Crafted response

Designed by In Design International

From the designers

Located within the ornate 1890s Victorian Railway Headquarters Building in Melbourne, this project saw the removal of an unsympathetic late 20th century renovation and allowed for the reimagining of an historic apartment and the “discovery of hidden architectural features”, while still achieving a contemporary style of living. 

The priority for this renovation was to improve the liveability for the owners and their extended family in their weekender, and this required very practical and functional solutions to the selection of finishes and decorative elements.

The new bathroom required enough room for up to two adults and two children to share the space, and a separate bathtub from the shower. It also needed to work in conjunction with a storage mezzanine room above. 

Working around existing structural elements and service risers to avoid unnecessary slab drilling, the final design relocated partition walls to improve the overall layout of the room, and without any direct natural light, illumination was achieved via concealed strip lighting, custom wall lighting, and the inclusion of a hardwired magnifying mirror.

This interior aims to be innovative through its recreation of an Arts & Crafts interior, with the inclusion of a clawfoot bath, telephone shower, custom aged iron tapware, timber-look floor tiles, marble slabs and intricate tile detailing, layered with contemporary lighting, to reflect both the existing heritage building, and the urban contemporary lifestyle led by the owners. 

Throughout this interior, this bathroom included, the traditional meets the non-traditional in materiality and form to evoke a space that feels concurrently part of the traditional fabric of the building, as well as inherently relaxed and comfortable – resulting in an outcome that expresses the comfort and liveability ultimately required by the owners.

Designed by: In Design International

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Isamu Sawa