Dairy Delight Soaring ceilings and ‘cheated’ space make this diminutive Melbourne home simply splendid.

Once a humble cottage for workers at an urban dairy, this Melbourne home has been recast as a glamorous abode for a party of three.

Owner Jared Byass was well settled in this inner-Melbourne home by the time he began renovating. He bought the worker’s cottage in 2010, living in it as it was for seven years. During that time he honed his skills as a propertydeveloper,compilingahotlistofcontacts on the way. In 2017, he and his partner Meera Sudra were ready to begin their own project, engaging Steven Whiting of Whiting Architects. “We loved Steven’s aesthetic,” says Jared. “And since Whiting Architects does interior design as well, we trusted that they would deliver a whole package that was really something special.”

The circa-1900 single-fronted cottage is one of a row of 10 built to house workers from a nearby dairy. While it had been the perfect first home for Jared, it needed to offer a lot more once MeeraanddogRoywereonthescene.“Thesmall terrace needed to become more functional for a young couple with a big dog,” says Steven. “As space was limited both physically and visually, we focused on creating a well-crafted space.”

The couple moved out during the eight-month build, leaving the new design to take shape on the 96m2 site. While two bedrooms at the front were retained, the entire rear of the house, featuring add-ons of various vintages, was demolished and rebuilt by Latrobe Building Service. Meera admits the size of the concrete slabhadherworriedthehousewouldbetoosmall. But she soon realised she needn’t have feared: ample ceiling heights (3.8m in the living area) maketheinternalvolumefeelmorethangenerous.

Simplified colour and materials palettes also help visually maximise the space. The walls are painted a cool, fresh white, and a concrete-style surface called X-bond features in the kitchen

and bathroom. Texture was chosen over colour, as seen behind the basin in the bathroom (painted MDF routed to look like tiles) and in the dining room, which is painted in Bauwerk Colour Lime Paint. Soft furnishings in leather and other natural fabrics provide even more tactility.

Space to entertain was always a priority and, despite only having 30m2 to include the kitchen, living, dining and laundry areas, the architects employed various techniques to deliver more standing room. One of them was keeping the furniture light-coloured and low, another was installing a metal-framed window seat jutting out into the tiny rear courtyard, which cheated space without impacting the internal footprint. From here, all eyes are drawn out to the amazing greenwall by Vertical Gardens Australia, a vision of lush green loveliness.

When the weather is fine, Jared and Meera take their guests up to the roof terrace to take in the city views. This is a large open space designed by Jack Merlo, who often works with Jared on developments. Jack specified pot plants that can withstand the sun throughout summer, and they put in a pet door so that Roy can access the terrace at any time.

Jared’s favourite spot to relax is the sofa or window seat, with the fire going in winter. Now that the reno is finished, he hastimetoconsiderjusthowmuchthey’ve achieved. “Looking back, I struggle to believe we lived in the house in its previous state,” he says. “It’s unrecognisable.” Whiting Architects, Albert Park, Victoria; whitingarchitects.com.

Latrobe Building Service, Canterbury, Victoria; lbs1.com.au. Vertical Gardens Australia, Richmond, Victoria; verticalgardensaustralia.com.au.

Jack Merlo, South Yarra, Victoria; jackmerlo.com.

‘WE HAD 30 M² FOR THE KITCHEN AND

LIVING AREAS. DOING A LOT WITH A LITTLE WAS THE CHALLENGE.’ Steven Whiting, architect