A Head Of The Curve

In Melbourne, a bold renovation delivered fabulous heritage meets-modern design and a futureproof family home.

- Judy Pascoe

Melburnians Sarah and Ben are parents of four – a sizeable tribe these days. Although the time is still a way off, picturing a future in which all four of their daughters – Lucy, eight, Charlotte, six, Amelia, four, and Isobel, two – would be adults living in the family home was incentive enough for the couple to embark on an extensive renovation. Sarah and Ben bought the circa 1905 house in the city’s inner south-east in 2012, falling for its Edwardian period features and generous rooms. They also recognised its potential to evolve into a long-term home for their family. In 2013, the couple met with architect Rachel Nolan of Kennedy Nolan and began planning how to futureproof their home.

The first thing to go was a poorly designed 1980s extension at the rear. “It was unnecessarily high, blacked out the garden and interrupted the flow of the floor plan,” says Rachel. “It was important to Sarah and Ben that the house be filled with natural light and that the south-facing backyard receive as much sun as possible. They also wished to retain the home’s significant heritage features.”