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Melbourne Houzz: Humble at the Front, Party at the Back
Be prepared to be wowed by this ingenious and highly liveable solution for a deep, narrow block
Squeezed in between two other Victorian terraces, this dilapidated block promised little light and limited access. Working with the original buyer, an elderly artist, Scale Constructions came up with an innovative, sun- and nature-loving design with four separate gardens that its new owner, a keen green thumb, fully embraces.
Built circa-1870, this humble-looking home is the middle house in a row of three single-fronted Victorian terraces, designed as single-storey homes.
By around 2015, when this renovation was first touted, the original house was seriously dilapidated, with only the front facade deemed worthy of saving. Moreover it was on a narrow and deep block: 215 square metres consisting of a width of five metres and a depth of 40 metres.
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By around 2015, when this renovation was first touted, the original house was seriously dilapidated, with only the front facade deemed worthy of saving. Moreover it was on a narrow and deep block: 215 square metres consisting of a width of five metres and a depth of 40 metres.
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The floor plan.
The original intention was to create a contemporary and welcoming occasional home for an elderly artist to regularly stay in Melbourne, with her daughter a few houses away.
However, over five years this plan developed into designing a house suitable across the generations, with downstairs fit for the elderly, and upstairs for children and/or grandchildren.
Over time, the brief embraced several key points:
The original intention was to create a contemporary and welcoming occasional home for an elderly artist to regularly stay in Melbourne, with her daughter a few houses away.
However, over five years this plan developed into designing a house suitable across the generations, with downstairs fit for the elderly, and upstairs for children and/or grandchildren.
Over time, the brief embraced several key points:
- User-friendly for the aged, including: excellent heating and cooling throughout, practical kitchen facilities, a ground-floor bedroom and ensuite bathroom with wide sliding doors.
- Easy access into the property.
- A contemporary and minimalist design that is warm and welcoming, incorporating the heritage facade (the home was not subject to a heritage overlay) and original brickwork in contrast to the new home.
The first internal courtyard behind the facade. Concrete footings and a steel column structure were used to stabilise the side walls. Bluestone garden pavers are clean, flat, hardy and low maintenance.
“In the original concepts, we hoped to keep the existing fireplace in between the front two rooms as a feature in the new front courtyard,” says designer Jeremy Coggin of Jeremy & You.
“Unfortunately, during demolition the quality of the structure dictated that it needed to be removed… but then this revealed the beauty of the existing front window framing, which is the outward vista from the new living rooms downstairs.”
- Northern light in all rooms. This led to the big idea of turning the original front two rooms into the front courtyard garden (see image). It created the experience of entering the front heritage door, walking into the new courtyard and moving towards the new entry and home, which are nestled within the red-brick envelope.
- A practical and secure design; security and privacy, with low-maintenance house and garden.
“In the original concepts, we hoped to keep the existing fireplace in between the front two rooms as a feature in the new front courtyard,” says designer Jeremy Coggin of Jeremy & You.
“Unfortunately, during demolition the quality of the structure dictated that it needed to be removed… but then this revealed the beauty of the existing front window framing, which is the outward vista from the new living rooms downstairs.”
Beyond the front courtyard, the first view of the property takes in the living area and kitchen.
Put simply, the new build involved a case of moving the floor plan around. “Basically we took the front two bedrooms, put them elsewhere (upstairs in the new section) and created a garden in their place,” says the owner.
Or, as Karl Teschendorff of McNuttndorff Landscapes so bluntly puts it, “Gardens are more important than bedrooms”.
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Put simply, the new build involved a case of moving the floor plan around. “Basically we took the front two bedrooms, put them elsewhere (upstairs in the new section) and created a garden in their place,” says the owner.
Or, as Karl Teschendorff of McNuttndorff Landscapes so bluntly puts it, “Gardens are more important than bedrooms”.
Browse more beautiful Australian exteriors
The neutral-toned living area.
Other important design considerations that were worked into the plan included:
Other important design considerations that were worked into the plan included:
- Maximising the sense of space and expansiveness of the tight five-metre-wide block. This was done with a series of courtyards, and in the downstairs area floor-to-ceiling glazing, which opens the middle living space into the adjacent courtyards.
- Using materials and texture to contrast and integrate the new with the old. This meant applying a neutral palette throughout the interior to suit the minimal aesthetic.
The interior walls and ceilings are in Dulux Natural White.
The kitchen joinery mixes blackbutt veneer in Windspray with benchtops from Stone Italiana in 20-millimetre-thick Bianco Artico.
The central living spaces were designed with floor-to-ceiling framed glazing (in Monument) helping to smoothly integrate courtyard gardens on either side, with the aim that the glazing allows for a ‘wall-less’ space downstairs.
The splashback tiles are Inax Yohen Border from Artedomus.
