This 1970s house, located in Elsternwick, Melbourne, could easily have been pulled down and replaced with a ’McMansion’. With a design from architect Ken Edelstein, the concrete block fence conceals a concrete-block house which is ‘severe’ compared to many new homes. Fortunately, the owners, a couple with two young children, appreciated the modernity of the house, even though it was built over forty years ago.

“The owners have an eye for style. They could see the house was a one-off,” says interior architect Steven Berton. And while Berton could see the need for the home’s fine-tuning, the owners weren’t quite sure from the outset if it was the family home they were initially looking for. “My clients had some reservations that there weren’t two living areas and no main bedroom ‘wing’ as now currently expected.”

Berton was mindful of replacing the relatively fragile aluminium window frames and doors. These frames were replaced by more substantial powder-coated steel frames, which are considerably more compatible with the home’s monumental concrete block construction.

Read the full story in Issue 63 of Indesign, on sale December 23.