A Cramped Melbourne Victorian Gets an Earthy Refresh Inspired by the Australian Bush

After waiting five years to find out if their home was going to be destroyed by the construction of a proposed freeway, two sisters and their friend finally got the go-ahead to renovate their Victorian in Kensington, a leafy suburb of Melbourne, Australia. The residents followed up with designer Kim Kneipp, who had done some restyling work on the dwelling years prior. The brief was simple: reconfigure the kitchen, laundry room, and bathroom to improve circulation and bring more natural light into the home.

During the initial renovation, Kneipp designed floor-to-ceiling shelving in the dining room, which "removed a lot of the clutter they had [and] started to transform the way they lived," Kneipp says. This time around, custom joinery was also central to the revamp.

Due to a combination of budget constraints and the desire to avoid further delays by applying for building permits, Kneipp worked entirely within the home’s existing footprint. The designer rotated the kitchen 90 degrees, moved a boarded-up window, and cut back an internal wall to create a clear sight line to the courtyard. She also built a curved kitchen island with a concealed bar. A wooden ladder attached to a brass rail provides access to the ceiling-height white Laminex storage cupboards.