A wonderful mid-century home renovation in Geelong uses Laminex Natural Teak AbsoluteGrain® to maintain a genuine aesthetic, while future-proofing the home with the durability and timeless appeal of timber-look cabinetry and woodgrain surfaces. Brabool House sets an amazing example for future renovators by celebrating the original character of an older home while making design decisions that prioritise liveability and the long term.
When Kaylene Bryce of Belso Design Studio bought her house in Barrabool – just in from Geelong and part of the Surf Coast Shire in Victoria - she knew there were a few things she was after.
“Something we could put our mark on, something mid-century or with 70s style, good bones, a bit of a project – but not too crazy. One thing I loved was the original 70s character, and it had exposed rafters, deep doors, exposed brick work. And at the end of the day, it just felt really, really warm.”
The warmth Bryce talks of is felt immediately. The home showcases many of the characteristics sought after in mid-century modern Australian homes, including exposed brick, timber detailing and strong architectural forms. One full of strong forms, rich tones and textural brickwork, things that for one reason or another tended to be covered up in the decades that followed. However, Barrabool’s greatest sins were less offensive, but had to go all the same. Damaged cork floors in a yellow pine kitchen and carpet in every other room would be replaced - Bryce’s approach of creating a home to be lived in, while honouring the original would be the guiding force.
Bryce focused on the feel of the space and era, even as she brought it into the twenty-first century. Her first decision would be to use Laminex Natural Teak in AbsoluteGrain® finish in the kitchen and bathroom. The red-based, medium toned timber décor features a and subtle textural variation, replacing tired amenities and dated decoration with premium matte woodgrain.
“We wanted to lean into the vintage feel [of the property] without ‘over-vintage-ising’ it”, explains Bryce, perfectly encapsulating the renovation’s intentions and ideals. The results are more than a revitalised home, but an interior that feels like the epitome of 70s design, minus the cliche and kitsch that can be a trap of the period.
The galley kitchen, along with its long, floor-to-ceiling joinery, is entirely clad in Laminex Natural Teak in AbsoluteGrain® finish, demonstrating how timber-look kitchen cabinetry can deliver the warmth of natural wood with enhanced durability for everyday living. Discreet cabinetry, complemented by shark nose handles and shadow-lines at the benchtop establish apt late mid-century visual cues, while stainless steel appliances, a warm white benchtop and a tiled splashback with brown grout add lightness and character.
The layered material palette highlights a growing trend in Australian interior design, where authentic woodgrain finishes are paired with natural materials to create warmth, texture and longevity; this is a throwback to the stalwarts of mid-century architecture, where different woods and grains would surreptitiously hint at the craft and handwork within.
Bryce may have begun with Laminex, but the addition of oak floorboards and plenty of appropriately styled and sourced furniture in varying tones and patinas creates the lived in quality she speaks of. There are vintage dining chairs and armchairs, low cabinets and armoires that solidify the homes connection to the era, but Bryce has kept original pieces like the wardrobe doors and patterned entry tiles to really bring it home.
Tactility is an essential element to the home’s success, and the subtly different materials within provide personality and charm. “Everyone has a bit of a feel and a touch,” says Bryce of the Laminex AbsoluteGrain®, “it feels like veneer - it’s better than veneer - and durability is so important.”
“My recommendation [to renovators] is live in the home, spend time in it and understand an older home’s special qualities before making changes,” says Bryce, “take your time to understand how it feels to live in and makes its special in the first place.”
“I design spaces to be lived in, not just for photos. The goal wasn’t to strip it out, but to play with the history and just modernize it to make it feel functional, but keep the character,” recalls Bryce.
Barrabool House is a thoughtful celebration of 1970s Australian residential architecture, demonstrating the value in preserving and enhancing the qualities that make older homes unique. Through a considered renovation, Bryce and Belso Design Studio have created a home that honours its history while delivering the functionality, warmth and longevity required for contemporary living.
Explore Belso Design Studio's work on their website and order samples.
Credits:
Interior Design & Styling: Belso Design Studio
Joinery: Higher Level Joinery
Photography: Madeleine Burke
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