Kesterson House by Bunston

With preservation for future generations top of mind, Bunston took a considered approach to the transformation of Kesterson House, an 1875 heritage property in Melbourne’s St Kilda.

When the owners of Kesterson House approached Zac Bunston of nascent Melbourne architectural studio Bunston to rejuvenate their heritage home, they stressed what they saw as their ‘temporary’ ownership of the 1875 residence. “They like to believe that the house isn’t really theirs,” Bunston says. “Rather, that they’re just looking after it for future generations. I think working with heritage properties, it’s really important not just to preserve it but to think about its lifetime well and truly beyond ours.”

“Our brief was essentially to convert the former office into a family home while respecting the essence of its history and historical significance.”

The house – built for businessman William Kesterson, who owned a clutch of properties in St Kilda, the now-demolished Prince of Wales Hotel among them – had been operating as an architect’s office when the clients bought it in 2020. Initially, they approached Bunston for a simple makeover – a new kitchen and ensuite and additional storage. But the project expanded to include a new extension at the rear, incorporating the kitchen and living area and connected to the original house through a glass link that floods the space with light.

“Our brief was essentially to convert the former office into a family home while respecting the essence of its history and historical significance,” Bunston says. A large part of the project was restorative in nature – the building was replumbed and rewired, the chimneys were rebuilt and the slate roof replaced.

“The Green Slate is a colour that can be found in the Boston ivy that covers the original residence – it really helped to bring the outside in.”

To create the extension, the rear part of the house was demolished, with each brick saved and reused. It now comprises the kitchen and living room, which possess a strong sense of connection, a key requirement of the owners. “Early on in the design process, we decided that the kitchen was going to be directly linked to the living area,” says Bunston. “This allowed someone who was cooking in the kitchen to have a conversation with someone on the couch.”

The kitchen has a relatively small floor area, so “every part works hard.” Here, Bunston opted for Laminex surfaces in two contrasting shades – Green Slate and Burnt Ochre. “The Green Slate is a colour that can be found in the Boston ivy that covers the original residence – it really helped to bring the outside in.” The green was used for the expansive suite of cupboards, in a matte finish “that really holds the light. It has a diffuse quality that is forever changing throughout the day.”

“The pantry is designed to be open and on full display, and the Burnt Ochre is something of a surprise – it gives a degree of playfulness and an element of fun.”

The Burnt Ochre features in a ladder used to access higher joinery and for the inside of the pantry. “The pantry is designed to be open and on full display, and the Burnt Ochre is something of a surprise – it gives a degree of playfulness and an element of fun.” Bunston says materials were carefully considered for Kesterson House, in terms of both where they come from and how they are manufactured, making Laminex a natural choice.

With one foot firmly in the present and one in the past, the residence presents as a unified whole, a family residence whose lifespan has been extended through the careful design thinking of Bunston and the considered collaboration of its owners.

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