Kelly has seen things. Born in 1941, this stoic brick beauty on Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung Country in Northcote had been sitting vacant for five whole years—just waiting for someone to love her back to life. Enter the new owners, who didn’t see a tired old house—they saw potential, charm, and a future family home worth every ounce of effort.
Pepper & Well weren’t about to bulldoze history to make way for something shiny. Instead, they leaned into Kelly’s quirks and offered her a bit of architectural TLC. The design team ditched the poky old sunroom and a few internal brick walls (good riddance), replacing them with a bright and airy extension under a striking skillion roof. Finally, light! Lots of it. Thanks to a generously wide BINQ lift-and-slide door, the new living area now bathes in sunshine and spills effortlessly into the garden—perfect for barbecues, birthday parties, or just dancing barefoot at dusk.
But here’s the thing: This isn’t one of those slapped-together renos. No. Kelly’s makeover is layered, thoughtful, and just a little bit glamorous in that lived-in, art deco-meets-California way. The rear façade is clad in matte white Colorbond, subtly echoing Kelly’s original white rendered frontage—because continuity matters. And let’s talk about those encaustic tiles. They’re not just decorative—they’re symbolic. Sitting proud on the kitchen island, their colour and drying method echo the original red brickwork still exposed in the lounge. It’s the kind of thoughtful detail that whispers, we see you, Kelly. We honour where you came from.
The bathroom gets a slice of the design drama too, with circular Bangalow tiles from Tile Cloud—a cheeky nod to mid-century motifs without slipping into pastiche. And then there’s the kitchen. California-inspired and calm, it features a Shaws Ribchester farmhouse sink that you can absolutely imagine someone washing a giant bunch of homegrown silverbeet in. It's charming and practical. Like Kelly herself.
In a world that’s obsessed with knocking down and building big, this project is a gentle reminder: good design doesn’t always mean more. Sometimes it means better. Better flow. Better light. Better connection to history. With Northstar Projects on the tools and Ingenaria Consultants making sure everything stood solid, the renovation has brought this Interwar gem into the now without ever letting her forget who she is.
This is Kelly. She’s lived a life, had a bit of a nap, and now she’s back—more fabulous than ever.
