How Pops Of Colour Revived This Melbourne Mid-Century Gem
Architecture
Inside the Frankston mid-century modern home renovated by Drawing Room Architecture.
Laminex Moroccan Clay on joinery. Half Hurdle Dining chair by Dowel Jones.
Half Hurdle High chair in Blaze Blue by Dowel Jones. Pendants by Muuto.
Laminex Paperbark and Moroccan Clay on joinery. Raw concrete island bench. Pendants by Mutto. Table by Designed By Them.
The bold colours enhance the home’s retro vibe.
The living room.
The original brickwork and timber beams were retained. Butterfly chair by Big Chair Living.
Elevated windows capture abundant natural light.
Custom sideboard by Drawing Room Architecture. Print on shelf by Lauren Bamford and Stephanie Somebody.
Parker Table from Facebook Marketplace. Half Hurdle dining chair by Dowel Jones.
Gardens lead up to the front door.
‘A mid-century-modern backdrop is most architects’ dream palette,’ says Drawing Room Architecture founder and architect Nicola Dovey.
When the owners of this mid-century Frankston home approached her to renovate their brick gem, Nicola embraced the fun of working with a quirky building from such an iconic era.
Clients Kirsten and Greg, and their two kids, had been living there since 2012. Externally, it was full of its original nostalgic character, but the rear featured an ‘ill-considered’ extension that was added in the 1980s.
‘They wanted the 80s extension remade to allow the family to live in harmony all together, cooking and entertaining, or quietly in their own corner reading or relaxing,’ Nicola says.
In addition to carving out new functional spaces like an improved entry sequence, the brief took careful consideration of the family’s lifestyle.
A heritage overlay restricted any changes to external walls, existing windows or the roofline, forcing Drawing Room Architecture to focus on rearranging the internal spaces.
‘After mapping out the activities a family would ideally run through on any given day, we set up a sensible workflow for these activities and designed the joinery to support these actions,’ Nicola adds.
The new living space accounts for all of Kristen and Greg’s prerequisites, ranging from ensuring a connection between the dining nook and kitchen so cocktails could be easily passed to guests; a large island bench made robust enough to handle curry making and red wine spills.
Nearby, the sofa offers a cosy spot to unwind overlooking the fireplace and the gardens outside. There’s also dedicated spaces for their record player and record collection, along with plenty of storage.
As true fans of the home’s modernist bones, Nicola and the owners sought to recapture this retro energy across the new interiors. Plywood details contrast against pops of burnt orange on the laminate joinery, with cobalt blue hidden inside open shelves, on the eye-catching front door, and stools by Dowel Jones in a similar bold colourway.
‘Tonally, we placed rich reds and blacks beside pale paperbarks and porcelain white bricks. The rich cork flooring adds warmth, texture, and a softness underfoot,’ she says.
The home now feels like a fresh and fun take on its mid-century roots — proving the power of a good colour palette!