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My Houzz: From Office Space to Intimate & Inviting Family Home
See how a designer worked her magic to transform an office building in a great location into her ultimate family home
Even for a seasoned renovator, the thought of turning a 1970s office block into a family home would probably be enough to make you run a mile. But not so for Melbourne interior designer Kirsty Ristevski of Furnishd and her husband Alex. “Having renovated multiple homes for ourselves and others, this project was not daunting for us at all – it was a super-fun challenge. We were not doing this to sell it, but doing it for ourselves, so I just thought, let’s have fun!”
The commercial office block, which housed five businesses, was nestled behind a quaint cafe and shopping district in Albert Park, Victoria, and just a stone’s throw from Port Phillip Bay. The couple purchased it sight unseen in 2017 with a view to turning it into a boutique hotel. “We were looking for something different and this building looked really interesting – we bought it without even setting foot inside,” says Ristevski. It soon dawned on the couple that it was beautifully positioned to create an idyllic lifestyle for their family.
Read on to discover how they did it.
The commercial office block, which housed five businesses, was nestled behind a quaint cafe and shopping district in Albert Park, Victoria, and just a stone’s throw from Port Phillip Bay. The couple purchased it sight unseen in 2017 with a view to turning it into a boutique hotel. “We were looking for something different and this building looked really interesting – we bought it without even setting foot inside,” says Ristevski. It soon dawned on the couple that it was beautifully positioned to create an idyllic lifestyle for their family.
Read on to discover how they did it.
Sofa: King Living Max sofa; coffee tables: Trit House
The main must-haves for the house included generous space for entertaining, a separate home office ("little did we know how much we would need this,” says Ristevski), and an inviting home that the kids would want to bring their friends back to.
The main must-haves for the house included generous space for entertaining, a separate home office ("little did we know how much we would need this,” says Ristevski), and an inviting home that the kids would want to bring their friends back to.
The ground-floor plan
The couple also wanted to make life with their “fifth family member, Maisie” easier, which included adding a home for her under the stairs, a dog-washing station in the laundry and an arched dog door that fitted the designer feel of the rest of the home.
Inspired to get started on your own renovation project? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
The couple also wanted to make life with their “fifth family member, Maisie” easier, which included adding a home for her under the stairs, a dog-washing station in the laundry and an arched dog door that fitted the designer feel of the rest of the home.
Inspired to get started on your own renovation project? Find an interior designer near you on Houzz
The first-floor plan
Gutting the interior and opening up the ground level to create an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area was the first step in their renovation. “This required a whole lot of steel to support the two solidly built storeys above,” says Ristevski.
Gutting the interior and opening up the ground level to create an open-plan kitchen/living/dining area was the first step in their renovation. “This required a whole lot of steel to support the two solidly built storeys above,” says Ristevski.
The second-floor plan
To create the entertaining-friendly spaces they wanted, the couple raised the height of the living room ceiling and extended the room outwards to open onto a new alfresco entertaining area with a swimming pool.
To create the entertaining-friendly spaces they wanted, the couple raised the height of the living room ceiling and extended the room outwards to open onto a new alfresco entertaining area with a swimming pool.
The site before works
Upstairs, they created bedrooms for the boys on the first level, and dedicated the top (second) level to a spacious main bedroom suite.
The layout also includes activity spaces: “The boys use the gym a lot, which is where we thought the art room would be!” says Ristevski.
Upstairs, they created bedrooms for the boys on the first level, and dedicated the top (second) level to a spacious main bedroom suite.
The layout also includes activity spaces: “The boys use the gym a lot, which is where we thought the art room would be!” says Ristevski.
The site before works
At the rear of the house is a one-bedroom cottage that the couple renovated and initially rented out as holiday accommodation. Now with the pandemic, they lease it out on a long-term basis.
“I’d always wanted to set up and run accommodation, so we separated the properties out, giving The Cottage its own private entrance,” says Ristevski. “It’s a great income stream and was so much fun to run when we could.”
At the rear of the house is a one-bedroom cottage that the couple renovated and initially rented out as holiday accommodation. Now with the pandemic, they lease it out on a long-term basis.
“I’d always wanted to set up and run accommodation, so we separated the properties out, giving The Cottage its own private entrance,” says Ristevski. “It’s a great income stream and was so much fun to run when we could.”
The site before works
A floor-to-ceiling mosaic mural depicting Melbourne’s iconic Flinders Street Station is the centrepiece of the living room. “This was originally commissioned by Earp Bros for their showroom. It had been warehoused and I rescued it,” says Ristevski.
She and builder Mick Crewes pieced it back together by hand in the backyard before positioning it across an entire wall.
She and builder Mick Crewes pieced it back together by hand in the backyard before positioning it across an entire wall.
When it came to the colour palette for the home, the couple sought to add warmth, depth and interest through interesting textures, and by bringing the outside in – “both the city and the garden,” says Ristevski.
“We wanted to create comfortable, liveable spaces that looked great, but weren’t precious,” she says. “We also wanted to include a few surprise elements.”
Benchtop in Sensa Taj Mahal and Dekton Sirius: both Cosentino; flooring: Marmoleum; island clad in Stripes Greige Stone Matt tiles: National Tiles
The “kitch-bar” is a perfect example. “We’ve really done nothing to the home’s exterior and it still looks like an ugly, mustard duckling, so the interior is a real surprise when you walk in, and this bar is the first thing you see,” says Ristevski.
“As we were originally considering developing the site into a boutique hotel, the bar came from that research, and it just kind of transposed itself into our home. Staying at Kit Kemp’s Ham Yard hotel in London was certainly part of the inspiration,” she says.
The bar doubles as the family’s kitchen, with a butler’s pantry fitted with an oven to the rear.
