A place called HOME

Cutting-edge design, form and function unite in this family home that's just perfect for making memories  

- CARROL BAKER

WE LOVE

THE FACADE THAT HAS A COMMANDING PRESENCE ON THE SUBURBAN STREETSCAPE

this striking home is clad in white pickets — it’s a unique urban sanctuary that sits comfortably in its Northcote locale, a suburb with a relaxed village vibe. When homeowners Zoe and Merez were looking to renovate and extend their Federation bungalow, they were inspired by the sense of detail and playfulness Austin Maynard Architects incorporated into their designs. “Every project responded directly to the family, with such imagination and also a very keen sense of design — not in a linear sense, but really creative, and we loved that aspect,” they said.

Picket House is no exception. Before the renovation, the home was a share house for many years and, as a result, was generally worn-out and uncared for. Post renovation, the homeowners are thrilled with their new home.

Architect Mark Austin says when designing, they typically like to look beyond the obvious within the brief and site, to seek responses that both surprise and delight. “At Picket House, the process was more exploratory and organic,” he says. Suggestions such as the flexible first-floor level space, entry between old and new, and the separation of sleeping quarters in the original house and living zones in the addition evolved during the initial design phase.