This was published 2 years ago
A beachside home in Melbourne’s south-east gets a grand makeover
By Heather Nette King
This stylish family home overflows with warmth and personality.
Lou with Lenny in the entrance hall. “The whole house was carpeted but we opted to sand back the original jarrah boards and stain them black,” says Lou. The table is by Moooi from Space Furniture and the rug is by Gan.Credit: Armelle Habib
The home
A four-bedroom, two-storey brick house, built circa 1912, in Melbourne’s south-east. It has high, ornate ceilings, formal living and dining rooms and a pool.
Who lives here
Lou Prentice, an interior designer and decorator, her husband Sam, an investment banker, their daughters Coco, 19, and Polly, 17, son Henry, 15, and Lenny the cavoodle.
What we did
“We’ve renovated in three stages,” says Lou. “Before moving in, we did a six-week makeover: painting, carpeting and polishing floors. Then we landscaped the garden, restored the verandahs and reworked the back living area, adding
a new kitchen and new bathrooms.”
My favourite room
“It’s hard to beat sitting in the kitchen in summer, with all the doors and shutters opening directly onto the Boston ivy-covered pergola,” says Lou.
The ’hood
“We love being so close to the beach, where I walk most mornings,” says Lou.
Future plans
“I’m really enjoying seeing the garden come to life in spring and looking forward to throwing open the doors and entertaining outdoors again.”
Best advice
“To immediately bring a sense of warmth and comfort to a newly completed home, don’t forget to allocate funds for furniture and soft furnishings into your renovation budget.”
In a corner of the formal dining room, a Faye Toogood “Roly-Poly” chair sits beside a large work in oil on plexiglass by Melbourne artist Camille HannahCredit: Armelle Habib
“The kitchen is always busy as I love to cook,” says Lou. “The cabinetry was designed by Templeton Architecture and the mobile island bench makes for a good servery.”Credit: Armelle Habib
“This coffee table by Zuster is one of the first pieces we bought, many years ago,” says Lou. “It accommodates my stacks of books on design, art and interiors.”Credit: Armelle Habib
“The mirror was left by previous owners; it weighs a ton and is a lovely nod to the past,” says Lou. The ceramic Riot Cop sculptures are by Melbourne artist David Ray.Credit: Armelle Habib
“The high ceilings in the dining room allowed it to tolerate a darker colour, so we chose Dulux ‘Champignon’ for its warmth,” say Lou. The bookshelf is by MDF Italia.Credit: Armelle Habib
In the main bedroom, a custom-built panelled wall acts as both bedhead and disguise for the wardrobe behind. The wall colour is Dulux “Champignon” in half strength.Credit: Armelle Habib
The informal meals area features floor tiles from Jatana Interiors and “Cloud” pendant light from Apparatus Studio. The table and chairs are from Zuster.Credit: Armelle Habib
“I love reading here with the morning sun coming through the leadlight window,” says Lou. The chair is from Jardan and the acrylic sculpture by Carmen Greenough.Credit: Armelle Habib
“The house has many beautiful verandahs which we restored back to their original state, then added shutters to create outdoor rooms,” says Lou. The “Banjooli” chairs are by Moroso.Credit: Armelle Habib
Make the most of your health, relationships, fitness and nutrition with our Live Well newsletter. Get it in your inbox every Monday.