Latest news with #StudioDoherty
Daily Mail
27-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
Inside the old Melbourne heritage home that's just won a prize at the Dulux Colour Awards: 'Breathtaking'
A Melbourne weatherboard home with an extension at the rear has been expertly transformed into an award-winning home. The Elonera House project, undertaken by Studio Doherty, was recently recognised in the 2025 Dulux Colour Awards and named the winner in the coveted Residential Interior category. Studio Doherty, led by Mardi Doherty, took to their Instagram account after the win to say they were 'still pinching ourselves' about the victory. But a glimpse at the beautiful interior images of the Sandringham home confirms the renovation is more than deserving of the top accolade. The Bayside suburb project set out to transform a tired, singe-level, weatherboard period home 'into a welcoming sanctuary for a growing family'. The team was posed with the added challenge of staying within the home's existing footprint – while converting it into an elegantly designed space with a functional layout. The project rationale described it as a 'thoughtful reconfiguration' utilising 'a refined material palette'. The plan was to 'celebrate the original Edwardian charm while creating intimate, light-filled spaces that connect with the garden, offering both warmth and modern functionality'. The end result is a renovation that has a modern aesthetic, while honouring many of the home's original period elements, like the heritage architraves, fretwork and skirting. Even the 90s extension area is playfully nodded to with that section of the house sculpted in light timber. Colour-wise, the judges' were captivated by the homes' use of a palette of graceful tones, inspired by its surrounding gardens. This is echoed throughout the design through the use of earthy yellows and light blues alongside matte and glossy finishes. A distinct cherry-painted door marks the transition between the original house and its contemporary back area. The bold kitchen is a particular standout in the project, with the space delineated by a curved bulkhead that wraps around the kitchen. The splashback is covered in glistening yellow tiles and complements a quartzite covered island bench top. Together, these luxe warm tones unite the kitchen and carry on through to the adjacent living space. Overall, the final result is a house that exudes warmth, elegance, relaxation and functionality - making it a clear winner at the recent awards. The Dunstan House project was commended for its use of a 'Yellow Varnish' paint on external aspects of the home, which cleverly tied interior and exterior living spaces In the other highly competitive category of Single Residential Exterior, the winner was Melbourne project Dunstan House by SSdH. The SSdh designed home in the north-east suburb of Preston was particularly commended for its use of the Dulux shade 'Yellow Varnish' on external aspects of the house. The colour was cleverly used as a connecting device between the interior and exterior living spaces, while also adding visual warmth and framing. As explained in the project rationale, the paint 'impacted on the colours around it'. 'On a clear day, it brings the sky into focus and in the evening, it reflects a glowing warmth onto the brick walls and timber-lined interior.' Like the interior winner, the judges' appreciated the Dunstan House project's ability to play into its original 'true to character' elements. In the case of this project, this was evident in the display of an imperfect layered brick finish. A judges' statement provided to FEMAIL confirmed that a common thread among this year's winner was a preference for honouring 'architectural heritage' and design that championed retro and vintage influences, as well as the 'striking use of singular colour as a design device'.
News.com.au
09-06-2025
- General
- News.com.au
Hawthorn: 115-year-old church transformed into a family home
Transforming a former house of worship into a home can be challenging but the outcome spectacular. Melbourne-based Studio Doherty director Mardi Doherty spent about 18 months on a project to restore and convert a 1910s Hawthorn church for her clients, a family of five. And they're not the only ones as the converting religious hubs into homes has been growing in popularity as an increasing number of churches hit the market across Victoria. Ms Doherty said that a previous residential conversion, dating to the late 1990s or early 2000s, had left the space feeling 'dark, overly partitioned and lacked sensitivity to the building's original spirit'. 'There was a heritage overlay on the exterior of the building, so we approached the project with a strong focus on retention and respect,' she said. 'Key heritage elements like the timber trusses, parquetry flooring and original stained-glass windows were preserved and celebrated.' Ms Doherty said that her clients were deeply engaged in the design process and had an appreciation for the building's original character. 'They added some of their own layers too, like introducing personal religious artefacts, including a decorative crucifix in the outdoor bathroom that they had found and repurposed,' she said. A particularly special moment in the design process was the creation of an outdoor bath, located in a second-floor courtyard just off the main bedroom. 'The client had always loved the idea of bathing outdoors, but with a sense of enclosure and privacy,' Ms Doherty said. 'From this space, you can look up to the sky and across to the stained-glass windows and glass void below.' However, lighting the three-storey interior stairwell proved a complex feat. 'We commissioned a custom chandelier by Christopher Boots, designed to work with the scale of the space and complement the stained-glass windows,' Ms Doherty said. 'Installing it was no small task – it required full scaffolding, a careful choreography of hands, and a lot of patience to safely suspend the fitting across the full height of the void.' An important tip for house hunters keen to renovate a church is to keep thermal performance top of mind. 'Churches aren't built for modern standards of insulation, so you'll need to plan carefully around heating, cooling, and glazing,' Ms Doherty said. 'But if you're drawn to buildings with history and soul, there's something really powerful about repurposing a structure with a previous life. 'It requires sensitivity – but the results can be incredibly special.'
