The front entrance is marked by a restored heritage door painted black. The kitchen is situated at the end of the entry hall, beyond the staircase.
The kitchen is anchored by a custom six-and-a-half-meter-long kitchen island crafted from Artedomus Grigio Orsola marble, accompanied by elegant jet-black Artedomus porcelain cabinetry and solid American Oak flooring.
A heritage terrace in East Melbourne has been transformed with a reverence for history, landscape and modern liveability.
The stately three-storey building, marked by monolithic archways along its street-facing facade and red-brick and bluestone walls at its rear, is a significant piece of Melbourne’s architectural heritage. Architects EAT were tasked with re-envisioning the home by improving its layout and, in turn, facilitating a stronger connection to the outdoors. At the same time, the interiors required updating to better cater to the new owners who sought a blend of comfort and refinement.
The kitchen features the Trizo 21 Austere chandelier.
The kitchen connects to the dining room, painted in a soft blue hue. The space features the TossB Cone suspension light and Audo Interconnect candle holder.
“When we commenced work on this 146-year-old building, our first response was to integrate more natural light into the home – a challenge given the restrictions imposed by the heritage authority on installing new windows,” Architects EAT director and architect Albert Mo reveals. Despite these limitations, Architects EAT successfully reworked the existing floor plan to enhance flow between the kitchen, dining and living areas while simultaneously harnessing natural light from the east-facing rear of the house.
Once these architectural hindrances were overcome, the focus shifted towards crafting sophisticated and inviting spaces, with careful attention paid to the selection of materials. “Subtle use of colour elevates the home beyond mere monochromatic simplicity to a refined and nuanced palette of olives, blues and browns, accentuated by moments of black and white,” Albert says.
The dining room connects to the sitting room, painted in the same soft blue hue. The space features the Giobagnara Scala stool.
The entertainment area, featuring a sunken lounge, seamlessly links to the lush garden through steel-framed doors. The space features the Vitra Akari 25N floor lamp.
Entering from the street, one passes through a wrought-iron gate, past a restored entry courtyard adorned with an established paperbark tree, and beneath an arched colonnade, finally reaching a restored heritage door painted black. The kitchen is situated at the end of the entry hall, beyond the staircase, and showcases Architects EAT’s meticulous and gentle remoulding of the original building fabric.
Central to the kitchen is a custom six-and-a-half-meter-long kitchen island crafted from Grigio Orsola marble. It is accompanied by elegant jet-black porcelain cabinetry and solid American Oak flooring. The adjacent dining area, painted in a soft blue hue, creates a refreshing and inviting atmosphere that seamlessly transitions into the adjoining sitting room.
The three bedrooms lie on the upper level – the master bedroom separated from the kids’ rooms by the staircase. The space features the Trizo21 Austere wall light.
The Carl Hansen & Søn CH24 Wishbone chair in the master walk-in wardrobe.
The Nuura Blossi wall light in the master ensuite.
In light of the strict heritage guidelines governing alterations to the building, a rare opportunity did arise for a subtle addition. A narrow, unused space was identified between the building and one of the boundary walls, which Architects EAT converted into a concrete passage. “Connecting the dining room and kitchen via this blue-and-white chequered pathway adds a new dimension to the home,” Albert says. The passage also serves as a secondary entry point for those accessing the home through the back lane garage.
The rear courtyard, nestled between the concrete entrance and back lane garage, underwent a transformation to infuse the interiors with more greenery. A newly created entertainment area, featuring a sunken lounge, seamlessly links to the lush garden through steel-framed doors. Meanwhile, the preserved bluestone walls honour the home’s original architecture.
“The home blends a new and elevated lifestyle for the family with a respectful nod to the past,” Albert says. “Thoughtful new additions unlock the floor plan, marking the beginning of the building’s next chapter.”
The rear courtyard, nestled between the concrete entrance and back lane garage, is now a celebrated part of the home’s design.
The newly installed concrete passage also serves as a secondary entry point at the rear of the home.
The street-facing facade is characterised by monolithic archways, partly concealed behind the leaves of an established paper-bark tree.
