Dot + Pop founder, Eve Gunson shares her renovation journey on modernising an 1880s Victorian home.
When Dot + Pop’s Eve Gunson and her husband Matt took on their Albert Park build, they had a very specific design objective in mind – to create a house that was aesthetically pleasing, had great bones, was refined in its design selections and one in which the furniture, art and décor complemented the interior design scheme.
In just one year, using smart and functional design selections, they were able to revive the dilapidated 1880s single-fronted Victorian home, as well as bring it into the 21st century.
Their intention was to have a pared-back interior aesthetic, utilising tactile and natural materials, such as timber and stone – a look which Eve describes as timeless.
“Both Matt and I love minimalist, contemporary interiors and we applied the ‘less is more’ philosophy when designing and styling this home. It helped set the tone for how we feel in the space – it’s calm, relaxing and flows freely between zones,” she says.
The building’s façade played a major role in their overall design preferences, including materials, colours, finishes and use of natural light that created cohesion from inside to out.
While one of the hardest challenges faced early on was showing restraint in the design, Eve said when it came to the interiors, carpet was never in question.
“Living in Melbourne, carpet in bedrooms is a must! We selected Carpet Court’s Far North range in Palm Cove, a grey looped pile for both the kids’ and guest bedrooms.
“The texture and tri-colours in the Far North carpet range is so good at hiding dust and dirt, which as a time-poor new mum is an added bonus. Carpet is definitely not an area to cut corners on, you want a hard-wearing, quality carpet that stands the test of time in high-traffic and lived-in areas of the home,” she adds.
Window treatments were another element of the home they wished to integrate seamlessly with the heritage elements of the home – Carpet Court’s Plantation Shutters were used in the master bedroom.
“Carpet Court’s Plantation Shutters are a classic staple for a heritage home. I love the way they look from inside and out, and they work so well with the grandeur of the room,” Eve says.
For all bedrooms in their extension, Carpet Court’s motorised Modern roller blinds in Coal were used. “Finding the right blinds to work with our modern extension was paramount and Carpet Court had some great options – The Modern Range were our pick for expansive windows that span from the floor to the roof line,” Eve says.
There are always so many directions you could take a house renovation like this. However, as the third single-fronted Victorian reno undertaken by Eve and Matt in the past 10 years, the abundance of experience and love for the job saw them perfectly honor the old while marrying it with the new to create the home of their dreams.
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