Hawthorn East Residence by Adrian Amore Architects

On the fringe of Melbourne’s CBD, Adrian Amore Architects brings a playful and refined approach to the renovation of an existing Edwardian home. Hawthorn East Residence uses a fluid language of curvature and geometry to create an overall composition of harmony.

The original Edwardian dwelling is located in the inner-Melbourne suburb of Hawthorn East and underwent a recent spatial renovation to foster flow and connectivity, establishing a greater experience of sanctuary. The project team at Adrian Amore Architects incorporated a range of architectural elements throughout the residence that offer a visual link between adjacent spaces, such as the banquette seating that curls from room to room. Bronze and timber panelling also invites a journey through the residence – their tapered lines exaggerate movement and visually bridge the central dining room, previously disconnected and underused, with the reconfigured open bar area and kitchen.

Integration is a defining theme of the project, as it required a deft hand to balance both contemporary design and the Edwardian elements crucial in preserving the home’s essential character.

The residence is punctuated by a picture window, which draws in an abundance of natural light and frames views of the garden beyond. The window itself is framed by a bronze reveal and offers a playfully balanced interplay between existing and new features. The original rectilinear pitched ceilings, for example, underwent a softening transformation. Adrian Amore Architects proposed curving and doming the ceilings above the open-plan kitchen, dining and living spaces to generate a unifying design language that embraced volumetric generosity.

These motifs of curling and playing with volume continue in the residence’s ensuite, an enveloping space designed to support the privacy of bathing rituals. Light penetrates a tear-shaped opening in the roof, casting shadows that move across and accentuate the dynamic curvature of the wall throughout the day.

Adrian Amore Architects proposed curving and doming the ceilings above the open-plan kitchen, dining and living spaces to generate a unifying design language that embraced volumetric generosity.

The role of light is highly important in Hawthorn East Residence, where an interior adorned with a dark and industrial palette takes precedence. The dual-entry butler’s pantry bookending the kitchen features a frameless corner window, once again providing an immersive aspect with the experience of the verdant private courtyard and gardens. Functionally speaking, the dual entries to the butler’s pantry are an efficient design quality, with residents physically circulating the space or closing it off entirely depending on use.

Integration is a defining theme of the project, as it required a deft hand to balance both contemporary design and the Edwardian elements crucial in preserving the home’s essential character. The strong entry sequence showcases this fact through the existing library, now opening to the lobby, and the existing in-built book shelving. Adrian Amore Architects achieves a high level of functionality and aesthetic, particularly within a small footprint, through this considered renovation of Hawthorn East Residence.

Architecture and interior design by Adrian Amore Architects. Build by Marino Construction Management.