Heritage home reimagined for family with pops of colour

This four-bed detached heritage home in Melbourne’s Bayside has been completely reimagine into a warm, elegant and functional space that truly reflects the owners’ lifestyle.

The transformation started with an extension designed by Elements of Home, which doubled the size of the original house. The baton was then passed onto YDM Design Studio to ensure each space was designed to be as functional as possible, while infusing it with personality and warmth.

“As well as being much too small for the client’s needs, the original home was very dated and lacked personality,” says interior designer Nina DiMarco, of YDM. “These clients like colour and texture, and an aesthetic which blends aspects of classic styles (like shaker cabinetry), which a more contemporary feel – none of which the original home had!

“We worked on every single space in the home, selecting all new finishes and fixtures, from flooring to lighting to paint colours. Most rooms also feature custom cabinetry, which we designed specifically to suit the needs of the family, whilst allowing for growth in the future.”

With a few of the heritage features remaining in the front rooms, it was important to include nods to them throughout the new design. Nina did this through the more traditional shaker joinery, the feature doors to the rumpus, and the decorative skirting boards throughout. This was then paired with more modern colours, materials, and fixtures to create a cohesive home that seamlessly blends classic and contemporary features.

“Apart from the large extension, I think the biggest difference was in the new cabinetry, which was also the biggest splurge,” Nina says. “I feel that we maximised the available space and created practical (but still beautiful) joinery pieces.

“The new spaces feel bright and open, whilst still being warm and full of personality. I love the pop of colours we used throughout the home – having touches of navy blue in the kitchen and main living areas, the powder room and the laundry.

“We wanted something a little different for the master bedroom so we included soft and soothing green tones here instead. While the rest of the finishes and fixtures were kept quite neutral, we selected light soft tones that helped to make the spaces feel bright and airy. Soft rounded forms were also used through the home to enhance this, in the shape of the island bench, the cove paneling, the arched mirrors and the selected fixtures.”