North Fitzroy, a neighborhood in Melbourne, Australia, has everything a suburban dweller desires. Characterized by a mix of industrial, Victorian, and Edwardian buildings, its leafy streets are now lined with trendy restaurants and cafes that are within walking distance of the expansive Edinburgh Gardens. But there’s another reason why this area is so popular, especially in the eyes of architect Rebecca Naughtin. “It’s a hotspot for renovations,” she says.

As the director of her namesake architectural firm, Naughtin is accustomed to reenvisioning historic spaces. When she met the two owners of this heritage-style terrace, they were searching for a visionary who could create their forever home in a way that blended the past and present with their distinct personalities.

The couple had already interviewed other architects—those who thought the single-story house needed another level—but Naughtin knew that their ideas wouldn’t serve them. There were already two bedrooms and one bath, which satisfied the owners. So instead of adding rooms they probably would never use, she decided that the best way to renovate this house was to upgrade and streamline what was already there.

Before: Kitchen

“They work full-time and wanted a comfortable home,” she says. “As avid cooks and entertainers, the kitchen, living area, and courtyard were the focus of the design.”

The site itself is a little over 1,700 square feet, with lanes sandwiching it in on three sides. Naughtin opted to keep the front exterior as is, an easy call given its intricate wrought-iron facade, but figuring out the rest was a challenge. What was the best way to picture a small-scale, modern kitchen and living space that would seamlessly transition outside? That's when things took a literal turn: Naughtin decided to enclose the north-facing courtyard with a curved brick wall along the property line, creating ample space for a galley kitchen as well as an eye-catching slant in the midst of many clean lines.

After: Kitchen

“The ‘turn’ celebrates the brick vernacular of Fitzroy North,” Naughtin notes. “And internally, the white bricks curve into the kitchen joinery and help to draw the light down into the space from the double-height glazing.”

This solution opened the property to an additional 430 square feet, which Naughtin used to set the stage for the owners to comfortably cook, bake, and gather loved ones together. They all agreed that the floor plan had to be flexible, where “rooms” were more of a suggestion than an order, but that the kitchen needed to be distinctly functional above all else.

Before: Living Area

After: Living Area

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“The brief for the kitchen was highly detailed. I was handed a spreadsheet with all the kitchen utensils that needed to be accommodated, including appliances I was not so familiar with,” Naughtin remembers. “One owner, for example, is keen on sous-vide cuisine, while the other prefers making chocolates and pastry. So, on one side of the kitchen is stainless steel, while on the other is a long timber bench inset with marble. There's even a separate station for the coffee machine.”

Before: Courtyard

After: Courtyard

She finished the spaces with a neutral black-and-white palette to emphasize an abundance of timber joinery, and illuminated it all in natural light that’s drawn in by the courtyard. It also didn’t escape Naughtin that the site’s surrounding alleyways might attract graffiti artists, so the curved wall is painted black as a durable backdrop. “The black steel windows and doors pay homage to the suburb's industrial history and also complement the original scrollwork of the facade,” she adds.

In the year since this home was renovated, Naughtin is proudest of how it has made the most of its slice of land in one of the city’s most popular neighborhoods. “A great space does not need to be large,” she says. “By focusing on the connection of materials and the flow of space, this project was a huge success in collaboration.”

More Before & After:

A Creative Couple Revive a 1950s Cabin in the Catskills

An Enlivened DC Residence Now Channels California Cool

Project Credits:

Architect of Record: Rebecca Naughtin Architect

Builder: Clancy Constructions

Structural Engineer: Adam Mitchell & Associates

Lighting Design: EST Lighting

Cabinetry Design: Fine Form Joinery

Other: Steel Window Design

Other: Daniel Fuge Architectural Photography