Architecture

A Jaw-Dropping Home That Brings A Little Of Los Angeles To Brighton

Melbourne’s bayside suburb of Brighton, and the bright lights of Los Angeles aren’t frequently cited in the same breath… but this renovation by Robson Rak architects demonstrates that grand Victorian homes in Melbourne’s suburbs can (in the right hands!) adopt the best of LA modernism.

Architects Kathryn Robson and Chris Rak share the Pavilion House, which confidently balances tradition and experimentation, in this brilliantly updated 1888 residence.

Written
by
Lucy Feagins

A grand Victorian home in Brighton gets a modern makeover from Robson Rak. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

Vintage Brighton from the front..but wait for the LA influenced renovation in the backyard. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

The renovation is respectful to the grandeur of the original property. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

The home and gardens are filled with contemporary sculpture. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

A view down the hallway, into the garden. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

Fresh blues bring warmth into the residence. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

LA modernist vibes with the clean linear forms. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

LA comes to Brighton. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

If Don Draper came to Brighton…Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

The renovations make the most of linking the indoors and outdoors. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

LA skies in Brighton! Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

The new pavilion sits apart from the house, and expands the home into the garden.  Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

Details of the new pavilion addition. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

The house and pavilion wrap around the pool. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

Crisp and clean interior styling. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

Bathroom detailing. Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

Old meets new! Photo – Shannon McGrath. Styling – Swee Lim.

Writer
Lucy Feagins
13th of May 2019

The Pavilion House in Brighton, Melbourne began life in 1888 as a grand Victorian residence. The current owners of this impressive property approached architects Robson Rak to transform the house into a more welcoming and expansive home for their young family. The brief was to restore the original home, and add a new wing, that drew upon the client’s love of LA modernist architecture.

The architects explain their intention was to create a home that would ‘connect the house to the surrounding external environment, and be the perfect backdrop for a modern family who entertain large numbers of friends and family.’

The large site allowed the architects to stretch the potential of the project, and ‘push the boundaries between indoor and outdoor living.’ The new pavilion addition sits confidently, adjacent to the historic home, but is connected through a central courtyard. Meanwhile, the stunning landscaping by Mud Office creates a connection between the old and new, and softens the clean architectural lines with lush greenery.

The home’s original design features, including grand marble fireplaces, ornate cornices, arches and high ceilings have been retained. These Victorian-era flourishes are enhanced and modernised with contemporary details, like rose gold bathroom fixtures, herringbone tiling, and contemporary Australian artwork.

The architects explain ‘we aimed to blur the line between inside and out, old and new, and in doing so create an interesting dialogue between these themes.’ Old meets new, and Brighton meets Los Angeles!

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