A Historic Melbourne Home Is Respectfully Modernized For a Young Family
After a thoughtful remodel, Australian firm Tom Robertson Architects has transformed this heritage home into a bright and modern dwelling for a couple with two young children. Measuring at 1,938 square feet, the house features a large open-plan living area, a private roof terrace, along with a quaint study, and three bedrooms.
Despite the rear facade's contemporary design, the heritage details on the front of the house were retained and restored.
While the original vision of the renovation was to create an eclectic industrial aesthetic, the architects became inspired by the interesting historical character of the property and switched their focus to a much more calm and restrained design.
Robertson restored the existing rooms in the front of the original house, and redesigned the back of the home to have a much more modern, indoor/outdoor living experience.
"This was more respectful of the beautiful heritage house," explains Robertson. Though the overall design concept is clearly contemporary, elements such as recycled bricks and restored stucco arches connect the redesign to the original fabric of the historic home.
The upper section of the façade is clad in timber, and features large steel-framed windows that extend slightly beyond the siding.
A look at one of the restored stucco arches along the ceiling of the hallway.
"One of the most interesting features is the glazed floor above the master corridor that allows a flood of light to penetrate into the kitchen zone," says Robertson.
Most of the furniture items were sourced from Melbourne furniture retailer Luke Furniture.
Washed oak joinery and textured tiles add warmth to the space, providing a soft contrast to the crisp concrete and brick.
Shop the Look
A simple color palette of gray, white, and brown gives the home a sleek, Scandinavian-inspired vibe.
Hard materials such as polished concrete were used for the interior floors and bench-tops. The interior brick walls were all painted white.
To avoid a dark, claustrophobic feel, Robertson introduced a skylight to open up and brighten the interiors.
The bedroom on the upper level features a strategically placed window that frames vistas of the mountains and beyond.
The upper level includes an open study area, as well as a private master bedroom.
Sliding glass doors next to a freestanding bath provide visual connectivity to the outdoors.
A new bathroom is located just before a step down to the living areas.
On the roof terrace is a casual chair and planter, which helps make this space a lovely spot to relax and soak up the Australian sunshine.
A sectional drawing.
The ground-level plan.
The loft-level plan.
Project Credits:
Architecture and interior design: Tom Robertson Architects
Builder: 2iC Construction
Photography: Lillie Thompson
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