Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: From Period Mash-Up to Modern Victorian Home
The thoughtful use of materials knits together the modern and the historical in this graceful Melbourne home
When Kirsten Johnstone of Eco Edge Architecture + Interior Design was approached to rework this late-Victorian style home, she could see some tricky challenges ahead. “The heritage overlay on the property demanded a planning permit for any new works,” she says. But new works were definitely needed. “The facade of the house was modified during the inter-war period with some creative California bungalow features, and then a later 1970s-style rear addition of inferior quality,” she says. Overall, the house was in need of significant love and attention.
With her clients’ request for tactility and a family home that would take them through the ages top-of-mind, Johnstone carefully blended a modern, efficient extension into the original Victorian-era front of the house, and restored many of the home’s original period features. The result is a home that both cossets its occupants and opens itself up to the elements, in the style of a modern Australian abode. It was a brief the architect calls “a residential project with the lot”.
With her clients’ request for tactility and a family home that would take them through the ages top-of-mind, Johnstone carefully blended a modern, efficient extension into the original Victorian-era front of the house, and restored many of the home’s original period features. The result is a home that both cossets its occupants and opens itself up to the elements, in the style of a modern Australian abode. It was a brief the architect calls “a residential project with the lot”.
The serene master bedroom is housed within the protruded form overlooking the front yard and features the original marble fireplace. A blue hue was chosen from the marble veining to inform the wall colour and ensure a restful space. A new opening leads to a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite.
Carpet: Supertuft
Carpet: Supertuft
Four-metre-high ceilings in the master ensuite allowed the use of 3 x 1 metre porcelain tiles, with a generous double walk-in shower, freestanding bath and a one-way glass window wall.
Porcelain wall tiles: Signorino
Tile Gallery
Porcelain wall tiles: Signorino
Tile Gallery
The front sitting room, to the right of the entrance, has been transformed into an area family members can retreat to for quieter pursuits. The restored original mantelpiece and surround house a new gas fire.
The family bathroom traverses the old and new areas of the home, which is also marked by a step up in floor level and a change from timber flooring to concrete.
Here, the shower alcove wall was inspired by the idea of light flooding and cascading down waterfall-coloured penny rounds. A shade of blue was picked out from the mosaic tiles and applied to the vanity joinery, with further storage behind the mirror above. Discreet pull-out bins have been included in all of the vanity units.
Floor and wall tiles: Academy Tiles
Here, the shower alcove wall was inspired by the idea of light flooding and cascading down waterfall-coloured penny rounds. A shade of blue was picked out from the mosaic tiles and applied to the vanity joinery, with further storage behind the mirror above. Discreet pull-out bins have been included in all of the vanity units.
Floor and wall tiles: Academy Tiles
The study, in the new extension, was conceived in a dark hue in order to deliberately reduce eye strain. Black finishes include walls, carpet, blinds, file drawer storage under the window seat and a built-in desk. The pop of green and cantilevered timber shelf echoes the courtyard plantings behind.
Fabric on bench seat: Ink + Spindle
Fabric on bench seat: Ink + Spindle
Opposite the study, behind a secret door, is the light-filled powder room, which features a cantilevered vanity with concealed storage drawer.
The secret door is inset into the ‘Mink Grey’ American-oak floorboards from Royal Oak Floors, which feature as both the flooring in the entry area and along the main spine of the rear addition. The wall disguises plentiful storage while being a unifying feature between old and new.
Concrete floors, with in-slab hydronic heating, and a bluestone hearth with Japanese tiles provide a warm tactility to the design.
Concrete floors, with in-slab hydronic heating, and a bluestone hearth with Japanese tiles provide a warm tactility to the design.
Behind this is another wing of the house which holds two bedrooms and a kids’ TV room, with a window that overlooks the pool.
In one of the children’s bedrooms there is an upholstered window seat, perfect for afternoon reading. The seat includes storage drawers below, and seamlessly transitions into a desk with overhead cupboards. Floor-to-ceiling built-in robes include double-height hanging, drawers, shoe storage and shelves, ensuring a place for everything… this is the house of storage.
In the dining area, oversized charcoal pendant lights, with a bold use of subtle texture and a matt versus gloss finish, create a high level of interest without any obvious ‘wow’ factor. The kitchen is streamlined, with an island bench facing the dining area. There is a workstation area tucked behind a nib wall, and a laundry with side door access to the northern yard for clothes drying.
