When clients approached the Melbourne–based firm StudioFour, led by directors Annabelle Berryman and Sarah Henry, to remodel their 1978 home in Malvern, they did not want to erase its past. Instead, being of Danish heritage, they asked the firm for a makeover that would highlight the home’s architectural character and provide a hygge-infused sanctuary for their family of five. The redesign revolves around a streamlined palette of charcoal brick and light oak, with large expanses of glass connecting inside to out, and nostalgic touches that leave the home’s soul intact.

Before: Exterior

After: Exterior

To say the original house was overly decorated is an understatement. “The house was originally comprised of brown brick with small windows, dark interior spaces, and walls covered in superfluous decoration,” says Berryman. “A different wallpaper was used in each respective room; some papers were highly patterned with gold gilt, and some with an embossed floral design. No room was spared from excess embellishment.”

That decoration ultimately detracted from the home’s good architectural bones. “Whilst the house was of solid build, the interiors felt lightweight and did not flow,” says Berryman. “They were dark and compartmentalized, and had little to no aspect or connection with the garden."

In order to “return the house to its essence of form,” the firm first emphasized the horizontality of the existing home. They did so by adding an oversized eave at the front of the house, yet maintained a perforation at the roof grade to allow light to pass through to an entry courtyard and illuminate the interior. The opening lets trees grow unobstructed, providing a connection to nature, which was important to the clients.

Before: Entry

After: Entry

The firm also kept the brown brick, transforming it with a darker hue matched to Porter’s Paints “River Stone,” as the brick was a key material choice in the original design. “Our aim was always to provide a cost-effective build by working with the existing structure and pattern language of the house,” says Berryman. “Being a brick house externally, this key building material informed our design.”

The dark exterior brick was carried inside for continuity. Paired with light oak, the two materials form a subdued interior palette that places emphasis on the house’s strong lines. “Having this design language established our next challenge: to limit the vast plasterboard ceilings and create additional texture through the inclusion of an oak-battened ceiling,” says Berryman. “This provided a contrast, softness, and warmth that was not achievable through use of the brick alone. The synergy achieved between materiality of the brick and timber led to a blurring of boundaries between inside and out, and a strong holistic design full of hygge.”

Before: Interior Entry

After: Interior Entry

Before: Living Room

After: Living Room

Throughout the remodel, it was important to the client to maintain references to the original home in the new design, in order to impart authenticity and soul. “In fact, in our clients’ eyes, the value of this renovation lies not just in its function and the shelter it provides, but because we have been able to repurpose an existing home and conserve the heart and soul of the forgotten,” says Berryman.