This Melbourne Home Sits Pretty on a Slightly Sloped Site

Having her own interior design business, Rebecca, along with her husband, had a very clear idea of what they wanted their new build home to become. "Aesthetically, we both love modernist design and wanted the house to take on the principles of this movement in a contemporary way. We were also conscious of building something that complemented the local area, which has a strong history of 1970’s modernist architecture," says Rebecca, in an interview with her architects, InForm Design.

So while the exterior aligned with the area's vernacular, the typical low ceilings and shag carpeting are nowhere to be found inside. Instead, the interior of this suburban Melbourne home is contemporary in nature, with high ceilings and a neutral color palette that complements the home's use of natural materials like concrete, timber, brick, and wool.

"We chose our block of land for its north facing aspect and wanted to make the most of this by orienting the house around a central courtyard, maximizing the natural light and ensuring a strong connection between the indoor and outdoor spaces," says Rebecca.

To encourage that connection, InForm designers strategically positioned the structure on the naturally sloping site to optimize northern light all while leveraging the unique scale the home adopted that resulted in an overall spacious plan.

When entering the home, the ceilings gradually rise throughout, bringing the home's unique layout into view. After entering, two stairs on the right transition from concrete to carpet to reveal a cozy and more secluded lounge. To let in an outdoor breeze, sliding glass doors open up to the central courtyard and bring the pool into view. 

On the left of entry, another two stairs raise the floor height into the living/dining/ kitchen area, which overlooks the pool, garden, and southern courtyard. For a unique yet still relaxed outdoor dining experience, a custom designed smoker is built into the brickwork for family and visiting friends to enjoy.

Related Reading: A Welcoming Family Home Radiates Out to the Neighborhood in Melbourne 

Project Credits:

Design and Construction of Record: InForm / @inform_melbourne

Styling: Bek Sheppard / beksheppard