changing position of the sun. The extended atrium eaves allow the doors to remain open even in the rain, letting the scent of petrichor drift gently into the home. Italian Carrara marble finds pride of place at thresholds, the hearth and throughout the sculptural kitchen island bench, which asserts itself as an artistic monolith. The kitchen’s asymmetrical design adds a modern verse to the formal chorus of the front rooms. The sunken courtyard and outdoor dining space opens like a private amphitheatre - elegant, serene, and complete. Bluestone paving and irrigated gardens continue the narrative of crafted calm, while raised timber planters keep the perimeter greenery visible from within, framing nature as an ever-present companion to daily life. Don’t miss the grassy passage running along the side of the house, equally suited to a leisurely stroll or a perfectly aimed cricket bowl. A clever addition by the owners that extends the garden footprint right to the rear fence. Organic cotton drapes cascade along generous windows, inviting breath and breeze into the living spaces, whilst the outdoor green expanse is lovingly tended, shaped and offers room for play, repose, and entertaining under open skies. Take a look up the stairwell and notice the generous insulation gap, a physical echo of the building’s acoustic legacy -70cm gap between floors! Travertine, used throughout baths and the cellar, anchors the home in enduring materiality, while the dramatic original century old saloon doors house the cellar off the second kitchen- a theatrical flourish worthy of its storied past. The secondary kitchen, generous laundry, and hidden service spaces speak of a home designed for living, for play, hospitality, retreat, and every nuance in between. Access from the storage area directly to Kooyong Gardens adds a note of functionality for entertainers and deliveries, and reminiscent of its former usage. Fairview is more than a residence; it is a symphony of history, design, craft, and evolution. Built in 1920 and reimagined with care and courage, it honours its past as a place of music education and communal gathering, even as it leaps forward as a family home filled with life, art, and possibility. Here, heritage and modernity do not compete, they converse. Every room feels composed yet spontaneous, much like a powerful performance - and every visitor, like an audience drawn in by its grace. In the heart of Kooyong, this home does more than simply stand. It’s past hums softly. Its century old character has been renewed and reimagined for the next hundred years, and it endures. 28
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