Polished-concrete flooring keeps things low-maintenance throughout the house.
The kitchen and living room, as seen from the ground-floor bedroom suite further back on the plot.
The bedroom suite is connected to the living area and kitchen by a glass-encased hallway on the boundary of the property.
Blackbutt external cladding was chosen because it ages so beautifully. A Colorbond steel roof was employed to neutralise glare and heat.
The bedroom suite is connected to the living area and kitchen by a glass-encased hallway on the boundary of the property.
Blackbutt external cladding was chosen because it ages so beautifully. A Colorbond steel roof was employed to neutralise glare and heat.
Deciduous plantings provide shaded courtyards in summer. Solar-panel ready, the downstairs ammenities are connected to rainwater tanks. Lourve windows provide cross ventilation throughout the property.
“Very strict planning constraints and setbacks meant we needed to work closely with council to secure the design,” says Coggin.
“The condition of the facade and side walls (to retain) were not known. The engineer called for a ‘staged approach’ and every stage revealed issues to be resolved.”
Running services into the property without independent side access also presented a challenge.
“Very strict planning constraints and setbacks meant we needed to work closely with council to secure the design,” says Coggin.
“The condition of the facade and side walls (to retain) were not known. The engineer called for a ‘staged approach’ and every stage revealed issues to be resolved.”
Running services into the property without independent side access also presented a challenge.
The bedroom suite features pure wool mid-grey flecked carpet.
“The overall design used the original heritage palette and texture of the brickwork to contrast with the new contemporary glass-and-timber home, inset within three courtyard spaces,” says Coggin.
Textured single-colour tiles feature throughout the bathrooms.
- Bathroom floor tiles throughout the home are in Tiento Tiles Beren Light Grey Floor.
- Bathroom wall tiles are Tiento Tiles Beren Light Grey Dot.
- Feature-wall tiles are in Tiento Tiles Beren Light Grey Saw.
The property backs onto a paved laneway.
The stairs in the living/kitchen part of the home lead to the bedrooms and bathrooms.
“As an artist with a passion for contemporary and minimalist design, the client wanted to use texture and materials as a key design consideration to drive the overall material selection,” says Coggin.
“This led to the use of exposed existing brick walls in the courtyards extending into some of the internal space; polished concrete; expansive black-framed glazing to help open out onto the gardens; warm, textured carpet in the bedrooms; and hints of timber through the joinery and staircase.”
“As an artist with a passion for contemporary and minimalist design, the client wanted to use texture and materials as a key design consideration to drive the overall material selection,” says Coggin.
“This led to the use of exposed existing brick walls in the courtyards extending into some of the internal space; polished concrete; expansive black-framed glazing to help open out onto the gardens; warm, textured carpet in the bedrooms; and hints of timber through the joinery and staircase.”
An upstairs bedroom.
All bedrooms and living rooms have north-facing windows to provide light and heat in winter; a major achievement for a narrow block.
All bedrooms and living rooms have north-facing windows to provide light and heat in winter; a major achievement for a narrow block.
The upstairs bathroom.
Solar-operated operable skylights are installed in all the bathrooms and toilets.
Solar-operated operable skylights are installed in all the bathrooms and toilets.
Thoughtful features, such as a tiny black-framed window, tie this area’s aesthetics to the ground floor.
The rear-facing upstairs bedroom.
Views to neighbouring big trees and sky (without compromising privacy) were an essential design consideration in this area.
Views to neighbouring big trees and sky (without compromising privacy) were an essential design consideration in this area.
Due to the amount of time consumed by the planning, coupled with the pandemic, the needs of the client changed and, towards the end of the project, it became clear that the client would not be able to move in as easily as anticipated.
As such, the client sold the home… to a passionate gardener who loves the courtyard spaces.
Your turn
What are your favourite features in this innovative home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another beautiful home? Don’t miss this London Houzz: A Danish-Inspired Extension Revives a Family Home
As such, the client sold the home… to a passionate gardener who loves the courtyard spaces.
Your turn
What are your favourite features in this innovative home? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Want to see another beautiful home? Don’t miss this London Houzz: A Danish-Inspired Extension Revives a Family Home
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House at a Glance
Who lives here: A parent and child
Location: Brunswick East, Victoria
Renovated: 2020
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: Three bedrooms and two bathrooms
Budget: Approximate budget was $1,500,000 but this changed over five years
Size of the house: Approximately 242 square metres
Designer: Jeremy Coggin, Jeremy & You
Interior designer: Gillian Warden
Builder: Scale Constructions
Joiner: Cantilever Interiors
Landscaper: Karl Teschendorff, McNuttndorff Landscapes
How did Houzz help with this project?
Before the project began, and during the process of design and construction, the client used Houzz for ideas and product information to help inform the co-design process with the designer.