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Issue 66 - Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Issue 66

Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Kitchens and bathrooms are, arguably, the most consequential rooms in the home — and almost always the first to be considered. Whether approached through renovation or new build, their design has the power to recalibrate how a home is lived in and experienced. For this issue, our guest editor, Mardi Doherty, principal of Studio Doherty, explores what it truly means to transform these pivotal spaces — and why thoughtful design in kitchens and bathrooms delivers dividends far beyond the purely functional. Her insights both as an architect and as her own client give an open and honest account of the thinking behind creating a home.

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A Product of

Kister Architects’ Church Conversion
OfficesSandra Tan

Kister Architects’ Church Conversion

Australia

Direct from the pages of Habitus #36, Ilana Kister of Kister Architects has taken a dilapidated, inner city church and turned it into her studio’s headquarters; seamlessly connected to the home she shares with her three young daughters.


On a small urban backstreet on the fringe of one of Melbourne’s most creative precincts, a disused bluestone church cuts a striking profile. Only a discreet timber entry hints at the contemporary home within.

Inside, a concrete path slopes upwards to an impressive courtyard, with restrained sculptural landscaping creating an almost futuristic elegance. An invitingly lengthy pool spans the boundary of the property, while curved walls and glass meet the old church’s pillar arches in a dramatic convergence of architectural styles.

“When people come over, I think there is a bit of curiosity and excitement… It is definitely an unusual house,” admits owner and architect, Ilana Kister.

Read the full story in Habitus #36, the Nourish issue, out 12 June.

Kister Architects
kisterarchitects.com.au

Words by Sandra Tan

Photography by Peter Bennets

Church Conversion Kister Architects pool
Church Conversion Kister Architects entry
Church Conversion Kister Architects living room
Church Conversion Kister Architects dining room
Church Conversion Kister Architects entrance

About the Author

Sandra Tan


Related Projects
Issue 66 - Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Issue 66

Kitchen & Bathroom Issue

Kitchens and bathrooms are, arguably, the most consequential rooms in the home — and almost always the first to be considered. Whether approached through renovation or new build, their design has the power to recalibrate how a home is lived in and experienced. For this issue, our guest editor, Mardi Doherty, principal of Studio Doherty, explores what it truly means to transform these pivotal spaces — and why thoughtful design in kitchens and bathrooms delivers dividends far beyond the purely functional. Her insights both as an architect and as her own client give an open and honest account of the thinking behind creating a home.

Order Issue