This Melbourne Home Doesn’t Exactly Look Accessible, And That’s the Best Part – Architectural Digest

AFTER: Open shelving was built into the wall of the kitchen to maximize space and functionality.

Megan developed a plan, working closely with Claire and Hayden, to cultivate a property where needs and wants existed in harmony. They partnered with Green Solar Designs to build a new double-story extension that included a kitchen, dining, and sitting room on the ground floor and a primary suite upstairs. A large sliding door opens to the original structure, which has the same widened door frames and even flooring as the rest of the home. The wallpaper, palmets, and light fixtures in the front room that first drew the couples attention were salvagedthanks, in part, to Macasar Buildingand fit right in with the rest of their belongings.

AFTER: Handmade terra-cotta tiles were sourced from New Zealand for the flooring through the kitchen, dining, and living spaces, and the herringbone pattern makes it easier for Owens wheelchair to glide. The furnishings are from the owners collection.

Claire and Hayden had a collection of vintage kitsch, midcentury, and industrial objects that had been stored in anticipation of their forever house, Megan says. Claire worked in fashion for many years, so she has a keen eye for color and form, and Hayden had amassed industrial relics of his own.

Megan created an earth-tone palettewarm paprika in the entryway, sage in the kitchen, sky blue in the bathroomto complement their style and connect each space to the leaves and light outside. The colors also allow accessible and sustainable elements to blend in more effortlessly. The curves of the ground-floor bathroom, which was the most vital and challenging part of the renovation, let Owen transfer from the tub to his wheelchair more easily, while the height of the vanity allows his wheels to slide underneath. Those same curves and rectangular tiles can be seen in the kitchens open shelving and dining areas fireplace, and everything can be accessed through wider door frames inside and hardwood ramps outside. As for eco-friendly solutions, a 5-kilowatt solar panel and solar hot water system were installed on the roof, and the new exterior consists of recycled brick.

BEFORE: When the family first moved in, the outdoor area was in total disarray.

AFTER: Double-glazed timber windows were installed throughout the home, and an angled hardwood front door was made custom for this frame. The original brick faade and sandstone paving were restored, and match new wide ramps that were made to blend in.

Everything works so well, Claire says. The lovely big ramp out the front is the first thing everyone notices, and strangers often stop by and tell us how much they love it. Because its made so well, it actually adds a rather grand flavor to the front of our houseas if someone really important must live there! But the things people may not notice, like the smooth doorways and mixer taps, are what makes this home truly functional.

BEFORE: The original home only had one bathroom, and its midcentury build was not accessible.

AFTER: Megan was inspired by a 1960s pool for the bathrooms renovation, and sourced tiles from Artedomus and Academy Tiles for the walls and tub enclosure. Many of this projects features, such as the curved vanity, were functionally important and became some of the most beautiful aspects of the design, she says.

AFTER: Megan reused the original bathrooms pink sink in the primary suite upstairs. Along with the primary bedroom and bathroom, theres a studyMegan calls it the parents zone.

Its been three years since the family moved into this flexible and functional hub, and so far, it has been just that. Everyone has a spot to work, play, and gather, and Claire notes how the colors bring the interior alive. While the project's aim was for Owen to live well, the rest of the family certainly does too. And that, Claire notes, is its beauty. Accessible homes are the best because they make everyones life more comfortable, she says.

AFTER: The lovely, wide entryway is painted in a paprika shade from Dulux, and complements the Australian hardwood staircase.

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This Melbourne Home Doesn't Exactly Look Accessible, And That's the Best Part - Architectural Digest