Kesterson House by Bunston

A respectful renovation of an historic home, Kesterson House is Bunston’s first completed project and a bold declaration of the firm’s architectural vision and design intentions.

Established in the 1800s, Kesterson House is widely known within the Victorian architecture and design scene, having most recently served as an office space for architectural firm Powell & Glenn. After purchasing the property, the clients approached Bunston with a brief that detailed some small alterations, such as a new kitchen, bathroom and storage spaces. “The value of the architecture went beyond the itemised brief and unpacked how the spaces would be lived in, how they would make you feel and how they could facilitate the lives of our clients,” says Zac Bunston, founder of Bunston. The clients were leaving behind a leafy suburb for a home along the bay, and Bunston wanted to align the design of this new home to reflect the change of pace. “It is the personalities of our clients, their interests, their tastes and their lifestyle that has shaped the architecture and is what makes this project unique,” says Bunston. “Our value as architects was the interpretation and coordination of our clients’ brief.”

“The completed alterations were simply a realignment of what was there with what was there.”

With the neighbourhood’s rich historical context and minimal architectural changes to consider, Bunston knew that any renovations he made to Kesterson House had to pay respect to its past. “We intended to reuse the existing building materials wherever possible, so the demolition was conducted with extreme care,” he says. Throughout the construction process, each brick from the demolished walls was cleaned, stacked and re-laid without leaving the site. “The completed alterations were simply a realignment of what was there with what was there.” Parts of the home’s past have been salvaged and recast, such as the original windowsills, which were turned into bluestone steppers that bridge the courtyard garden, and the pendant light that hangs above the kitchen, which was once an office light.

For the interior, Bunston had a “desire to land on the perfect material palette; it had to be fun, different and reflect our clients’ personalities.” For the kitchen, the team went to great lengths to source and fabricate hand- patinated, blackened steel for the cabinetry, as well as custom handles, ladder and ladder rail. Some unexpected touches bring a personal touch into the home: the pantry internals and a pull-out ladder are powder-coated in an unexpected orange, the hidden powder room downstairs is lined in the tartan of a client’s Scottish clan and the mirror within was found in their hometown. “Many of the material selections come as a surprise without appearing out of place,” says Bunston. “The selections are unique to our client and offer a point of discussion in almost every room.”

“The idea is that the whole extension will one day be covered in ivy, so it’s almost like the old accepting the new.”

Retaining much of the existing floor plan, Bunston maintained the living, dining and entertaining zones on the ground floor, while the sleeping spaces remain above. The original layout featured a series of narrow, south-facing rooms that were subtly rearranged into a contemporary living space. With these changes, the kitchen was also relocated to the centre of the existing building; however, Bunston found that these spaces lacked natural light. To overcome this, an alteration was made by adding a small rear space that extended from the kitchen, joined together by a glass strip that acts as both a skylight and a connection point between old and new. “This join has multiple purposes, but its main purpose is to filter light through the old facade – which is covered in ivy – into the existing house,” says Bunston. The ivy was a crucial element as to why the clients chose the home, and the team sought to bring the ivy inside. “The idea is that the whole extension will one day be covered in ivy, so it’s almost like the old accepting the new.”

Bringing the outdoors in was an important element of the project. Though the usable backyard space is limited, Bunston brought permeability to the site. “We did this by setting up a central garden that’s a long strip, so as you open the front door, you look straight through to the garden,” he says. Though small, the courtyard links the internal spaces. “The living is connected to the dining through that garden, and the same with the kitchen.” Kesterson House, however, is not considered to be an open-plan dwelling: “The altered floor plan connects the kitchen, dining and living area without bundling them into one room and labelling it as an open plan.” By blending old and new, Bunston has turned Kesterson House into a distinct family home that reflects its owners’ lifestyle, with each room maintaining individual integrity and character.

Architecture, interior design and landscape design by Bunston. Build by Barkers Burke Construction. Landscape build by Core Pave. Joinery by Fenn Interiors. Metal fabrication by SteelScale. Stone masonry by Breccia.