Heightened Refinement – Toorak Residence by Studio Tate

Toorak Residence blends moments of openness with seclusion, elevating the home through a rich and enduring textural palette. Studio Tate focuses on combining the personal expression of the owners with functionality and optimisation to create a lasting, immersive retreat.

Located in Toorak, in Melbourne’s south-east, Toorak Residence is a beautiful addition to the existing dwellings nearby. It is the home’s sense of scale that inspired a zoned and layered approach to ensure human connections remained and were not lost within the interior volumes. Studio Tate overlays the residence with attentive detailing both inside and out, with consideration towards the articulation of junctions and ensuring contemporary additions retain a lasting and classical sensibility. In envisioning an elevated family home – one that reflected their personalities and how they wanted to engage with the wider landscape – the owners sought to simultaneously ensure they were shaping a legacy.

It is the home’s sense of scale that inspired a zoned and layered approach to ensure human connections remained and were not lost within the interior volumes.

An open floor plan connects the interior spaces together in a considered sequence and to the surrounding natural elements. Set within a newly curated landscape, the overall form allows for plenty of air and sunlight to be drawn inward whilst maintaining aspects of privacy. The planning also allows for a dedicated guest experience that remains separate from the daily happenings of the home. Through considered sequencing, the entrance is marked by a significant sculptural staircase, adding an organic form among more linear gestures. Spread across three floors, the push and pull of tone, contrast and form is felt throughout.

Stepping inside, a gallery-like passage leads to dedicated sitting and dining rooms, where natural stone is chosen as a statement feature. An accompanying powder room follows a similar sense of opulence and drama, building up to the open and shared living space to the rear. As the primary area to gather, entertain and connect, it reflects contemporary family life yet feels distinctly more heightened through the use of select materials. Storage and amenity are concealed throughout, with dedicated areas to hide the inner workings of the home, allowing other zones to feel calm and restorative.

The planning also allows for a dedicated guest experience that remains separate from the daily happenings of the home.

Denoting the house as the epitome of a private sanctuary, Toorak Residence feels deliberately disconnected from the surrounds yet innately bound from within. By combining moments of drama with more serene elements, Studio Tate ensures the family dwelling will leave a lasting resonance, ageing gracefully with time.