The Final Edit: A Home Fifteen Years in the Making

The Final Edit: Home by Tsai Design

Architect: Tsai Design Builder: Yarrabank Builders Photographs: Tess Kelly Location: Richmond, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia Tags: Renovations

After nearly 15 years of tinkering, tweaking, and tastefully transforming their Richmond cottage, the owners of this home finally called it: this is the final edit. And what a beautiful concluding chapter it is. The Final Edit: Home, designed by Tsai Design on the lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung people has created a home this family can finally call complete.

The Final Edit: Home

Once a humble single-storey brick cottage nestled on what was formerly the Richmond Racecourse estate, this home has grown with its owners. What started as a tired old kitchen that couldn’t quite keep up with its gourmet-loving inhabitants has been turned into a design-forward family haven, thanks to a thoughtful renovation that finally ties the whole place together.

The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home

Tsai Design approached this third and final reno with a fresh perspective. Instead of patching things up, they zoomed out to look at the bigger picture—literally reconfiguring the floor plan to wrap around a lush, north-facing backyard like a big architectural hug.

The Final Edit: Home

The former long corridor has been cleverly reworked into an L-shaped open-plan space, putting the brand-new kitchen front and centre. This isn’t just any kitchen—it’s a soft blue-grey beauty that manages to feel both inviting and elevated, flanked by deeper navy cabinetry that conceals a secret pink-tiled bathroom. Yes, there’s a hidden door. Yes, it leads to terracotta heaven. And yes, we’re obsessed.

The Final Edit: Home
Renovations
The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home

While the adults get their dream entertaining kitchen, the kids aren’t left behind. Their own hallway remains, leading to a stylish bathroom with a dramatic skylight and a sliding door setup that lets multiple people use the space without stepping on each other’s toes (genius for school mornings). Add to that a freshly minted entry and mudroom—complete with brick paving underfoot and brick ceiling overhead—and you’ve got a home that’s as functional as it is fabulous.

The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home

Materiality here is not just an afterthought—it’s practically a character in the story. The moody entry, the textural ceiling tiles, the pops of playful colour—they all play off each other to make this house feel layered, lived-in and loved. And with a stacking door that spills the dining area onto a new backyard deck, it's all geared toward long lunches and summer soirées.

The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home

Oh, and just when you thought they were done—nope. The old study? Now a shapeshifter. It moonlights as a cinema room come Friday night, but by Monday morning, it’s back to being a productive, light-filled workspace. That’s right: this house is ready for whatever the week throws at it.

The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home

The Final Edit proves you don’t always need to build up or out to make a home feel brand new. Sometimes, all it takes is a sharp eye, a little restraint, and a whole lot of clever design.

The Final Edit: Home
The Final Edit: Home

Love The Final Edit: Home? Get in touch with Tsai Design to discuss your new home or renovation!

Get more projects like The Final Edit: Home, delivered.