A Head Of The Curve

A Divine Indoor-outdoor Space Makes Summer Living Easy in This Sunny Melbourne Home

- Belinda Smart

MEDITERRANEAN MAGIC

It makes sense that the Melbourne home of Laura, an accountant, and her restaurateur husband Joe, has entertaining at its heart, given the family’s Italian heritage and Joe’s vast experience in the food business. Inviting spaces, including the sumptuous living area (below), connect elegantly with the soul of the house – the kitchen – while a mosaic-lined swimming pool (opposite) draws guests and the couple’s children, Max, 17, and Talia, 13, outside. But it’s the curvilinear cabana which offers indoor-outdoor perfection and creates a sense of drama. “Our brief to the architect was fairly open,” says Joe of the space, which was designed by LSA Architects. “We were so excited by what they came up with!”

KITCHEN & LIVING ROOM

The open-plan lounge and kitchen, complete with resort-like views through glass walls, still catches the couple by surprise. “Every time we come in here, that visual of the huge windows, the natural light, and the pool and outdoor area beyond is still breathtaking,” says Laura. Along a milk-white counter hewn from Calacatta marble from CDK Stone, a row of MDF Italia ‘Flow’ sled-base stools from Hub Furniture create a relaxed vibe at any time, be it breakfast on the run or an evening Aperol spritz. A chic black and white Safari Living shopper is at the ready.

With its beautiful Edwardian facade, steadfast red bricks and picture-perfect garden, Laura and Joe’s Melbourne home contains all the hallmarks of its heritage suburb in the city’s inner south-east. Yet when visitors enter the recently remodelled home, they’re in for quite a delightful surprise. “We really wanted a contemporary renovation that would bring modern design and a beautiful traditional home together,” says Joe, a restaurateur.