Architects sometimes have blank canvases to work with, sometimes they have specific character and design restrictions to cater for, and at other times, they are given just one little piece of inspiration, and asked to thread a design tale throughout a house, to create a seamless integration of charm, function, and delicate pleasure.
In that manner, Fiona Dunin of
FMD Architects was shown a couple of hand-crafted cross-stitch artworks belonging to the owner of this charming old Victorian era single-front terrace; and asked, from no more inspiration than that, to design a modern, bespoke extension whilst retaining the delightful street-front character of the terrace.
Thus, the Cross-stitch House was born.
Throughout my travels in real estate copywriting, I see grand mansions, tiny apartments, and everything in between, spanning the full gamut from falling-down to the pinnacles of design. Every now and then, a little jewel catches my eye, and the Cross-stich House is gem of rare quality.
From the street, you can only see an updated Victorian terrace with wrought-iron lacework, decorated firewalls either side, lovely tiled veranda, all the usual charm. Upon stepping inside, you find the familiar grand design of the Victorian era with its high ceilings, timber floorboards, and decorations that befitted an era when even modest homes reached up to the highest goals of sophistication.
Step further through the Cross-stitch House and things get interesting. A diversion into the master bedroom uncovers perhaps the most beautiful internal renovation of a small bedroom and bathroom I have ever seen, with an almost tropical pocket garden spilling light into both rooms and providing a lush view from the shower. What an amazing way to freshen up for the day!
Then, enter the living space. Cathedral ceilings, and engineered timber! Exposed beams that frame the outlook, and invite you further in. Architectural art that softens and blurs the boundaries between interior and exterior spaces, and the creation of an endless sense of space in what is, in fact, a modest geographic footprint.
Just as a cross-stich tapestry can deliver repeating, fractal pattern of shapes and forms that function from a distance as well as in close-up, this extension by Fiona Dunin repeats elements that pull you through the living space into the external lavish courtyard garden, framed by a petering out of the very same engineered elements you were greeted with from the hallway. It is a sublime effect, the epitome of design success. The warm but clean and crisp lines are simultaneously ultra-modern, but beckon you to sit back with a cup of tea and just drink it all in.
Elemental reflection and repetition is neither obvious, nor hidden. Timber is used throughout, including in the kitchen, balanced against a pale palette to give an almost Scandinavian feel in an otherwise very recognisable classic Victorian terrace home. The echoes continue with cabinetry that is shaped, well, like houses. The fractal houses within houses here further contribute to an endlessness, that in a masterstroke, provides depth and room to every room you are in.
The Cross-stitch House is not a large house, but it encapsulates grand ideas, and delivers a pocket wonderland that any discerning person would be proud to call “home”. Beautiful.
If you want to live in one of Melbourne's most beautiful gems, you can! It's on the market through agent Nelson Alexander,
see it here.
