Perched on a hilly site in Victoria’s leafy Toorak, this sympathetic reworking of a 1940s Georgian revival residence blends tradition with contemporary living, tethering its occupants to the established landscape.

Presented with a solid-brick, slate-roofed residence built in the spirit of the Georgian era, Travis Walton set out to create greater cohesion between the home and its garden, while honouring and subtly reinterpreting its historic character. The street-facing façade has been meticulously restored to preserve its traditional expression, while inside, the home’s distinctive arrangement—stepping down into the landscape—has been enhanced through considered planning that enhances flow and connection.

Kooyong Residence skilfully dissolves the boundaries between old and new, house and garden, uniting the property’s once-disjointed spaces into a cohesive whole. Broad openings at the rear frame the landscape as an ever-changing backdrop to daily life, while clear sightlines guide views and movement seamlessly from the interior to the ground plane. Attuned to the site’s natural contours and greenery, the design balances architectural elegance with comfort and practicality, creating a refined and richly layered setting for contemporary living.