A classic mid-century home in Melbourne’s leafy east has been given a new lease of life, capturing the hallmarks of the modern architectural movement. The once dark and cramped single-storey Caufield North home has been reimagined with ample windows and an open floor plan, opening up its interior spaces and bringing the outdoors in. The original 1964 Harry Ernest-designed home had caught the eye of Melbourne publisher David S. Miller and his wife, who lived up the road. When it came up for sale they bought it on a whim. “It had amazing bones and we knew something incredible could be done with it, it just needed someone with the ability to bring that vision to life,” Mr Miller says.
In desperate need for some serious love and care the home was in its original state. Simply designed on one level, rooms were closed and dark, accessibility to the swimming pool was difficult and its lustre had dulled over time. Engaging award-winning Melbourne studio Mim Design, the Millers were determined to respectfully reinstate the home to its former glory days while enhancing their lifestyle. “The Miller’s are a busy young family with a diverse range of hobbies, they needed functional spaces and communal areas, room for entertainment, privacy and storage,” says Mim Design Principal Miriam Fanning.
