The family entryway, lined with ash-green tiles and featuring storage cupboards in the home’s signature sleek shaker profile, is one of James-Herrick’s favourite spaces. “It’s both unique and highly practical,” she says.
The owners of ‘North House’—busy parents to three young children, including a newborn—sought the expertise of Melbourne-based CJH Studio and Manna Architects to transform their home. Their aim was to preserve and elevate the home’s Federation-style charm while adapting it to better suit the growing family’s needs. Central to this brief was the meticulous selection of materials, which, as CJH Studio director Cassie James-Herrick explains, needed to strike a balance between beauty and practicality.
CJH Studio is renowned for its innovative heritage revival projects in Melbourne’s inner-city suburbs, and this Armadale home is no exception. “Wherever possible, elements from the original build were preserved and repurposed throughout the new extension,” James-Herrick says. Contemporary touches, like the custom kitchen and bathroom joinery with a sleek shaker profile, were thoughtfully integrated as subtle nods to modern design while honouring the home’s classic roots.
WOODCUT floorboards and Signorino natural stone were obvious design selections in achieving this balance, setting a benchmark for the home’s material palette and overarching design.
WOODCUT’s Limed Ash floorboards provide a light and natural foundation for layering materials. To enhance their durability, the floorboards are constructed with a European Ash top layer and finished with UV Oil. A curation of furniture including bespoke lighting pieces and a timber M table from Daniel Boddam elevates the living space.
CJH Studio selected pieces from In Good Company and Daniel Boddam Studio to furnish the home, with lighting additions by Anna Charlesworth and Serax.
In the bathroom spaces, benchtops in Signorino’s Volakas Haemus natural stone, along with floors and walls in their Limestone Clay natural stone tiles, set a refined tone.
After close collaboration with the client, CJH Studio curated a material palette that perfectly met the brief while aligning with their design philosophy. Combined, the chosen materiality provides a calm backdrop, fostering spaces that will evolve and grow with the young family while minimising chaos. “The palette is subtle yet inviting, adding a depth of character to the home without feeling overwhelming,” James-Herrick says.
Throughout the living spaces, WOODCUT’s Limed Ash floorboards provide a light and natural foundation for layering materials. “The flooring was chosen with a focus on both endurability and versatility, featuring clean lines and minimal knots to allow the accompanying materials to harmonise beautifully,” James-Herrick explains. The material pairs beautifully with Porter’s Paints’ classic French Wash paint, used on both the walls and ceilings.
In the bathroom spaces, Signorino’s Limestone Clay tiles mimic the beauty of natural stone with the added durability of being a porcelain surface and cast a refined tone alongside the Volakas Haemus marble. James-Herrick notes that the chosen stone needed to be both visually impressive and practical for a young family. “Balancing beauty and practicality is always key in any family home,” adding, “Stone selection is pivotal, as it can dramatically transform a space, determine the way it ages, and introduce a hint of elegance.” The designer and client settled on the two types of Signorino stone for their “sophisticated beauty”, noting their subtle movement and texture, as well as their ability to maintain their allure despite extensive use.
Through the expertise of CJH Studio and Manna Architects, and with the discerning selection of considered materials this home stands as a testament to thoughtful design that balances the present with the future.
– CJH Studio director Cassie James-Herrick
"The palette is subtle yet inviting, adding a depth of character to the home without feeling overwhelming."
WOODCUT’s Limed Ash floorboards flow throughout the home into the bedrooms and connecting spaces, including the hallways and staircase.
