Architect | Robson Rak Achitects |
Location | Melbourne, Australia |
Photographs | Shannon McGrath |
Located in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of South Yarra, this grand Victorian house has been meticulously transformed into a tranquil and elegant family home. A thoroughly modern renovation and addition brings this grand old lady up to modern standards, whilst still retaining and embracing the vast Victorian proportions in both old and new aspects of this home.
Keen to preserve the Victorian charm and personality, Robson Rak Architects welcomed the opportunity to create a contemporary new chapter for the charming double-brick beauty. Retaining many of the original heritage features, they have established a cohesive narrative between the old and the new. The resulting space is a perfect balance of period charm and contemporary elegance.
This existing Victorian home had exceptional detailing and the scale of the existing rooms was strikingly grand. The new kitchen designed aimed to replicate this feeling of grandeur through the generous proportions of the space, yet with a pared-back modern palette and detailing.
Materials used were selected for their authenticity; such as the limestone flooring laid in a traditional ashlar pattern. Steel windows and doors further highlight the robust selection of materials to create spaces with integrity and value. Proportion and natural light played a huge part in this success.
The project aims to simplify the design palette and instead use texture and tone to create depth and interest. All materials were selected for their natural qualities, robust nature, and textural appearance. Further texture was created as an additional layer of interest through parallel grooves routed into kitchen joinery, pairing this with the pale organic patterns of the limestone.
All spaces were created around the connection with the landscaped gardens adjacent to all living zones. Zones within rooms were designed to bring together yet separate family; such as the centrally placed open wood fire in the living room.
This house is truly innovative to the occupants as it’s been designed to grow with the family as they evolve through the different years and different family requirements. There are spaces to come together, and spaces for retreat and solitude.
This building has been given a new lease on life and is now relevant, sustainable, technological, and comfortable. It has endured the previous 100 years and will be significant for another century.