Due to the fact the footprint extends out to the boundary and has height restrictions, this area of the house has lower ceilings. The kitchen’s white-on-white design is a deliberate move to pare back this ‘working’ area, and was intended to create a contrast to the colour and texture in the rest of the house. “It’s almost a respite area,” Johnstone says. “I didn’t want to make this area busy with colour, but keep it light and bright to minimise the impact of the lower ceilings.”
Behind the kitchen is a laundry (not shown).
Two-pack polyurethane cabinetry in ‘Whisper White’: Dulux; benchtops: Stone Italiana
Due to the fact the footprint extends out to the boundary and has height restrictions, this area of the house has lower ceilings. The kitchen’s white-on-white design is a deliberate move to pare back this ‘working’ area, and was intended to create a contrast to the colour and texture in the rest of the house. “It’s almost a respite area,” Johnstone says. “I didn’t want to make this area busy with colour, but keep it light and bright to minimise the impact of the lower ceilings.”
Behind the kitchen is a laundry (not shown).
Two-pack polyurethane cabinetry in ‘Whisper White’: Dulux; benchtops: Stone Italiana
Japanese tiles clad the fireplace, with black gloss shelving against a matt wall.
The couple’s brief to Johnstone included creating a warm and tactile family home that would adapt to the family’s changing needs over time. To achieve this, she introduced a rich colour palette to the Victorian section of the home, giving its high ceilings and generous proportions a modern depth and mood. She then incorporated tactile finishes throughout to unify the old and new components of the project.
Here, grey-toned two-pack polyurethane painted cabinetry highlights the lush greenery of the courtyard.
Interior paint colours include ‘Vipere’ (front sitting room), ‘Calandre’ (front entry and hall), ‘Bouyant’ (master bedroom and WIR), ‘Tranquil Retreat’ (ensuite), ‘Whisper White’ (ceilings and trims), ‘Tristan’ (dining area), ‘Monsieur’ (bathroom), ‘Domino’ (study) and ‘Bold Irish’ (feature paint finish to overhead cupboards in study): Dulux
Here, grey-toned two-pack polyurethane painted cabinetry highlights the lush greenery of the courtyard.
Interior paint colours include ‘Vipere’ (front sitting room), ‘Calandre’ (front entry and hall), ‘Bouyant’ (master bedroom and WIR), ‘Tranquil Retreat’ (ensuite), ‘Whisper White’ (ceilings and trims), ‘Tristan’ (dining area), ‘Monsieur’ (bathroom), ‘Domino’ (study) and ‘Bold Irish’ (feature paint finish to overhead cupboards in study): Dulux
In the extension, high-level operable louvre windows permit natural ventilation control, motorised roller blinds enable interaction with Melbourne’s changeable weather conditions, and the use of black serves to define beautiful views and elements. Bluestone paving frames the lawn and pool. The extension features Lysaght Klip-Lok metal roof sheeting, brick veneer with rendered finish and James Hardie’s Scyon Axon wall cladding to high-level fascia and eaves overhang.
Exterior paint colours include ‘Guild Grey’, ‘Domino’, ‘Hat Stand’ and ‘Simone Weil’: Dulux
Exterior paint colours include ‘Guild Grey’, ‘Domino’, ‘Hat Stand’ and ‘Simone Weil’: Dulux
The textured wall beyond the backyard conceals the three-car garage, which is accessed from the rear laneway.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple, their two children and dog
Location: Camberwell, Victoria
Size: 373 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms
Architect: Eco Edge Architecture + Interior Design
Year completed: 2016
Awards: The project was a finalist in the 2017 Dulux Colour Awards in the Single Residential Exterior and Single Residential Interior categories
Although this home is situated on one of Camberwell’s most sought-after streets, full of well-maintained period homes, it was essentially a mash-up: a Victorian-style house with some ‘creative’ California bungalow features and, to top it off, a low-quality 1970s-style addition at the rear. The owners wanted to reinstate the Victorian period features to the original footprint, and replace all the later additions with a modern, efficient rear extension. In short, a complete transformation.
That began with exterior block weatherboard cladding to the front facade, along with timber double-hung windows with Victorian mouldings and trims, Victorian period-style metal fretwork and columns, a new slate roof, and metal sheeting added to a new verandah.
Front exterior painted in ‘Flooded Gum’, ‘Mt Eden’, ‘Lexicon’ and ‘Silkwort’: Dulux