Architect Emma Templeton (of Templeton Architecture) takes us inside the Luna Residence, an architectural extension of a Victorian worker’s cottage in South Melbourne. Designed for fashion designer Penelope Loorham (Creative Director of Perri Cutten), the home is a masterclass in making “more from less.” By weaving together a warm, robust material palette with a European-inspired sensibility, the residence transforms a modest urban footprint into an expansive sanctuary defined by calm and escape.

An ideal city fringe location and charming corner site were design drawcards for an architectural extension by the Melbourne practice Templeton Architecture. Rewriting the narrative for an original Victorian worker’s cottage in South Melbourne enabled architect Emma Templeton and her team to make more from less, and craft a home that has evolved to accommodate the family of three that lives there. Home to fashion designer Penelope, her partner, their teenage son, and British short-hair cat Luna from which the project takes its name, the residence builds a beautiful synergy between architecture and European style with the help of a warm and robust material palette.

As part of our ‘Design Deconstructed’ film series, we take an exclusive look at the Luna Residence. Emma unveils the newly expansive design resolve and how the modest urban footprint was maximised to envelop a sense of calm and escape.