SPOT ΟΝ

This pint-sized home in Melbourne's Fitzroy packs a powerful punch with a maximalist mash-up of materials.

- CARLI PHILIPS

When designer David Flack of Flack Studio was enlisted to work on this project for owners Nicholas Slater and Zahra Sulaeman, he knew it was going to be tricky. Yet despite a conservative spend, a tiny block, a heritage facade and more than a few quirks, David accepted the job, turning hindrances and difficulties into opportunities. “Initially, we were hesitant because there was a very tight budget and so many unknowns. It was a problematic site but we love a bit of a challenge. While there is a reality to how much things cost, the house is just down the road from our studio so it meant that, timewise, little hurdles were easier to overcome.”

One of the oldest homes in the neighbourhood, the place was derelict when Nicholas and Zahra bought it. The facade needed to remain intact according to heritage restrictions, but the rest was falling apart at the seams and totally uninhabitable. David worked alongside architects Taylor Knights to relocate the entry door to the side so the house now opens into an emerald green galley kitchen that bridges the dining area at one end of the property and the living room at the other.