URBAN SANCTUARY

Industrial features-and contemporary interior design coalesce in this built-froma ch city warehouse tucked away in the back streets of inner Melbourne.

- Carli Philips

Chris and Kim’s dream home was a warehouse conversion, but when they couldn’t find a typical warehouse in the style they were looking for, they set off to build one from the ground up. Their friends, directors of studio McMahon and Nerlich, Kate McMahon and Rob Nerlich were by their side from the start, helping their vision become a reality.

“They did some sums and the idea worked,” says Rob. So in 2017, Chris and Kim decided to sell their respective properties, pool their funds and embark on the project, first hunting for the right site, which they ultimately discovered in the urban back streets of Melbourne’s inner south.

The owners were clear on exactly what they wanted: Chris, a shopping centre leasing agent with experience in retail master planning and design, had already sketched a rough plan of how the house would function; Kim, a prominent Australian hair stylist and make-up artist who has been involved in the build of more than 10 townhouses, had a visual materials bank of textiles, stones and tiles. Rob and Kate had worked with the couple on another property and loved the collaborative relationship.

When their application for a three-storey building permit was rejected, Rob and Kate decided to create two storeys — albeit with a facade that presents as single storey — with very high ceilings. On the ground floor there’s a study and laundry, with two bedrooms tucked behind a green spiral staircase (colour-matched to Chris and Kim’s car), so that guests don’t have to walk past the private rooms. The main bedroom suite is separated from the ensuite by a steel-framed glass partition; a design feature that allows light to flow throughout both spaces.