, allowing the

home’s exterior brick walls to be appreciated from the kitchen and living areas. “We didn’t want to replicate the past so it was important to create clear separation between the two parts of the home,” he says.

Interior designers Taimi Sanders and Elissa King of Sanders & King collaborated with Roger to restore and refresh the existing interior and help give the home that all-important comfortable, luxurious yet laidback ambience. “All of the original Victorian features, right down to the floorboards, were retained to give the home a sense of history and integrity,” says Elissa. A new whitewash finish on the floors and a soft, clay-toned neutral (Dulux Ghosting) on the refurbished plaster walls create a contemporary feel.

The soft-neutral palette continues into the extension, which is accessed via a pair of steel-framed glass doors off the main hall. Concrete and marble are teamed with American oak panelling and leather accents for warmth. Informality abounds: the dining setting in the open-plan living area serves for both family breakfasts and for entertaining friends and family. A built-in sofa provides extra seating for guests plus a great spot to relax and chat with the cook.

Kathy and JP say they couldn’t be happier with the final result. It might have taken 10 years to take the plunge, but what they have achieved – a wonderfully spacious home that feels contemporary yet honours its past – is a dream come true.

‘SINCE THE RENOVATION, WE DON’ T FEEL THE NEED TOGO ON HOLIDAYS AS MUCH. WE JUST LOVE BEING AT HOME .’ JP, owner

RBA Architects+Conservations Consultants, St Kilda, Victoria; (03) 9525 5666 or www.rbaarchitects.com.au. Sanders & King,

Melbourne, Victoria; www.sandersandking.com.au.

KITCHEN/DINING & LIVING The kitchen was designed as the focal point of the home for owners Kathy and JP, pictured with their Hungarian viszla Toto. Concrete benchtops, Rutso Concrete. Brass fascia (kitchen island), Bronzeworks. Steel doors, Skyrange. Joinery, Markaren & Sons Cabinet Makers. Concrete floors. Garden by Sophie McLean Landscape Design.

DINING This page and opposite Floor-to-ceiling glazing has created wonderful sight lines through the home. Lowe dining table, Hub Furniture. Gubi ‘Beetle’ chairs, Another Country stool, Luke Furniture. Bestlite wall lights, available from Cult. Leather upholstery (bench seat), Camm Upholstery. Oak lining boards, Eco Timbers. Concrete benchtop, Rutso Concrete. Prints by Matisse (right) and unknown artist (above). Montur M wall light (exterior), Inlite.

KITCHEN Kathy and JP with their children Cuba (left) and Milla. Miele dishwasher. A scullery is located behind the wall of black joinery. Island bench is concrete; wall-side bench is stainless steel. Artwork by Sophie Westerman. LIVING/DECK Textural soft furnishings create a warm, comforting ambience. Curtains in Roylston House ‘Glow’ linen, made by Barlow & Hunt. Bell wall light, Pierre+Charlotte. Cross Hatch chair, Living Edge. Stack2 stool, JamFactory. Edge coffee table, Poliform. Danskia rug and Moroso ‘Gentry’ sofa, both Hub Furniture. Custom outdoor dining table with Massproductions ‘Tio’ chairs from Luke Furniture.