Making The Old New Again – Monochrome House by Pleysier Perkins

Monochrome House, the latest project from Pleysier Perkins, provides a contemporary addition to the rear of an Edwardian home in Melbourne’s leafy green Malvern East.

With minimal changes to the building’s structure from the streetscape, the project seamlessly slots into its surrounds, neither overbearing nor distracting on entry. The layout of the house provides a family of four with a private retreat on the second level, freeing up the ground floor for entertaining guests and more communal spaces. Additions to the home have been kept deliberately neutral, adopting the monochrome moniker and instead allowing the integrity of the design and its updated floorplan to take centre stage.

This palette adoption in the newly created spaces clearly delineates the old and new parts of the house. The renovation adopts clean, contemporary lines, punctuated by large sliding glass doors at the rear of the home, which lead out to a commanding deck. Here, a spacious barbeque area overlooks the pool and complements the entertaining considerations of the ground floor. Period detailing in the existing structure, meanwhile, has been restored so as to celebrate the existing residence and reinforce that distinction to the new addition.

That transition within the space is marked by a long linear skylight over the stair, which separates the new standing seam wall from the existing terracotta tiled roof, introducing natural light into the new heart of the home. The entry into the main living space is formalised thanks to an imposing set of steel framed glass doors, a material that is accented frequently throughout the renovated spaces. If the use of such a material makes for a traditional harshness, it is ably offset by timber soffits, timber battened walls and a mobile screen. These features combine to help soften the palette, whilst simultaneously providing privacy and sun protection.

An altogether inclusive and welcoming space, Monochrome House allows Pleysier Perkins to put into practice ideals of contemporary living, creating a welcoming home for a young family in the process.