A Builder's Own Dark Post-War Cottage is Transformed Into a Bright Minimalist House
A Builder's Own Dark Post-War Cottage is Transformed Into a Bright Minimalist House
February 25th, 2022
Jesse Creasey, builder, director and owner of Character Built, and his wife found a Post-War cottage online, and when they drove past for a look, it wasn't initially for him. It was until Jesse inspected the interior that he saw the potential, noticing the level of detail of the ceilings.
While the house featured intricate cornice features and some detailing found in Post-War dwellings, it was dark, and the layout felt like a rabbit-warren. So Jesse approached Andrew Stapleton of DOOD Studio to make the home lighter and brighter while still maintaining the original detailing. "We wanted to use as much of the existing footprint of the building as possible," explains architect Andrew. "That was a blueprint for what ended up being the end design, pretty much gutted the inside to try and make it work within the parameters that they wanted."
The front portion was retained and restored, where Jesse replaced windows, and the front facade was re-bricked. A walk-in-robe and ensuite were designed for the main bedroom, while a fresh bathroom was built, and other bedrooms got a fresh coat of paint. In what is considered the new part, Andrew shuffled the interior layout around to focus the living area and the kitchen and dining around the north-facing courtyard. A garage, wine room and guest suite, complete with ensuite, straddles the rear of the property.
The interiors were freshened up, with an almost minimalist-style-meet-Melbourne-Mediterranean-suburbia. In the original part of the home, the bedrooms are painted with dark blues and greens, with a lighter pink in the main bedroom. However, it becomes much lighter and brighter as you walk through the new part. The kitchen uses terrazzo flooring and stucco render, referencing the Mediterranean history of Brunswick West. "It is a minimalist style," Andrew explains. "But when you incorporate some of these textures, it sort of becomes a bit more homely and a bit warmer."
You can't see what is probably a unique part of the home, and that is the collaboration between architect Andrew and builder Jesse. Typically Andrew would design and document the house, with the expectations that clients would follow it accordingly; however, when your client is also a builder, there is an opportunity for a much more free-flowing process. And this process had its advantages; as Andrew explains, "We found it was quite fun to be flexible with the ideas and test them out once you're in the space and the building is starting to be constructed."
Designed by DOOD Studio, built by Character Built.
Videography and editing, photography and words by Anthony Richardson.
You Might Want to Watch
