Interior designer Ali Fletcher was tasked with creating a calm and organised space for a growing family in this Edwardian semi in Melbourne’s Fitzroy North. The couple and their three kids were fast outgrowing the space and needed zones throughout the home that everyone could break away to.
It was exactly the sort of reno Ali specialises in with her business Archie Design, working predominantly on heritage homes in Melbourne’s inner north. “I have a great understanding and passion for heritage homes,” she says. “They never have enough light or storage and are not always set up for a modern family lifestyle, so I love updating them to become more suitable for my clients.”
These particular clients also yearned for a large kitchen and dining space for entertaining, with an island bench free from amenities like a sink or cooktop. They wanted to keep the traditional long hallway and create a bathroom away from the kitchen.
Creating the vision meant a lot of work! “The front two rooms remained the same and the rest of the house was knocked over and restarted,” Ali explains. “The main bedroom became the main bathroom and laundry, opening out to the main living with a mud storage area to help with organisation of the family. We created a large entertaining kitchen with a galley working area and a large island that can be used as a second entraining area. The butlers pantry is large and open so is still very much part of the kitchen with plenty of light and ventilation.”
An eight-seater dining area and lounge room open up to the outdoor dining area while the upstairs comprises of a small children’s bedroom overlooking the trees, ensuite with separate toilet, a main bedroom that opens out to a north-west facing terrace to create a sense of space, and bring the outdoors in. Finally, a separate office space also opens out to the terrace. “I pitched all the ceilings in the upper level to get as much height as we could,” Ali adds.
Previously, the Edwardian semi-detached home only had three bedrooms so they needed one more. The one and only bathroom was off the kitchen, which was not ideal! “The old galley kitchen could not fit a full-size dining table in it. I also needed to add as much light in as possible as it is south facing.”
Ali says the outdoor terrace upstairs made the biggest difference. “It makes the space feel airy and light even though you are in the inner city near busy roads. The natural alpine quartzite stone in the kitchen was expensive but worth it, as it is so beautiful and unique in its characteristics, but being quartzite it’s more hardwearing than other natural stone so it’s perfect for a young family.”
The new space is minimal and calm with neutral colours, a hint of warm earthy tones and layers of textures. “I love the kitchen, which has been planned thoroughly with family and entertainment in mind and it has delivered! I hunted for months to find the right finish for the darker cabinetry. I wanted to see the texture of timber but not black, so this charcoal offset with blackened brass pulls by Studio Henry creates that moodier inner city feel but still has a calming handcrafted finish rather than being too sleek or modern.”
Every window in the house was carefully planned around the outdoor surroundings and designed to showcase trees. On the terrace, Ali designed a front façade on the rooftop to help block out the sound of the traffic from the nearby road and cleverly placed a window to frame the heritage chimney of the original home as a celebration of its heritage.
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Builder: Corey Bird, Bird & Co Building | Joinery: Cumming Brothers | Lighting: Solstice Lighting
Photography: Kryssia Agius of Hunting Utopia
