In the kitchen, the island and bulkhead are wrapped in Artedomus Calacatta Viola, with KB-ID Studio Core stools tucked under the island, styled with a Glenn Barkley ‘Blue Pox Vase with Golden Balls’ (2023) from Sullivan+Strumpf, Gaetano Pesce Medusa vase from Curated Edition, and a Ferm Living low ceramic bowl.
A 1940s Georgian Revival reinstates grandeur, while the site and architecture are shaped to engage with one another to deliver optimised living.
Addressing the spatial layout of an interwar home and its relationship to the sloping topography was a challenge posed by the clients to architect Travis Walton. Embedded within the hilltop of Melbourne’s Toorak neighbourhood, the home required a holistic design response that reconciled the residence with the site’s contours. The architect explains that the brief was “centred on enhancing the way the home connected to its garden and natural surroundings, while preserving the integrity and character of the original architecture.”
To create a unified and coherent programme, it was essential to dissolve the disjointed, steeply tiered layout while respecting the existing Georgian architecture during reconfiguration. “By working with the site’s slope and opening up the rear, we’ve introduced continuity to what were once fragmented,” Walton explains. The now-integrated areas foster “a more fluid, contemporary environment suited to modern family living, without compromising its traditional street presence,” Walton adds.
Upon entering, the ground floor follows an inverted programme, accommodating three bedrooms, each with an en suite. A new lift and a traditional staircase descend to the lower ground, where a commodious, luminous new kitchen, dining and living area is revealed, with an extension that overflows onto the terrace. Additionally, a guest suite, a cellar, and a cosy room are installed. Outside, the journey continues down the travertine staircase, where an infinity pool flows into an emerald oasis, designed by Nathan Burkett Landscape Architecture.
In the dining room, Zuster Artisan dining chairs are tucked under the Jardan August table with a Giffin Design Basalt III pendant, an Alterfact sculpture from Pépite Gallery and a floor sculpture ‘Kanohi Toki’ (2025) by Stefan Wirihana Mau.
Heritage and contemporary expressions are mediated, as the interiors obscure definitive timelines, offering absolute fluidity throughout. “The material palette was guided by a desire to create a dialogue between old and new. We wanted to honour the home’s period detailing,” Walton says. Traditional notes stand in the background, celebrating the home’s architectural history, conveyed by the wainscot panelling, ornate plaster mouldings, kitchen cabinet profiles, and the staircase’s solid timber handrail with its turned newel post.
A contemporary counterpoint is offered through nuanced material elements, with a mix of Calacatta Viola, Grigio Orsola, and Selenis stones that frame the portal entrance, clad the ensuite, and veil the kitchen and fireplace, while oak floors bring lightness and warmth. These are enriched with discreet accents, from brass wall sconces and hardware, bronze-trimmed mirrors, and espresso timber cabinetry.
Through a gestalt of considered site interventions and adherence to heritage codes, the Kooyong residence delivers voluminous, light-filled spaces that support contemporary living for a growing family.
Pictured in the living room, Lowe Furniture Manhattan coffee tables with a bronze bowl by Warwick Perrin from Curated Editions, a vessel by Bastard Ceramics from Craft Victoria, a Ligne Roset Oyster CM 137 armchair with footstool designed by Pierre Paulin, Saba Italia Fleur armchair by Sergio Bicego and a floor sculpture ‘Kanohi Toki’ (2025) by Stefan Wirihana Mau. Natural grey oak flooring by Made by Storey.
The staircase features an MDF Italia Le Banc bench by Xavier Lust, ‘Actual Virtual 13’ (2022) by Alex Seton from Sullivan+Strumpf and in the background ‘The Atlas Fountain’ (2025) by Natalya Hughes from Sullivan+Strumpf.
In the primary suite, a Pianca Piumotto bed by Andrea Castrignano is paired with a Pianca People two-drawer nightstand, ‘Treble’ (2024) sculpture by Nicolette Johnson from Craft Victoria, IN BED Store linen, and an Elbow wall light by studio HENRY WILSON.
Outside the portal to the primary ensuite on the right is ‘Never Look Back’ (2019) by Gregory Hodge, and on the left ‘Empty’ sculpture by Mikala Dwyer from 1301SW, Calacatta Viola frames the portal, Grigio Orsola limestone clads the suite, and Artedomus Selenis stone vanity countertops, accessorised with object by Kelly Brown and vessel by Kirsten Perry from Pépite Gallery.
Pictured: HAY Palissade sun lounges.
