Architecture

A Total Transformation For This Pocket-Sized Heritage Home

A few weeks ago we featured a sleek North Fitzroy conversion by small Melbourne firm Olaver Architecture. This converted home in Kingsville is another project from the keep-an-eye-on-these-guys architecture firm, where a heritage residence on a compact site has been converted into a generous, outward-looking family house.

Written
by
Miriam McGarry

The Kingsville House in Melbourne by Olaver Architecture. Chairs, table and rug from Design Consigned. Large basket from Pan After. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

The house was a weatherboard heritage home on a compact site. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

Clever adaptations make the contained site feel spacious. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

The integration of bench seating into the island base creates a unified hub to the home. Furniture from Design Consigned. NAU Molloy chairs from Cult Design purchased from Design Consigned pictured around the dining table. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

 

Lamp by Ross Gardam. NAU Molloy chairs from Cult Design purchased from Design Consigned. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

Smart sliding doors allow the entire rear side of the house to open up. NAU Molloy chairs from Cult Design purchased from Design Consigned. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

Left: Kitchen and dining are seamlessly integrated in this compact space. Large basket from Pan After. Cappellini Low Pad armchairs from Cult Design, purchased from Design Consigned. Right: Polar lamp by Ross Gardam. Hay Palissade outdoor bench from Cult Design, purchased from Design Consigned. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

Sleek and sophisticated olive finishes paired with light timber. Utensils basket from Pan After. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

Looking through to the dining area. Ross Gardam lamp. Furniture from Design Consigned. NAU Molloy chairs from Cult Design purchased from Design Consigned. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

The moody bathroom. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

The bedroom. Ross Gardam lamp. Photo – Josh Robenstone. Stylist – Victoria Merrett.

Writer
Miriam McGarry
27th of May 2019

The Kingsville House by Olaver Architecture was a heritage weatherboard home on a compact site, with a rear laneway, east-west orientation, and adjoining neighbour to the south. Emlyn Olaver highlights that while the site restrictions and heritage overlay presented challenges, they were also the ‘driving factors’ in resolving the design.

Emlyn describes how the initial renovations saw the three-bedroom weatherboard reconfigured to transform the front bedroom into the master. However, heritage restrictions prohibited this adaptation, and necessitated a different approach. He acknowledges ‘like most challenges, we feel it turned out for the better.’

The final design is characterised by countless clever design solutions that make the contained site feel spacious. For instance, the centrally located kitchen and living area may be small, but the integration of dining table seating into the island bench maximises space in the busiest part of the home. Large sliding windows open out to the central courtyard, and the parents’ quarters are placed along the rear laneway to create a sense of separation.

This kid and pet-friendly home is fitted out with robust, versatile materials, such as laminate joinery, caesarstone benchtops, concrete floor, timber windows, and steel shelving. The green upholstered banquette connects with the outside, in a renovated home that cleverly works within planning restrictions to create a resolved and cost-effective architectural outcome.

Recent Architecture