Project Feature: Toorak House by Pop Architecture
A considered renewal of a mid-century home, preserving its original character while refining the spaces of everyday life.
Toorak House by Pop Architecture. Photography by Willem-Dirk du Toit.
Toorak House by Pop Architecture is a sensitive renovation of a 1970s family home in Melbourne’s south-east. Guided by a respect for the original architecture, the project focuses on a series of targeted updates to the kitchen, bathrooms and main bedroom suite.
Rather than introduce an entirely new design language, the approach builds on the qualities already present, retaining the home’s modernist clarity while improving comfort, functionality and long-term adaptability.
Original brick flooring and timber-lined interiors establish a material continuity throughout the home.
Existing timber joinery is retained and refurbished, preserving the warmth and character of the original home.
The home is organised as a series of interconnected pavilions, linked by a central circulation spine. This arrangement creates a sequence of distinct yet connected spaces, with glimpses of the garden drawing the eye along the length of the interior.
Original brick flooring, timber-lined walls and ceilings establish a consistent material foundation, while glazed timber doors and deep eaves maintain a close relationship between the interior and the outdoors.
Materiality plays a central role in the renovation. Existing timber joinery has been carefully refurbished, allowing its natural warmth and established character to remain integral to the interiors.
Brick floors have been repaired and resealed, while a restrained palette of finishes brings continuity to the updated spaces. In the bathrooms, Japanese mosaic tiles introduce a finer texture, balanced by Fior di Bosco marble vanities and understated metallic fixtures.
In the kitchen, the original layout and timber joinery have been retained, with updated appliances bringing contemporary performance to the established space. The decision to preserve rather than replace gives the room a sense of continuity, allowing its existing proportions and material character to remain legible.
Our custom Linear Floor Lamp sits within this setting, its pleated linen shade and reclaimed timber base adding a considered material contrast to the surrounding joinery and brickwork.
Natural materials and considered detailing bring a sense of continuity to the renovated interiors.
The bathrooms adopt a similarly measured approach, with each space designed around its particular function and scale.
A new powder room has been incorporated alongside the existing hallway, while the bathroom and ensuite have been reconfigured to improve their usability.
Our Dancer Wall Light features in the powder room, while the Dancer Table Lamp is positioned in the ensuite. Both bring a softer, more intimate source of light to these spaces, complementing the tactile finishes and restrained detailing.
Japanese mosaic tiles and Fior di Bosco marble introduce texture and contrast to the bathroom palette.
Toorak House demonstrates how a carefully judged renovation can extend the life of an established home without diminishing what makes it distinctive.
Through the retention of original materials, considered adjustments to the plan and a restrained approach to new finishes, Pop Architecture has strengthened the relationship between architecture and daily use. The result is a home that remains true to its modernist foundations while accommodating the changing needs of its occupants.
The custom Linear Floor Lamp by Coco Flip sits alongside the home's original timber joinery.
Original materials and contemporary additions sit in balance throughout the home.
Toorak House by Pop Architecture. Photography by Willem-Dirk du Toit.
Pop Architecture is a Melbourne-based architectural practice led by Katherine Sainsbery and Justine Brennan. Working across residential, public and urban projects, the studio takes a collaborative, project-specific approach, with a focus on materiality, form and thoughtful design responses.
Architecture and interiors: Pop Architecture
Styling: Jess Kneebone
Photography: Willem-Dirk du Toit
