Toorak House by Melanie Beynon
Melanie Beynon Architecture & Design transform a mid-century home in Toorak referencing the iconic design era.
Words: Hande Renshaw | Photography: Dave Kulesza
Melanie Beynon Architecture & Design were enlisted to transform a dated mid-century home which had been in the same family for two generations in Melbourne’s Toorak into a modern and functional home.
Asked to remain sensitive to the family’s lifestyle, while celebrating the home’s roots, Melanie Beynon and her team focused on design elements such as subtle spatial curves, circular shapes and the generous application of Tasmanian oak, with a strong focus on functionality.
The layout is focused around an open kitchen, intimate living spaces, two bathrooms and a central mud room. The new kitchen is the heart of the home, bathed in natural light with additional skylights created to increase light internally. A communal island bench is softened by handcrafted timber detailing, topped with functional Corian working surfaces.
“Our favourite design feature in the home is the placement and detailing of the island bench, — where previously there was separate kitchen, living and dining areas, the opening up of these shared spaces is now anchored by the island,” says Melanie Beynon.
Interior decoration by Hilgar Design & Sandford Gray. Photo - Dave Kulesza.
Lashings of Tasmanian oak are found throughout the home. Photo - Dave Kulesza.
“Working within the original footprint, our design result was
a carefully considered, functional interior that aesthetically respects the home’s mid-century bones.”
The warmth of the key living spaces was elevated by the original Tasmanian Oak flooring and new timber-framed openings that capture panoramic garden views. Photo - Dave Kulesza.
Living spaces are elevated by the original Tasmanian Oak flooring and new timber joinery. Photo - Dave Kulesza.
“The blend and balance of clean white gallery walls backdrop to art, music and books and the discovery of the original Tasmanian Oak flooring preserved under the floor,” says Melanie Beynon of Melanie Beynon Architecture & Design. Photo - Dave Kulesza.
“The most important feature to include for the redesign was functional living.”
The retro-inspired Cement Terrazzo Multi Circle tiles in the children’s bathroom referencing the home’s Midcentury style. Photo - Dave Kulesza.
The vibrant coloured children’s bathroom . Photo - Dave Kulesza.