Home At Last

With a deft design plan and unwavering vision, leading Melbourne designer Kate Walker has turned a boxy ’80s house into a comfortable homestead on the Mornington Peninsula.

Set to embark upon a full-scale renovation and extension to her much-loved Melbourne home last year, the universe threw Kate Walker – founder and director of KWD – a curveball when she was approached unexpectedly by a local agent about selling her property, lock stock and barrel. Despite it not even being listed on the market, Kate found herself throwing caution to the wind and bravely sold the home and its contents, walking out with little more than her two children and dog, and the clothes on their backs.

Soon after, a poky 1980s yellow-brick house situated on a generous block nearby appeared in her real-estate search. While others saw an unattractive dated prospect, Kate’s vision for the home was inspired. “People were unsure of what to do with it, but as soon as I saw that roofline and the orientation, I knew exactly what how I would attack it!” Kate named the property Beechwood.

The house, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, had been on the market for some time until the sought-after designer snapped it up and undertook the enormous challenge of transforming it over a fast and furious 12 weeks – the timeframe of the settlement. Family and friends called her crazy, but Kate had her eye on the prize right from the word go. “They couldn’t see the finish line through my eyes,” she recalls.

An ability to see beyond the obvious is what has helped make Kate one of Australia’s most coveted designers – Beechwood being just one example of her extraordinary vision. But Kate is the first to admit that this project wasn’t without its challenges and that there were many times along the way where she second-guessed herself. “The KWD team stood behind me though, reminding me that this is what I do, and to trust my gut,” she says.