mihaly slocombe reimagines artwork deco with this melbourne dwelling renovation

in a leafy suburb of melbourne, australia, mihaly slocombe architects has brought a 1930s art deco cottage into the 21st century. the task, aptly identified as ‘deco house’, was commissioned by newlyweds, frank and amy, who needed to remodel the dark, cramped rooms into a vibrant and present-day dwelling to increase their loved ones.

pictures by tatjana plitt

located in just the backstreets of kew, the single-tale residence is just one of 6 cottages built in an art deco design and style throughout the 1930s. the first architecture is characterized by a facet entry, interval brick detailing, attractive plaster ceilings, and gorgeous art deco light fittings.

this the latest intervention by mihaly slocombe respects and celebrates the unique architecture by retaining the entrance half of the property and incorporating a double-story extension to the rear that is in trying to keep with the refined artwork deco style. the extension borrows from the authentic white render and ornamental pink brick detailing, decoding these to variety a curvy purple brick extrusion with ornamental white detailing. the stepped bullnose roofs fix a selection of thorny design worries in one particular gesture: they anchor deco dwelling in the period of its namesake, deal with crucial rooms towards the solar and navigate utmost setting up envelope permissions.

inside, deco dwelling contains a rational sequence of residing and sleeping zones that orbit around a shared driveway, side entry, and compact backyard spaces, gifting each individual place with a view exterior and entry to stunning pure gentle. the rooms are generously organized to provide places to cook, socialize and rest, whilst intelligent storage facilitates cheeky show areas for the clients’ eclectic lego assortment.

the content palette is dominated by concrete, timber, and white marble, which merge to develop a innovative nevertheless inviting house. the other protagonist of the interior spaces is the perform of scattered light-weight that wonderfully highlights the curve in the ceilings, the grain of the wood, and the speckles in the concrete. back outside the house, the heaviness of the brickwork is offset by the lightness of perforated metal screens that filter the daylight through the day and glow like lanterns in the evening.