Sandringham Residence

A 1990s bayside home in Melbourne, originally clad in cream-orange brick under Dutch gabled eaves, has been recast for the next chapter of a young family's life. Architect Alishia Minett-Johnson of Minett Studio Architecture & Design retained the existing brick downstairs, at the client's request, and added an entirely new first floor that sits in deliberate contrast to it.

The ground floor was reorganised around the family's day-to-day rhythm of living, entertaining and study. Upstairs, a new volume clad in 'monument' shiplap holds a children's retreat with two bedrooms, a shared bathroom and a master suite with ensuite and walk-in wardrobe, all framed to draw the surrounding tree canopy into the rooms.

Interiors, also designed by Minett, lean on a neutral palette that lets the natural light do the work. Concealed storage runs through the plan: a sublime teak cabinet beneath the stairs absorbs power points, shelving and the usual debris of family life into a single sculptural piece on entry. Subtle timber and metal accents zone the living, dining and kitchen, set against white joinery with black finger-pull detail, an integrated fridge and Caesarstone tops. A LAAL Popper Tilt pendant in volcanic black anchors the dining table. Rustic engineered oak floorboards balance the sharper lines elsewhere with hard-wearing warmth.

In the study, built-in joinery continues the concealed-technology theme. Upstairs the children's bathroom carries the basket-weave tiling motif that picks up the external cladding, with a low splashback mirror and under-cabinet lighting scaled to smaller occupants.

The project was shortlisted for the 2018 Bayside Built Environment Awards for Best Renovation/Extension.

Architect and interior designer: Minett Studio Architecture & Design. Photography: Alessandro Cerutti.