Take a peek inside the stunning Mount Hawthorn home of an architect and interior designer

What happens when an architect and an interior designer buy a century-old cottage for their growing family?

Well, in the case of architect Zac Evangelisti, founder and director of architecture studio ZARQ and interior designer Megan Garden… They alchemised their combined experience and playfully refined taste into the stunning Wilber House – and we’re showing you a peek inside thanks to our friends at Crib Creative.

Down a quiet and leafy Mount Hawthorn street, the front of the home has been meticulously restored and renovated, reviving its 1921 Inter-War charm. A sweet chequered verandah wraps around the front of the home, delicate timber fretwork replacing the hefty (don’t worry, non-original) Doric columns and balustrade that surrounded the verandah when the couple bought the home in 2020.

It was the original, front portion of the home that the couple first renovated, before eventually demolishing the sleepout to build the extension at the rear two years later.

And this beauty was worth the wait!

On the ground floor, a brand new open-plan living, dining and kitchen has been added to the home’s footprint, with vast sliding doors opening up the space to the sleek, travertine-tiled, floating patio, its steel columns rising like futuristic monoliths. We’re obsessed!

The continuation of the travertine flooring throughout unites the spaces both inside and outside of the new addition, expanding the comparatively modest living area to include the rear courtyard.

(Importantly, two rooftop gardens have been incorporated into the landscaping – over the patio and the alfresco dining which doubles as a carport – which both lowers the ambient temperature of the building and courtyard, and provides a visual buffer to the neighbouring properties.)

The patio’s lustrous steel columns echoes the linished stainless steel of the kitchen island, buffed and burnished to an almost velvet finish. Opposite, the kitchen’s countertop and backsplash is clad in Verde Oceania marble, veined with the deep verdigris tones echoed in both the built-in bar under the stairs and the cosy window seat.

“It’s a place to sit and feel like you are floating amongst the garden,” Zac told us. “We included a skylight above so you can look up and enjoy a glimpse of the sky.”

“We sit here a lot in the morning and drink our coffee and it’s a popular spot for a glass of wine.”

Upstairs, the ensuite bathroom has been designed to evoke the luxe relaxation of a resort – but we’re truly enamoured by the downstairs powder room. Hidden behind a secret door accessed via the laundry, it’s a moment of bold and playful discovery for guests – and frankly, we cannot get enough of the custom Calacatta Viola marble vanity.

To check out more projects by ZARQ, head to their website here.

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Image credits: Crib Creative