In the stylish Prahran suburb of Melbourne, multidisciplinary design firm Hecker Guthrie transformed a grand Victorian family home into a contemporary version of its best self.
Between the house’s construction in the 1880s and Hecker Guthrie’s intervention, the building had received an extension and redesign in the 1960s (it served as a men’s retirement home for a period). When Hecker Guthrie arrived on the scene, most of the original period details had been obscured, including original pine flooring hidden beneath red carpet. The designers unearthed and restored it all—including molding, cornices, columned archways, and ceiling roses, and even an original stained glass window in the front room. Once the building’s Victorian identity had been reestablished, the firm added contemporary furnishings—clean-lined furniture from Australian and Scandinavian designers, blue velvet accents, and a bold, geometric tile in the entryway. Let’s take a look.
Photography by Shannon McGrath, courtesy of Hecker Guthrie.
For more Australian design, see:
- Smart Storage Solutions in an All-White Laundry Room in Melbourne
- Before & After: A Melbourne Remodel with a Masculine Touch
- Architect Visit: A Modern Landscape for a Midcentury Remodel in Melbourne
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