Frances Hodgson Burnett seeded her fictional secret garden with tumbling English roses and tall delphiniums, but in this hidden horticultural gem near Melbourne eucalyptus, climbing vines and fragrant white gardenias set the scene.
Tucked away above a bend in the river, deliciously close to the buzz of the city’s downtown, this site has found a watchful guardian in architect Susi Leeton, a neighbour-turned-friend who orchestrated the original renovation of the property some 15 years ago.
Though the house had served the family well in the intervening years, the toddlers are now teenagers straining for independence – and Susi was the natural choice for a little revision. ‘Foremost was creating the most efficient flow of spaces for family life,’ she explains. ‘But, essentially, it was about understanding how the owners wanted to live in the place and ensuring they had the space to come together or be apart.’
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There was a lingering feeling, too, that the structure was failing to fully connect with its lush surroundings. ‘It’s a magical little pocket,’ says Susi of the origami-like home that unfolds over five levels beyond a series of stepped walkways, which weave between walls of foliage. ‘It’s the sites that really push you where you find the most unique solutions,’ she adds.
Two years on, there has been a subtle shift in the rhythm of the house. Several walls have been removed in the main living area, where a mirrored cube concealing the kitchen pantry and bar now does much of the structural labour as well as lovely things with light. ‘It reflects the landscape back into the room,’ says Susi. ‘All we wanted to see was the garden.’
Struts that had previously interrupted the glazing were removed to widen windows, and curtains were installed that could be fully retracted back into the walls so as not to block any of the view. The garden itself has been replanted by the landscape designer Myles Baldwin, and a Japanese maple tree bedded in beneath a frameless skylight at the heart
of the house. Everywhere, there’s a deference to nature, but also to Australian artists and artisans, whose pieces are interspersed with a handful of Italian design classics.
In places, the two threads of the renovation have converged like currents: the main bedroom has been moved up to the third floor for the best views and, by happy consequence, is now further away from the teenage zone on the lowest level. A new lift has been installed, but it opens onto an external walkway flanked by greenery. That’s how this house ‘reveals itself,’ says Susi. ‘Like a secret garden, or a bend in the river.’ susileeton.com.au
