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The owners of this Eltham house are longtime residents of Melbourne’s outer north east — an area known for its bushy setting dotted with owner-built residences.
With soaring ceilings, exposed Oregon rafters, a brick facade, and clerestory windows that flood the split-level plan with light, the house is emblematic of both the suburb and its 1970s origins. The owners were originally attracted to the property for its character, structural integrity, and floor plan that organises bedrooms on either side of a central living area.
After 12 years living in the home, the property required some practical updates, but after observing the suburb’s changing architectural landscape, the owners knew exactly what not to do. ‘They did not want a “white house”, but rather something that was interesting and different,’ says Anthony De Melis co-director of Demardi builders. ‘The clients wanted to honour and respect the style of the era during which the home was built.’
Demardi worked with interior design studio Tiano Studio and building designer Levan Design to unlock space in the ‘disjointed and poky’ floor plan. Their job as a design team was creating a more open kitchen and living area, a larger main bathroom, and better connections to the outdoors — all without extending the home’s footprint, stripping its 1970s character, disrupting the existing slab hydronic heating, or relocating the bedrooms.
‘The kitchen, living, and dining spaces weren’t connected (there were a few walls dividing each of these spaces), which meant the areas weren’t benefitting from the grandeur of the ceiling or natural light,’ explains Cetti Wearmouth, interior designer at Tiano Studio.
A major move of the renovation was removing the home’s secondary casual meals area, enabling space for a larger dining area and a more generous kitchen with a walk-in pantry.
Previously obstructed by a nib wall and bulky cabinetry, the kitchen is now the heart of the home overlooking the living area below the backyard beyond. A large central island bench stretches to posts at either end — simultaneously highlighting the expansiveness of the ceiling height and overcoming the need for major structural changes.
‘The kitchen island bench is what I’m most proud of because of the way the timber wraps around the structural columns as though they are being hugged,’ says Cetti. ‘Elevating the island off the floor and wrapping the benchtop and columns in timber, along with adding timber legs, helped to anchor the piece by the continuity in materiality, making the island feel like a natural extension of the structure.’
Another challenge for the design team was improving the liveability of the home’s long and narrow living room featuring two staircases at either end. Levan Design made sense of this space by creating a central staircase — and removing the original stairs on either end — to essentially divide the room in two: one side for lounging and watching television; the other for sitting in front of the fireplace.
Built-in furniture further articulates and maximises these zones, introducing a bench seat with integrated tiled side tables next to the fire, and custom joinery in the television area. ‘I was very much inspired by the architect Frank Lloyd Wright by his holistic approach to integrate furniture within the structure,’ says Cetti.
Materials throughout reference the surrounding environment and original house, including floor tiles in the en suite, bathroom, and new powder room that mirror the 1970s red brick tiles retained in the laundry.
The kitchen features a similarly liberal use of timber and coloured tiled splashback as its predecessor, albeit in a slightly modernised palette. ‘The timber capping above the kitchen splashback, the timber detail on the island bench wrapping around the structural columns, timber cabinetry handles, and timber laminate cabinetry in the kitchen all appeal to this aesthetic,’ says Cetti.
If the home ever came on the market, Cetti says she’d be first in line to buy. More importantly though, it’s the clients who love their home, which was delivered ahead of schedule and with minimal variations.
An edited version of this story originally appeared in The Design Files Magazine Issue 04. Subscribe to the biannual print magazine here.
