Renovations are often acts of erasure, but a 2015 update of this Victorian terrace, while well-built, committed a cardinal sin: it stripped out some of the home’s soul. When Mim Fanning, principal and founder of Melbourne-based Mim Design, and lead designer Gemma Dare, were approached to reimagine the property, they found a house where the Victorian signature had been “completely removed.” Instead, there was a “square-edged white” box lacking personality. The mandate for the new design was not to slavishly replicate heritage, but to reintroduce a lost sense of ‘softness’ throughout.
Framed by a canopy of street trees, the home now embraces its ‘Verdant’ moniker. The connection to this leafy outlook has been liberated in the upper-level study, where new windows open fully, inviting the clients to step out among the treetops.
Inside, the design philosophy is a study in ‘soft power.’ It skilfully reconnects the kitchen and living spaces with the garden, introducing an interplay between rectilinear forms and curved corners – most notably around the fireplaces – that challenges the harsh geometry of the maisonette’s previous renovation.
Incorporated into Mim’s approach to the residence was the idea of “extrapolating the last bit of [Victorian] detail that was in the house and amplifying it.” This manifested in a contemporary interpretation of Victorian cornices – simple, human profiles that honour the era without feeling dated.
This thread of softness runs vertically and horizontally through the home, with Mim seeking “a series of beautiful, elegant moments throughout each room.” The white dolomite stone kitchen bench, for instance, features a raised island with a double bullnose edge, softening the ledge in a tactile rejection of the sharp right angle. The room projects a unique rhythm via its presentation of paired items and symmetry – a delightful balance echoed elsewhere.
The staircase is another triumph of texture. Finished in polished plaster, it again features a bullnosed rim that fits the hand perfectly, flanked by a blonde handrail on one side and blackened bronze on the other. It is a sensory experience as much as a structural one, catching the light in a way standard drywall never could.
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The project also celebrates a partnership spanning over 15 years. While the clients’ previous home was a study in neutrals, here Mim Design introduced a sea-green sitting room and a blue study.
Despite initial apprehension, Mim recalls that “the minute it went in, they were surprised and excited by it” – proving that distinct personalities are what truly enhance older homes.
Continuity also plays a role in this narrative of trust. The Flos ‘Sky Garden’ pendant light, specified by Mim for the clients’ previous home, was again included in the new study. Its plaster relief interior mirrors the reintroduced plaster details of the architecture, bridging the client’s history as well as the home’s new future. Further fostering the dialogue between inside the home and out.
Verdant Residence is a lesson in reinvigoration – a home reclaimed from the generic and returned to the specific. By imbuing the heritage terrace with a sense of softness, Mim Design has given this home a strength that will serve it well for decades to come.
