A Victorian Terrace Gets a Contemporary Refresh

In Melbourne’s Prahran, multidisciplinary firm Mim Design reimagined a Victorian terrace by balancing the home’s bold heritage features with a refined and contemporary design language

Between Melbourne’s vibrant Chapel Street precinct and the quieter residential Prahran sits a row of Victorian terraces that stand out for their grandeur and bold architectural details. One in the row was recently bought by a new owner and given a full refresh by local multidisciplinary studio Mim Design. 

‘The house reminded us of the perfect white terraces of South Kensington in London,’ recalls Mim Design director Charlotte McGill. ‘We were determined to create a contemporary take on the traditional detailing to honour the home’s original charm while significantly reworking its outdated layout.’ 

The new owner had a vision of one large, open space on the ground floor for the kitchen, dining and living spaces, with views of the back garden. From there, Mim Design ingeniously reworked the space to preserve its ornate features, including the front lounge room and heritage stairs, while opening up the other rooms to create an ample, connected living area.

When selecting and designing the home’s furnishings, art and decor, Mim Design drew inspiration from the client’s sense of effortless elegance and the house’s classical features to develop a sophisticated yet informal and contemporary design language.

In terms of materials and colours, the home’s natural white walls are complemented with warm greys, glossy veneers and delicate black detailing. ‘We made the decision to keep the overall palette quite neutral, focusing on form and detail to create depth,’ McGill explains. ‘This neutrality ensured that the beauty of the natural stone and veneers could really define the space’.

Upstairs, the master bedroom was enlarged by converting one of the home’s former bedrooms into a spacious ensuite with a double shower, a generous vanity and stone bath and a walk-in wardrobe. A monolithic island clad in timber veneer anchors the bedroom, while the wardrobe’s warm grey custom joinery creates a sense of proportion and alignment while subtly evoking a Victorian look.

‘There’s something so very elegant about this home,’ says McGill. ‘Melbourne’s architectural history is something that we should protect but also contribute to. This traditional Victorian terrace is an example of how we can create truly liveable, open-plan homes without losing identity and soul — paying homage to the past while being connected to the future.’

Text by Nina Milhaud
Images by Timothy Kaye