Modern Love
A Mid-Century home in Melbourne gets its groove back.
Alex, the owner of this home, “loves a project” so when he happened upon an uninhabited Mid-Century gem in a bayside suburb of Melbourne, he felt a considerable degree of excitement. Hidden behind overgrown shrubs at the end of a cul-de-sac, it had escaped the notice of other renovators. He tracked down the owner and secured a sale. Alex and his wife Alina had worked with interior designer Chelsea Hing on a previous abode, and she was the first person the couple called once the sale was settled. “The house hadn’t been touched since it was built in the 1960s,” says Chelsea. “It was drab and dark. There was brown floral wallpaper throughout the kitchen and living spaces; joinery interrupted the flow of the layout and limited views through the house.”
Designed by Walter P Pollock, the single-level home had plenty of natural light, so the priority was to improve the flow and update the interior to suit the family, which includes two young boys.
“THE RESTRAINED PALETTE ALLOWED FOR MORE COLOUR AND FUN IN THE FURNISHINGS .” Chelsea Hing, interior designer
“We retained the existing footprint and kept the original doors and windows wherever possible,” says Chelsea of the makeover. Elements that no longer served any purpose were removed, such as joinery that wrapped around the perimeter of the glass-walled internal courtyard and obstructed sightlines through the home. “One of the assets of a house like this is that you can look through it. That is rare nowadays – we tend to live looking out,” she adds.
Inspiration for the makeover came “straight out of the Palm Springs playbook”, says Chelsea. “We wanted to rejuvenate the home – to liberate it. The same fresh white paint, Resene Alabaster, is used inside and out for unity. The restrained palette allowed for more colour and fun in the furnishings too.”
Stepping through the front door of the L-shaped home, the first sight is the glass-walled internal courtyard. It’s undeniably the heart of the home, both physically and figuratively; the owners say bringing it to life was the most satisfying part of the renovation. A stacked-stone wall on the far side of the courtyard is a wonderfully organic element and an anchor point for the spaces that surround it. Communal areas – the kitchen, dining zone and two living rooms – wrap around the courtyard. A children’s retreat, study, five bedrooms and two bathrooms occupy the long length of the home.
A new garage and in-ground pool were the biggest changes to the property, however Chelsea says the simpler remedial measures delivered the most impact. The kitchen was reoriented to look into the courtyard and a new built-in dining nook added. “Reinvigorating the kitchen and meals area has really transformed the house,” she says. In addition, removing doors and lowering thresholds helped to make the house feel more generous and connected. “The ceiling heights were relatively low, so it was important to lift the eye up wherever possible,” she adds.
While most of the project was straightforward, it was not without hurdles. For example, the original terrazzo flooring had to go because some walls were moved. “I still think about this a lot,” says Chelsea, “but marrying new terrazzo with old was going to be such a painstaking job that we decided to go with timber throughout.”
Chelsea is still adding the finishing layers to the home, rethinking some of the smaller spaces and working on improving the sun control. What does not need improvement, however, is the abode’s seamless blend of old and new – the standout contemporary features beautifully complement the integrity of the original design.