Black House

This Hawthorn East addition transforms a conservative heritage home in inner Melbourne into a dynamic family residence designed around light, volume and a bold material idea.

The brief asked for a sleek, minimal home that still worked for a young family, with strong connections between rooms, views to the garden and the city, and storage that lets the spaces stay calm. The plan responds with a double height void at the heart of the new addition. The void draws daylight deep into the floor plate and visually links the kitchen, dining and main living area to a first floor landing, main bedroom, terrace and study.

The kitchen frames the project's most distinctive move. A single black wall houses cabinetry, appliances, benchtops and splashbacks, creating a dramatic backdrop against which everyday objects read like a curated still life. In front of it, a custom marble and timber island anchors the room as a communal gathering point. Alongside, a wall of timber conceals an appliance bay, fridges, pantry storage and access to a utility room with its own external service entrance.

The 261 m² addition sits on a 500 m² site and was completed in 2018 over two levels.

Architects Matthew Murfett and Melissa Lim of Mitsuori Architects. Architectural technician Rhodri Thomas. Structural engineering by Structural Edge. Landscape by Andrew Plant Landscapes. Builder ACS Builders. Photographs by Michael Kai.