ORDER in the HOUSE

AFTER AN INSPIRED MAKEOVER, A MELBOURNE BUNGALOW BECOMES MORE FUNCTIONAL AND FAMILY FRIENDLY.

- CHRIS PEARSON

A place for everything and everything in its place. That could be the homeowner's mantra for this family home in Melbourne's South West. And, thanks to her and interior designer Sarah McPhee of Sarah McPhee Interiors, the results would do Marie Kondo proud. "Storage, storage and more storage was at the top of the brief. Truth be known, the Californian bungalow would not have known what had hit it, because it was home to hoarders before the couple bought it for them and their three children, a girl, now 16, and twin boys, 15, in late 2020.

We loved the location, so close to the water, and the untouched 1920s facade, with all the character of a heritage home," says the owner. So far, so good. But the house was so far gone the entire interior would have to be gutted, leaving just the shell, made trickier by a heritage overlay.

The couple are seasoned renovators, and as this was to be their forever home, they wanted to do it properly. Sarah was the perfect partner. "I had followed her work for many years," says the homeowner. "I love her timeless designs and how she mixés patterns and colour in a restrained way.