Collaborative force Amy Pierce and Nat Widera recognise the potential of a heritage home in Fitzroy, Melbourne, with their clever approach to space. Behind the single-fronted facade, light, bright and resolved spaces unfold into the next, as the Melbourne design studio tune into the impact of subtle details on everyday living. 

The clients came to Pierce Widera with a brief to refurbish the kitchen and bathrooms. However, as the project developed, the clients were enthusiastic about changing the layout and overhauling the home’s main living spaces.  

Situated in one of Melbourne’s oldest suburbs, the design firm were careful to capture the home’s integrity. The home’s small footprint also meant that a puzzle ensued, ensuring the home met the modern demands of those that live there. “It gave us clean lines with both gentle organic curves and geometric forms, characterised by simplicity and functionality,” co-director Amy Pierce says about the home’s heritage bones.

The design firm focused on keeping clutter at bay behind bespoke joinery, as seen in both the kitchen and main bedroom. The laundry is also cleverly located behind the kitchen joinery to save space.

The Fitzroy House has a light, neutral palette, in keeping with the minimalist interior focus. For Pierce Widera, this allows calmness to penetrate through, a backdrop for the materials to shine, such as the restored Tasmanian Oak floors and creates a cohesive narrative that is evident in every room. 

Pierce Widera have brought a refreshingly pared-down approach to the revival of a Fitzroy terrace that’s respectful to its heritage and makes each millimetre of space count through subtle design intervention.