NEW WORLD CHARM

Design references inspired by the homeowner's Portuguese heritage feature throughout this charming character-filled terrace.

- Judy Pascoe

Some properties have the magical ability to transport you to another time and location, and this personality-filled terrace house in Melbourne is just such a place. Although just 81 square metres, the home is nevertheless a wonderful sanctuary for the owner, Teresa and her young son, Matias, with design references throughout that call to mind her Portuguese heritage.

The three-bedroom two-storey terrace, built in the 1800s, was very unloved when Teresa and her late husband Tom purchased it, attracted by its appealing original features, including a charming curved staircase. After Tom passed away, Teresa wanted to update the house in a way that felt lived-in, but not too polished or modern. Soma and Tom of Abode Restoration helped create her vision for the house and introduced her to interior designer Carole Whiting who had worked on their home.

South-facing with a floor plan made up of a series of small dark rooms, the terrace was begging for natural light and some reorganisation. "There was a lot of wasted space," says Carole, whose first move was to open up the layout on the ground floor. Behind a concealed door in the entry she inserted a powder room and laundry, then doubled the size of the kitchen and devised a dedicated work-from-home zone that is hidden from view by clever joinery. "The cabinetry works as a room divider, and by having wall hooks as door hardware, we were able to conceal its true use," she says.