South Yarra Townhouse

Behind a compact footprint, the design focuses on improving how the home functions day to day — creating a more open, connected arrangement for a family of four.

The original 1920s French Normandy townhouse was defined by compartmentalised rooms. Strategic structural interventions allow these spaces to be reconfigured, replacing fixed walls with steel-framed sliding doors that provide separation where needed while maintaining openness and connection.

The plan is carefully organised to maximise usable space. Concealed joinery integrates essential functions — including a powder room beneath the stair and a compact laundry alongside the kitchen — allowing the primary living areas to remain clear and uncluttered.

Generous ceiling heights and full-height openings to the rear courtyard extend the sense of space, with the outdoor area read as a continuation of the kitchen and dining zones.

Upstairs, the arrangement accommodates three bedrooms and two bathrooms within a controlled footprint. Openings are positioned to capture views to surrounding tree canopies, bringing a quieter, more private quality to these spaces.

A restrained palette of white surfaces, black steel framing and ebonised cladding unifies the interior and exterior, allowing proportion, light and spatial relationships to remain the focus.

The result is a home that feels open and well resolved, achieved through careful planning rather than increased size.

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