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When Lisa Breeze first visited her clients’ arts and crafts bungalow, much of its endearing charm was ‘hidden in plain sight’.
‘The arch on the front facade, which is very obvious now, was previously hidden by a porch-style entry structure that was overgrown with vines,’ Lisa says.
‘We could see parts of it, so revealing and celebrating it as a form throughout the rest of the home became the defining element.’
Surrounded by a series of similar homes in Camberwell, the residence is estimated to have been built around the 1920s-1930s, but the interior was a mash-up of eras, including an extension from around the ’50s alongside some renovations from more recent years.
‘It had great bones but had been tinkered with a lot — and not in a good way,’ Lisa notes.
Retaining the main bedroom and sitting room at the front of the house, the spaces beneath the existing roof were reconfigured to make way for a new en suite bathroom, laundry, and a staircase that leads to the new upstairs level, reserved for the children’s bedrooms and rumpus room.
Lisa also designed a fresh extension at the rear, comprising an open-plan living, meals and kitchen that leads directly to the pool and delightful garden — neatly zoning the entertaining areas together.
In addition to optimising the design’s orientation for sun and shading, ventilation and insulation, the house is now all electric, complete with a rooftop solar array.
‘It was a real challenge to house all of the services for this home while keeping them out of sight. We have hydronic heat pump and pool heat pump, electric hot water storage and water tank all arranged like Tetris, with their large equipment sizes and clearance requirements, down the side yard,’ Lisa adds.
‘Externally, for the extension I referenced the traditional materials used at the front, with feature bricks at the base, very textured stucco walls and a contemporary tiled roof.’
Initially, the family’s brief asked for a neutral interior palette, so Lisa leaned into texture and pattern instead to complement the white walls.
‘This was expressed through the timber veneer joinery and panelling, plus the polished concrete floors. But then we found a gorgeous green stone for the bench tops, and that opened the gates to explore a little more colour elsewhere,’ she says.
The furnishings introduced pastel hues as a key contrast, with a plush blue rug and pale green chairs in the main communal areas, while the bedroom ceiling is cloaked in a rich blue colour, reminiscent of a subdued sky.
It’s all perfectly subtle and enhances the home’s heritage flair, without feeling overtly safe or too plain.
‘I feel like this home encapsulates all that I aim to achieve for my clients,’ Lisa remarks.
‘It is calm and comfortable, spacious without being excessive or too extra, and it celebrates all the lovely heritage details that were worth saving and encapsulating.’
