Fooks House

Located in Melbourne’s inner-city suburb of Caulfield, where mid-century homes appear on every street corner, Fooks House blends in seamlessly. “The home is on a main road, so Fooks designed it with a large driveway at the front so that it’s set back,” notes director Lani Fixler. Despite its modest street presence, the home stands confidently in its geometric form with a thoroughly Australian mid-century facade that retains its original brown brick, exposed timber beams and clean lines, hinting at what’s to come within.

With countless homes by Dr Ernest Fooks scattered along Caulfield’s streets, the prolific architect’s influence is tangible. “I feel like you can walk into one of his houses and instantly know it’s a Fooks house,” says Fixler, who is constantly inspired by his work. What can be retained or sensitively restored has been, including the home’s layout. “It was so well thought-out,” says Fixler. “A large entertaining area towards the back of the house opens out to gardens, while bedrooms are more secluded and private at the front.”

With a background in joinery, the homeowner took meticulous care in restoring Fooks House’s mid-century features. For example, the patinated stair balustrade has been given a bright copper colour, while exposed timber beams replicate the original beams that were beyond salvaging. “The client’s craftsmanship and how he has been able to give vibrancy back to the timber is beautiful,” adds Fixler.

Typical of Fooks’ work, Fooks House’s biophilic design has also been beautifully retained; the glass remains, and natural light continues to dance through the home, while the living spaces merge harmoniously with the outdoors. “Skylights and high-level glazing capture bits of sunlight coming through the house during the day, which also gives these glimpses of the sky and trees,” says Fixler. “From the bedroom, if you look out the window, you can only see trees despite being on a busy street.”

Subtle changes now make the home more functional for a modern lifestyle without sacrificing any of the signature Fooks features. The existing kitchen, tucked away in the corner of the house next to the laundry, has been rotated and opened up. “We designed a long island bench that could be used for entertaining and moved the laundry out of that space and replaced it with a butler’s pantry,” notes Fixler. Upstairs, a third bedroom becomes a study, while the main bathroom is split into two so that one of the bedrooms becomes the main suite complete with an ensuite and walk-in robe.

The combination of natural light, clever orientation of the spaces and connections to the garden is completed by the material choice to create a welcoming place that harnesses that feeling of comfort and invitation. “There is this tangible sense of warmth in the home; it feels inviting and solid and very peaceful,” notes Fixler. “For the island bench, we used Patagonia stone from Signorino, which has rich brown and earthy tones that tie into the existing American oak timber joinery,” adds Fixler. “We detailed the joinery with brass trims and inlays for the shadow lines, drawing on the details throughout the home such as the balustrades and the feature lights.” Similarly, worn carpet was replaced with a modern floorcovering in a mid-brown tone that looks as if it was always there, while floors and bathrooms are retiled with terrazzo tiles. 

Alongside this sense of warmth, walking through Fooks House feels like you’ve truly stepped back in time. Key to this sentiment is the furnishings. Original mid-century furniture purchased with the house has been restored and refurbished, while art and objects complement the dwelling’s existing tones and textures. In the living room, an Eames chair and Morano glass pendant lights have been restored, with new bar stools in a chocolate hue to add further depth to the space.

Since the existing house was well considered in terms of capturing natural light and ventilation, and with so much retained, the home is inherently sustainable. The only necessary additions were reinstating solar panels and a special coating on the windows for solar and acoustic protection.