MADE TO MEASURE

AFTER THIS MELBOURNE BUNGALOW WAS OPENED UP AND REWORKED BY A TEAM OF EXPERTS, A FAMILY OF FOUR HAS A WHOLE NEW HOME

- CHRIS PEARSON

Lisa, the owner of this Hamptons-tinged home in Melbourne, knows what she likes. In her brief to interior designer Terri Shannon of Bloom Interior Design & Decoration she listed about 150 wants, room by room, from “a bit luxe” to “no sharp corners” and “pops of colour” – hence these moody blues used to brilliant effect. So it’s little wonder she achieved her dream home.

When she and husband Arthur bought the brick post-Edwardian bungalow in 2015, they saw unrealised potential. “It still had many of its beautiful original features, such as high ceilings and cornicing, and it was solidly built,” she says. But a rear extension was looking tired and, well, the rooms were all yellow and cream. “While the decor was dated, we knew we could do something with it as a family home that could grow with our kids.” Now aged 11 and seven, respectively, those “kids”, Freddy and Madeleine, call this bungalow home.

“We also wanted it to be more functional, with lots of storage – I am very organised – including a walk-in robe and a butler’s pantry for appliances and prepping,” says Lisa. “And the formal dining room was outdated and underutlised. We wanted to maximise every inch.”

For the overall look, she envisaged “a little bit Hamptons, but not too much, as we are not near the beach, contemporary but not too contemporary, classic and elegant.” In 2021, she recruited Peter Jackson of Peter Jackson Design to mastermind the building design and designer Terri to craft the interiors.