United Front

The felicitous union of two creative minds meant the reinvention of this 1930s house was achieved to maximum advantage with a minimum of fuss.

- Carli Philips

It takes two flints to make a fire,” said 19th-century novelist Louisa May Alcott referring to the power of teamwork. Truer words could not have been spoken when it came to the collaborative reimagining of this 1930s house. Independent sole operators, architect Penny Kinsella and interior designer Susie Cohen (Made by Cohen) both credit their united front when it came to the successful transformation of this large, disjointed Melbourne residence into a bright, elegant and refined family home.

Their first project together (they agree it won’t be the last), the two worked closely on the master plan, with Susie focusing on joinery and finishes, and Penny overseeing the building reconfiguration and newly constructed pool house and garage. Their mindset was in sync, which often meant that the traditional roles of their disciplines blurred. “We had a shared passion,” says Susie. “We’re both detail ladies and have similar threads. When it came to this project, we were a one-stop shop.”

The footprint of the property remained the same and it was of the utmost importance that the beauty of the original building be preserved, albeit with a redesigned, more functional and sophisticated internal environment. “Even though the house was dark and in need of a renovation, it had an extraordinary charm about it,” says Susie. In honour of its English Revival style, leadlight windows, gabled roofs, beams and repeated archways were left untouched.