When someone says a house is "unloved," it tends to make us a bit verklempt. But that's exactly how designer Karine Szekeres of Templeton Architecture described an old artist's retreat in East Melbourne: unloved.
Built in 1862, the house had had no permanent dwellers for over four decades, and was in desperate need of improvement.
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Before this renovation, the Georgian-influence home's last interior upgrade dated back to the 1950s. For a design untouched for nearly half a century, there were advantages, but they came with challenges. Because of its varied history, some elements of the home, like the heritage-protected wallpaper, were untouchable. In order to balance the historic wallpaper with the new interior, the firm worked to find furnishings that complemented the print. "The careful selection of materials, fabrics, and furniture either enhanced the best qualities of the existing wallpaper or distracted from the worst," Szekeres said.
