In the kids’ living space, oiled-oak stools pick up the tones of the Oregon wood ceiling beams that date to the 1980s addition.
In the kids’ living space, oiled-oak stools pick up the tones of the Oregon wood ceiling beams that date to the 1980s addition.

September 8, 2022

Words: Athena Waligore

Photography: Rory Gardiner/Living Inside

Studio Bright Transforms a Historic Melbourne Property into a Cozy Family Home

It can be challenging to make a true family home in an urban environment. That was the brief for Studio Bright, which created a refuge for a couple with two young girls in a dense and gritty part of Melbourne. The clients had acquired a small Victorian terrace house that a previous resident, architect Mick Jörgensen, had modified in the 1980s by adding an extension; as a result, the interior detailing, from ornate cornices to modernist wood beams, spanned the centuries. Led by director Melissa Bright, the studio transformed the structure by adding two new wings—one with a roof deck—that better support the homeowners’ lifestyle.

Outdated service buildings on the site, including a shed and a garage, were removed to make way for the additions and an interstitial courtyard. The larger of the two extensions is a wedge-shape two-story volume of painted brickwork, its upper level wrapped in brown-painted metal mesh; accessible through a new entrance, the wing’s ground floor houses the kitchen and dining area and the primary living area/lounge. One flight up is the primary suite with a roof deck that boasts views of a tall elm. The second new volume, on the opposite side of the main courtyard, contains a home office and a bike room.

Located in one of two wings newly added to a century-old Victorian terrace house, the lounge features velvet-upholstered custom swivel chairs and a custom leather banquette.
Located in one of two wings newly added to a century-old Victorian terrace house, the lounge features velvet-upholstered custom swivel chairs and a custom leather banquette.
Victorian ash paneling defines the curved stair leading from the lounge to the primary suite.
Victorian ash paneling defines the curved stair leading from the lounge to the primary suite.

The original Victorian building became a family zone—complete with bedrooms for the girls and their own hangout space—that can be closed off via large sliding doors. “The configuration makes for connected family living but supports separation,” Bright explains.

The architect made careful decisions in how she joined the Victorian, the previous addition, and the new spaces. This feat was done with a steady hand that made sweeping structural changes to the layout in the existing portion. For example, the circulation route in the original building was moved from the south side to the north in order to give the girls’ bedrooms sunlight and views of the courtyard. The Jörgensen beams were removed but only partially, allowing for higher ceilings while also nodding to the home’s history. “We thought it was nicer to let all of these layers come through,” Bright explains. “Three eras sit together as a cohesive whole.” In this way, memory of the home’s past becomes a part of its present day.

In the kids’ living space, oiled-oak stools pick up the tones of the Oregon wood ceiling beams that date to the 1980s addition.
In the kids’ living space, oiled-oak stools pick up the tones of the Oregon wood ceiling beams that date to the 1980s addition.
The primary bathroom’s custom vanity is painted steel.
The primary bathroom’s custom vanity is painted steel.
A kid’s bedroom, one of two on the ground floor, incorporates a wood ceiling remnant from the 1980s addition.
A kid’s bedroom, one of two on the ground floor, incorporates a wood ceiling remnant from the 1980s addition.
The kids’ bathroom features glazed ceramic tiles, brass taps, and a concrete basin.
The kids’ bathroom features glazed ceramic tiles, brass taps, and a concrete basin.
A mature elm grows in the courtyard; doors and windows are framed in Victorian ash, a kind of eucalyptus.
A mature elm grows in the courtyard; doors and windows are framed in Victorian ash, a kind of eucalyptus.
Brown-painted metal mesh also wraps the upper level of the new wing housing the primary suite.
Brown-painted metal mesh also wraps the upper level of the new wing housing the primary suite.
The coloration of the new addition, its window screened in brown-painted metal mesh, was matched to that of the original Victorian terrace house on the left.
The coloration of the new addition, its window screened in brown-painted metal mesh, was matched to that of the original Victorian terrace house on the left.
PRODUCT SOURCES
grazia and co.: custom swivel chairs, custom daybed, custom coffee table (lounge)
instyle: leather upholstery
warwick: daybed fabric
l a a l: wall lights
truss forte: steel mesh (exterior)
dulux: steel mesh paint
nood co.: sink (kids’ bathroom)
cabinet smith: custom cabinetry
academy tiles: tiles
zuster furniture: sideboard (kids’ living space)
snelling studio: table, stools
jardan: sofa
muuto through living edge: chairs (kitchen)
inax through artedomus: tiles (primary bathroom)
lindsey wherrett ceramics: custom ceramic basin
duralloy: custom shower screen powder coating
THROUGHOUT
australian sustainable hardwoods: wall panels, joinery
artefact industries: ceiling lights
brodware through e&s: sink fittings
artemide through stylecraft: wall lights (bathrooms)
eckersley garden architecture: landscape architect
meyer consulting: structural engineer
provanbuilt: builder

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