The “kitch-bar” is a perfect example. “We’ve really done nothing to the home’s exterior and it still looks like an ugly, mustard duckling, so the interior is a real surprise when you walk in, and this bar is the first thing you see,” says Ristevski.
“As we were originally considering developing the site into a boutique hotel, the bar came from that research, and it just kind of transposed itself into our home. Staying at Kit Kemp’s Ham Yard hotel in London was certainly part of the inspiration,” she says.
The bar doubles as the family’s kitchen, with a butler’s pantry fitted with an oven to the rear.
Fixed bar stools keep the look tailored. “I hate mess and my family would never rearrange regular freestanding bar stools where they need to sit to balance out the bar,” says Ristevski, with a laugh.
“I searched high and low for fixed bar stools and ended up finding a commercial manufacturer who customised the seats in a fabric of my choice. I had the stainless steel bases dipped in bronze by Bronzeworks, which also did the rest of the bronze in the kitchen,” she says.
“I searched high and low for fixed bar stools and ended up finding a commercial manufacturer who customised the seats in a fabric of my choice. I had the stainless steel bases dipped in bronze by Bronzeworks, which also did the rest of the bronze in the kitchen,” she says.
Joinery: Polytec in Cinder and Laminex laminate
“The bar and its shelving were custom-made to my design, with LED strip lighting and a smoked mirror inserted as the splashback,” says Ristevski. A curved bar underlit with LED strip lighting adds to the moody, hotel-bar vibe.
“We discovered the concrete ceiling downstairs when we peeled back the plaster,” says Ristevski. “We decided to leave this authentic finish, complete with drawing and writing on it.”
“The bar and its shelving were custom-made to my design, with LED strip lighting and a smoked mirror inserted as the splashback,” says Ristevski. A curved bar underlit with LED strip lighting adds to the moody, hotel-bar vibe.
“We discovered the concrete ceiling downstairs when we peeled back the plaster,” says Ristevski. “We decided to leave this authentic finish, complete with drawing and writing on it.”
Dining table: Ikea; pendants: &Tradition Formakami pendants
The couple was happy to splash out on items they felt would really elevate the look or usability of their home. Splurge items included the Cosentino engineered-stone benchtops and bronze detailing in the kitchen, a Dekton-clad bath in the main ensuite, built-in study joinery in the boys’ bedrooms, and the swimming pool.
The couple was happy to splash out on items they felt would really elevate the look or usability of their home. Splurge items included the Cosentino engineered-stone benchtops and bronze detailing in the kitchen, a Dekton-clad bath in the main ensuite, built-in study joinery in the boys’ bedrooms, and the swimming pool.
The butler’s pantry
The couple then made several smart savings. “We saved on the geometric tiles in the entrance, laundries and balconies – they were $25 per square metre at the Earp Bros clearance outlet.
“We chose affordable, commercial Marmoleum rubber for the floors in the kitchen, living and dining areas, and office. And we specified laminate rather than a two-pack polyurethane finish for the kitchen joinery,” she says.
The couple then made several smart savings. “We saved on the geometric tiles in the entrance, laundries and balconies – they were $25 per square metre at the Earp Bros clearance outlet.
“We chose affordable, commercial Marmoleum rubber for the floors in the kitchen, living and dining areas, and office. And we specified laminate rather than a two-pack polyurethane finish for the kitchen joinery,” she says.
The vintage dining chairs were a savvy online marketplace find. “I resprayed the frames and had them reupholstered in a Kvadrat fabric. I love them – they connect so beautifully with the greenery outside,” says Ristevski.
A compact swimming pool is the focal point of the newly created outdoor area. “It’s tight but it works,” says Ristevski. “We designed a pool fence in steel with glass gates at either end. This allows air to flow through and makes the backyard feel larger. It was the best decision – I love the fence.
“I selected pool-friendly weeping lilly pilly with ground cover on the pool perimeter, which work brilliantly. And the retro-style yellow-and-white Basil Bangs umbrella carries the fun outside,” she says.
“I selected pool-friendly weeping lilly pilly with ground cover on the pool perimeter, which work brilliantly. And the retro-style yellow-and-white Basil Bangs umbrella carries the fun outside,” she says.
To further keep costs down, Ristevski deployed her creative skills in the backyard. “I designed the backyard, researched the plants and planted them myself,” she says.
The home office
The couple’s younger son’s bedroom features an irresistibly fun ceiling net. “We opened up the roof space and plastered it to create a net you can sit or lie in, just for fun for the kids and their friends,” says Ristevski.
Meanwhile, their older son’s bedroom features a VJ-panelled wall for added cosiness, plus a raised study area.
Black VJ wall panelling: Easycraft, painted in a Haymes Paint custom colour matched to the Polytec Cinder in the kitchen
For the family movie room, the tiered seating and an inky-blue colour scheme sets the perfect scene.
The laundry
Your turn
Would you be willing to take on a major renovation like this? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another unconventional home? Don’t miss this story: How a Shipping Container Was Made Into a Luxurious Off-Grid Cabin
Your turn
Would you be willing to take on a major renovation like this? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Keen to see another unconventional home? Don’t miss this story: How a Shipping Container Was Made Into a Luxurious Off-Grid Cabin
Images by Dylan James
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with two teenage boys and their labradoodle
Location: Albert Park, Victoria
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: Three bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms, plus a one-bedroom cottage at the rear, which is rented out
Interior designer: Homeowner Kirsty Ristevski, creative director of Furnishd
Builder: Brace Construct
The couple worked their magic between 2019 and 2020 to transform the building into a unique and inviting multi-level, three-bedroom home for themselves, their two teenage sons and their labradoodle, Maisie. “I love to work with the bones of a property as the starting point. All the brickwork, the commercial history and the challenges of the floor plan – these were the things that made this project really special,” says Ristevski.