What Lies Beyond

For one Melbourne family, bringing their 1900s semi into the 21st century required an out-of-the-box solution.

- Stephen Crafti

Contemporary design is a rare sight in this part of Melbourne. The streets are lined with significant Victorian or Edwardian homes, so new additions often take the form of discreet timber-clad boxes tucked behind slate roofs. The owners of this early-1900s semi, however, were afforded the opportunity to create a modern masterpiece, a home that blends historical and contemporary design elements beautifully, inside and out.

Owner Lisa and her partner were initially attracted to the semi’s charming Hawthorn-brick facade. They also appreciated the site’s orientation, especially the property’s northwest-facing rear garden – ideal for a family with three children under the age of seven. The interior of the three-bedroom home had been updated by previous owners but the couple felt some spaces could be better used. And the sole bathroom was far too squeezy for their growing family.