Pipkorn Kilpatrick | Caufield house

Camberwell house

This home is testament to our clever (and lovely) client's ability to make things happen! A very tight budget failed to get in the way of the creation of a light and airy home finished with smart, practical, time-resistant and cost-effective finishes.

The original weatherboard had art-deco charm but had been extended in a haphazard way with differing floor levels, roof heights and minimal access to the backyard. The overall footprint was increased by little more than a metre at the rear but the plan was reconfigured to allow an extra bathroom to align with the end of the original house and a maze of kitchen, laundry, bedroom and WC were replaced with a modern living, dining and kitchen area with pantry and laundry tucked behind. The cost-effective modern box was softened and made inviting through bulkhead alignment, large sliding aluminium doors to the north, windows capturing green to the east and the west window housing a study nook. The large island bench grounds the kitchen area and a generous daybed and aligning joinery to the east help zone the living area. A palette of tonal greys – porcelain bench tops, concrete flooring with exposed aggregate, textured tiles and sheer curtains – is warmed up with timber through exposed shelving, the island bench framing and the dining table. A similar palette of soft grey is repeated in both bathrooms with a tonal mix of mosaic and large format tiles and white vanities. A large skylight in the kids bathroom throws down beautiful light during the daytime and becomes the moon-viewing platform at night.

Photography by

Martina Gemmola