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A beautiful renovation of a mid-century home in Mt Eliza that, although with the 'bones' of this classic style, was very low-slung, of modest materiality, and enclosed.

We shared our clients' passion for mid-century modernism and sought to restructure the form of the house to create a much more open layout and to create more openings in the north facade, where a breathtaking garden view and pool-side aspect beckoned.

Our solution was to propose a new living room pavilion linked to the kitchen-dining area and restructure the bedrooms accordingly. The roof of the new pavilion appears to float above the linear form of the house, with highlight glazing on all sides bringing an abundance of natural light and a startling transformation to the dwelling. Furniture, joinery and the kitchen island benches are unique in style, elegant and slender in native hardwoods, floating on timber legs and open to the universal space created by the pavilion. The larger glazed screens slide back to invite breezes and poolside views into the home, and the old ceiling in the main part of the house is removed to expose richly-coloured original hardwood ceiling joists, which reaffirm the material palette of Australian timbers.

Elsewhere white brick and deep green velvets are used in upholstery and rugs to mimic the deep garden setting beyond the house.

  • YEAR: 2019
  • SITE AREA: 654m2
  • LOCATION: Mount Eliza, Victoria
  • PHOTOGRAPHER: Shannon McGrath
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Garden House
Garden House
Garden House
Garden House
Garden House
Garden House
Garden House

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Garden House

About the
Professional

A design-led architecture, interiors and urbanism studio in South Melbourne

McMahon and Nerlich established in 2013 with a focus on finely crafted residential and commercial projects. Directors Rob Nerlich and Kate McMahon weave together influences from the built environment, architectural urbanism and design theory to create beautiful buildings and spaces

McMahon and Nerlich is an experienced design studio based in South Melbourne, founded in 2013 by directors Rob Nerlich and Kate McMahon. Our multi-disciplinary studio brings a unique vision and dedication to each project. We work across all scales with expertise in residential, education, commercial and urban design across metropolitan and regional areas. We remain passionate about designing houses for people. Each project we undertake contributes to our practice research and our focus on design-led architecture that is sustainable and a portrait of our clients. We hold studio leader positions at the Melbourne School of Design at the University of Melbourne. We have a growing published and award-winning portfolio of built work across the residential and commercial sectors and we have a strong and clear practice/process philosophy and social sustainability ethic. We welcome you to contact us and become part of our practice journey.

  • Year founded
    2013
  • ArchiPro Member since
    2022
  • Associations
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  • Locations
    South Melbourne, Victoria
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At ArchiPro we recognise and acknowledge the existing, original and ancient connection Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have to the lands and waterways across the Australian continent. We pay our respects to the elders past and present. We commit to working together to build a prosperous and inclusive Australia.