Residential - Alterations & Additions

Surrey House is part of a run of boom-time terraces in inner Melbourne that was waiting to be restored and loved once again. Our clients share a love of food and wine, and required a house to enjoy with family and friends. We dived into this brief and looked to open up the segregated and dark Victorian rooms, to create a lighter home that retained period character, but also had improved ‘flow’ and connection across the floor plan.

 The narrow block allowed us to draw on many years of experience with this typology of building, and we have successfully created a series of lofty spaces that defy the slender lot size. Careful planning ensured that all areas of the house have been used and efficient design wasted no area. A custom, steel framed wine store is integrated under the stair, and a lift carefully inserted to connect the two levels.

 The interiors palette has a sense of glamour drawing on Victorian themes of black and white and more decorative elements. A sense of quality pervades the selections of finishes and fittings throughout the completely refurbished property. Materials have also been used to create a sense of space. Stone flooring extends from the Kitchen and Sitting Rooms into the garden spaces to create a seamless integration from inside to out.

Careful collaboration with the building team was required to reinstate period features, restore the Victorian beauty to its early glory and deliver the contemporary addition at the rear. The heritage work extended across the façade, internal decorative plasterwork, tessellated Verandah and Victorian stair and balustrade.

 A two-storey addition was added to the rear to deliver the 4-bedroom brief and create a generous kitchen and informal sitting area at ground level. We worked closely with the Landscape Designers to ensure that this connected seamlessly to an outdoor pergola and entertaining area that bridges between the house and much valued, elongated garden to the rear. A steel framed ‘conservatory style’ bay window has been added to the rear façade to enhance and connect to the norther aspect and garden views.

Builder:  Fortem Projects   

Landscape Designer: Ian Barker Gardens            

Photographer: Jack Lovel