A Home in a Former Shoe Factory Gets an Overhaul Inspired by a Vintage Cookbook
As coveted as loft living is, converted warehouses donât always make for the best floor plans. Take this former shoe factory in Fitzroy Northâa â90s renovation made it livable, but left some "random geometry" behind, says WOWOWA Architecture.
Through its work, WOWOWA Architecture believes in celebrating Australian cultureâincluding its kitsch and "a love of daffy colloquialisms." The firm says that its "colorful, contextual, and socially sustainable âforever homesâ are for design-savvy professionals who know lifeâs too short for boring spaces."
In 2018, they drew from a unique source of inspirationâa vintage Womenâs Weekly cookbook (the cake special)âto imbue this three-story home with more storage and playful spirit.
The entry foyer at the ground level features a hanging Vibia Wireflow light from KODA and an Ari daybed from Something Beginning With.
The home was gutted in the remodel, and the living spaces were oriented to take better advantage of the existing window plan.
Now, light-toned wood flooring and custom built-in shelving offset surprises elsewhereâsuch as the curving pink upholstery in the living room, a kitchen counter that recalls the swirls of cake batter, and a moody terra-cotta-toned utility corridor.
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A pink, modular Valley sofa sits with a green Kelly ottoman, both from Jardan, in the living room.
Sliding doors crafted from Marblo conceal the television
Rust-colored travertine tiles from Byzantine Design line a bar niche.
The existing brick walls inspired much of the prevailing palette, including reds, pinks, tans, mustards, browns, and copper. In the kitchen, the colors and textures all come together via shiny copper cabinetry, the thick swirl-patterned stone of the island top, and the pink marble backsplash. "The yummy island sitting on circular lolly feet brings joy and love to the familyâs most used space," says the firm.
In the kitchen, a bank of copper-fronted cabinetry joins the pink marble backsplash. The island is set atop a curving pink base that gives it some lightness.
Behind the kitchen, a 26-foot-long utility corridor tucks a bar, sink, pantry, laundry, and drying room out of sight from the main living spaces.
A view of the terra-cotta-colored utility corridor. The copper cabinet pulls are from Auhaus.
The corridor is 26 feet long and hosts a bar, sink, pantry, laundry, and drying room. Pocket doors allow the laundry to be closed off when needed.
A pull-out ironing board is tucked into the cabinetry.
The upstairs master suite has a bank of custom closets trimmed in raspberry Laminex and Split (Doughboy) handles from IN-TERIA Design.
The adjoining bath is outfitted in tumbled pink stone tiles and a gray marble stone tub from Apaiser.
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