Melbourne’s inner-north houses have a colourful history. They were built long ago by land speculators, and played host to a wide and varied community in their early existence, before being shunned as undesirable housing in the early twentieth century. The 1970s proved to be a watershed for the area, with groups like as Fitzroy Housing Repair Advisory Service prompting locals to own and honour these houses once again. Inspired by this new manifesto, these new homeowners began honest renovations, turning these once dreary homes into warm and welcoming havens.
The brief for one such Victorian terraced house in Carlton North, with a 1980s renovation by architect Mick Jörgensen (who used it as his own home), made its way to Mel Bright, founder and principal architect of . On paper, the house seemed faultless. But as the team soon discovered, this couldn’t have been farther from the truth.
“The project was meant to be an to the Victorian terrace remodel by Jörgensen, who had extensively reconfigured the interior of the original house. He had even added a studio, storerooms and garden buildings around the courtyard spaces. But there was no northern sunlight and the spaces were hardly suited to the living requirements of a young family,” confesses Mel.
Despite these spatial challenges, Studio Bright was committed to preserving the home’s vintage as it was evident this was once a much-loved home. “It’s raw-timber-lined ceiling, red brick floor and outlook to the mature elm tree in the backyard were all highly valued,” explains Mel.
The new extension is anchored around Jörgensen’s original building, which was restored to hold a foyer, a laundry, bedrooms for the kids, and a living room preserved from Jörgensen’s time. Above the brick garden wall is a window to the study, which, with its sleek steel frames, echoes the historic facade beside it.
And while this house is imagined in all seasons, Autumn House is named after its kaleidoscopic autumnal references when the mature elm tree and creepers spill out to the lane with warm tones. “All thresholds to the courtyards and outdoor spaces are porous and defined by operable glazed doors and windows,” says Mel. “The mesh colour comes from the red brick buildings of the laneway looks the same from a distance, but when you come closer, the form is seen as a delicate veil rather than a solid mass.”
The warm and cosy feeling of autumn extends beyond the aesthetic. “Enclosed by this garden framework is the main bedroom, ensuite bathroom, and the roof top deck,” shares Mel. “Creepers veil the exterior, filtering the light and muting the surrounding sounds.” In her imagination, the second level will one day bloom with a lush tapestry of plants, like a vertical garden offering for the lane and the neighbours.
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