Set within the leafy streets of Kew in Melbourne’s inner east, Vivian is a light-filled, art-led home that reveals the latent potential of the ubiquitous suburban brick house.
Rather than pursuing a wholesale transformation, the renovation is defined by restraint. Vivian is an exercise in editing, refinement and making what already existed work harder.
“There was a lot to love about the original house,” says Cerantonio. “The double-brick construction, the north-facing courtyard and the split-level planning were all strong foundations.” At the same time, the home bore the hallmarks of its era: spaces that felt overly formal, carpet everywhere, and limited connection between inside and out.