MY HOME Vol. 4 - Project Irymple

On a quiet, leafy street in Kew East, a 1930s interwar house sits exactly as it always has - its restored façade familiar, unhurried, perfectly in step with the streetscape around it. From the front gate, you'd never guess what’s behind it.

But walk through, and the story shifts. A white timber-shingled extension opens up at the rear - contemporary, confident, yet gentle enough to feel like it's always belonged. This is Irymple: a home that honours its past while building something entirely new for the family inside it.

That family is Alisha and Steele, parents to three young children, whose days move at the kind of pace only a household designed for five could sustain. Alisha is a family lawyer and owner of a Pilates studio, often working late into the evening long after the kids are asleep - case notes open on the coffee table, a cup of tea beside her. Steele is a long-time player at the Collingwood Football Club, which means early mornings, away games, and weekends revolved around pre-match prep and recovery. Between two demanding careers, three kids who never stop moving, and a door that's always open to family and friends, they wanted a home that could hold the full weight of their life - and still feel like a place to exhale at the end of the day.

"We never wanted to feel like we had to tip-toe around the beauty of the house, or like we couldn't relax living in it," says Alisha. For the couple, it was never about the big dramatic grand feeling you get walking into a large house. They wanted it to feel cosy and intimate - restrained in the space, but a bit extra in the details. And they certainly achieved this.

Walking down the hallway into the rear extension, you're not suddenly hit with a dramatic reveal. Instead, the layout opens up in levels so you have time to take it all in - a kitchen to your left, glass doors framing the outdoor entertaining area to your right, and the sunken living room at the back. Rather than everything landing at once, your eye moves slowly, noticing the detail in every corner: the timber cladding on the living room ceiling warming the space, the floor-to-ceiling windows that wrap the room and pull greenery in from every angle. Every detail of the build was executed by Ben Thomas Builder, whose craftsmanship - honed across high-end homes around Melbourne - is felt in the precision throughout.

Their architect, Sarah from Bryant Alsop, understood the brief instinctively. "From the outset, the vision was to create a home that could evolve with a young family," Sarah explains. "A place that felt calm and generous for everyday living, yet equally suited to entertaining.”

Rather than erasing the home's heritage character, the design establishes a clear dialogue between old and new - each retaining its own identity. The original period details were preserved and restored, while the rear addition introduces a lightness and openness that transforms how the home is lived in. 

Inside, a restrained material palette guides the transition seamlessly. Timber oak cabinetry runs through the kitchen and bathrooms, creating a thread of warmth and cohesion, and the statement teal-coloured marble countertops from Artedomus stop everyone in their tracks.

From the kitchen & laundry, to every bathroom, MY AVENUE tapware in Brushed Nickel anchors the home's palette - a timeless, durable finish that doesn't dominate but quietly holds the design together, ensuring it will feel just as considered in ten years as it does today. 

And even though each space carries its own palette and personality, the Brushed Nickel never feels out of place. The powder room - opening out to the backyard & pool - leans warm and summery, with soft blush tones. The master ensuite plays into the earthy, natural feel of the space. And the kids' bathroom upstairs, with its powder-blue tiles, is playful and full of energy.

"Material selection focused on longevity, tactility, and a quiet sense of refinement," says Sarah. "Every fixture and finish was designed to be used daily - not admired from a distance."

It's a philosophy that resonates deeply with how this family actually lives. "We didn’t want a precious home - we wanted a home where the kids barrel through the back door soaking wet from the pool and it doesn't matter - because it was built for exactly that," Steele shares.

The kitchen sits at the heart of the home - and at the heart of their routine. It's where they make lunches in the morning rush, where the kids do arts & craft around the dining table, where guests casually dropping-in pull up a chair on a Sunday afternoon. Clean lines, intuitive planning, and abundant natural light make it both hardworking and welcoming. A butler's pantry tucked behind hides the coffee machine, the snack shelves, and the kind of everyday clutter that every family generates - so the kitchen itself stays calm (even when the household isn't).

Beyond the kitchen, expansive glass sliding doors open directly to the pool, garden, and outdoor dining area - landscape designed by Kate Patterson - allowing the home to expand when it needs to.In summer, the boundary between inside and out almost disappears; the kitchen, dining area, pool, and alfresco space all working together as one generous living zone.

An in-ground trampoline sits flush with the lawn, the pool catches afternoon light, a sauna for winding down after hours, and there's enough open grass for Steele and the kids to kick a footy around after school.

But Irymple isn't only designed for noise and energy. It holds space for stillness, too.

When the doors are closed and the day slows down, the home still feels intimate. A sunken living room pulls the family together on quieter evenings - a deep couch, a big TV, and the nightly negotiation between Bluey and the cricket. Every piece in here was chosen and styled by Looks Generous, considered for the way the Sidebottoms actually live. Oversized floor cushions are scattered across the plush rug, so when the ten-seater lounge isn't quite enough, there's always somewhere to land. In place of a large coffee table, smaller side tables tuck neatly into the corners - keeping sharp edges out of reach of a toddler still finding his feet.

Upstairs, a vibrant kids' retreat gives the little ones their own territory: bedrooms, a toy room, and a bathroom where - behind cupboard doors - skincare serums have been replaced with bubble bath and rubber toys.

And then there's the adults-only sitting room. No toys. No screens. Just a chessboard, deep couches, and conversations that stretch long into the night. 

Down the hall, the guest room sits made up and ready for their next visitor. Family visiting from the country where Steele & Alisha grew up, or interstate friends holidaying in Melbourne. "The sheets in that room are on high-rotation," laughs Alisha. "We wouldn't have it any other way - this house was made to be full."

The master suite offers the counterpoint - a walk-in wardrobe, a spa-like ensuite, and earthy tones that create a retreat within the retreat. It's the room that belongs entirely to Alisha and Steele, where the noise of the day is left at the door.

For Alisha and Steele, they never wanted to compromise on style, but needed a home that holds space for all of it - the mess, the milestones, the quiet... the beautiful chaos.

They were never just renovating a house; they built the place their kids will always remember growing up in. And in the end, that was the whole point.