Architect-designed Northcote house keeps it simple in cost-of-living crisis

“We were living in Fitzroy, just off Gertrude Street, so we were used to being in a well-trafficked urban area,” says Alcock. “We also saw how the property lingered on the market for a number of months as many simply didn’t know what to do with it,” she adds, having purchased the small plot (365 square metres) in a precinct with a heritage overlay.

The plot is about 7.5 metres in width with an easement along its western border (adjacent to the drive-in bottle shop). Alcock was prevented from building over the easement and also required to rebuild the front room of the former Victorian cottage in a manner that wouldn’t detract from the streetscape. “The only thing that was retained was the facade, with a new verandah and front door,” says Alcock, pointing out the exterior timber walls of the front section and its new corrugated-steel roof.

Rather than the traditional Victorian terrace which was demolished (well past its use-by date), the Northcote house now features a series of entrances – one at the front that leads to Alcock’s home office: another through the garden, designed by Amanda Oliver and located at the core of the floor plan, and a third for Luca, located at the rear, that will allow for greater independence as he gets older.

Unlike many single-fronted terraces that can feel cavernous and dark, this home benefits from generous glazing along the entire western elevation, with operable blinds that remove the heat from the afternoon sunlight. “The house is designed as a series of modules of equal proportion, but there are essentially three zones – one being the front section as a home office, the second as the main living area and bedroom, and the third for Luca, including his own sitting area,” says Alcock, who ensured each zone had a garden aspect and also responded to the interiors in each space.

The main bedroom and ensuite, for example, has an outdoor spa that’s partially veiled by plants. The kitchen and dining area benefits from an outdoor setting, while Luca’s outdoor space is fairly minimal to allow it to be used, so there’s only Boston ivy covering the adjoining wall.

Alcock’s design has a way of showing people that a home can bring fulfilment even without all the ‘bells and whistles’.

The kitchen is predominantly finished in stainless steel – including cupboards, splashbacks and benches. Polished concrete floors extend into all the spaces, except for the bathrooms. “It was about curating the rooms and making sure they could function independently as much as a part of a whole,” says Alcock, who feels that many try to create a trophy home rather than one that meets their requirements and, importantly, budget.

While Alcock was mindful of the cost, she certainly wasn’t restricted in terms of the ideas that have inspired her over the years – an apartment in Florence designed by architect Gae Aulenti, who used stainless steel extensively for partitions and joinery in the mid-1970s, and Eileen Gray, who brought her modernist aesthetic to a house in the south of France in the early 1930s.

Alcock says the success of a design comes down to getting the spaces right, resolving the details and making a house work rather than simply impressing the neighbours – although getting the nod from the owners of the drive-in bottle shop next door was never expected. “They’re great neighbours and best of all, unlike the usual neighbour scenario, Luca can enjoy playing his drums without any complaints,” adds Alcock.