The Design Files: Inside the home of Kabinett owner Melissa Macfarlane

Who: Melissa Macfarlane owner of Kabinett, and Frank Moylan

What: Converted Victorian Cottage.

Where: Kyneton, Victoria

Melissa Macfarlane and Frank Moylan purchased a rundown Victoria-era property in 2014 in Kyneton, and applied all of their combined skills to bring the stunning-but-decrepit home to life.  With her knack for sourcing vintage pieces (she runs secondhand store Kabinett in Kyneton) and his architectural finishing business, the pair were perfectly suited to the challenge.

When the couple moved in, the walls were pink and the home was falling apart, but the previous owner’s botanical skills had resulted in a truly spectacular garden, and the site sang with potential. The pair got to work, renovating the cottage, and installing a big new “barn” (which houses a new kitchen and living spaces) at the side of the old house.

A breezeway connects the old and the new, and Macfarlane highlights this “journey” between the cosy bedrooms of the old home, and bright and open kitchen and living spaces of the barn as a favourite feature.

She describes marrying the old, moody and “slightly creepy” vibe of the original home, with the freshness of the new build, by combining a variety of timber and industrial details, alongside an eclectic mix of modern and vintage items sourced from all over the world.

Artwork is the No.1 priority in the home, with special favourites by Macfarlane’s father, and works by Jordan Grant and Fairy Turner purchased through Stockroom in Kyneton.

Macfarlane highlights that she was happy to compromise and be pragmatic with the architectural design, in order to come in under budget and on time … and so she could spend the saved funds on art.

The property is located just outside of Kyneton, in what used to be the Springhill settlement, and this 1904 home was once a general store, post office, and bakery.

Macfarlane and Moylan have re-created The Post Office Hotel folly, where friends loved to swing by for a drink in art-filled eclectic surrounds.

Macfarlane and her family have recently launched The Macfarlane Fund at ACCA, a philanthropic endeavour in memory of Macfarlane’s beloved father Don, with the primary objective to provide financial support to assist artists in creating their works.

The first exhibition of commissions, The Theatre Is Lying, is on now, until March 24th at ACCA.

How to balance old and new

Whether you’re the proud custodians of a grand old Victorian, a 1970s masterpiece or a mid-century gem, retaining original features and introducing new extensions or design updates is always a careful balance.

• Restore, don’t reproduce.  Retain and restore original features, but avoid mimicking or imitating traditional details (such as cornicing, ceiling roses or fireplaces).
• If demolishing old parts of the home, salvage and re-purpose robust materials such as floorboards, windows or doors, and weatherboards. Seek to use these old materials in new parts of the home where possible, to create a strong narrative around the old and new.
• When adding a new extension or addition to an old home, don’t be afraid of contrast. Materials don’t have to match. It’s OK for there to be a clear delineation between old and new.
• Decorating and styling can be more effective than major renovations in creating a home that feels cohesive. Decorate in layers – consider wall colour, then rugs plus furniture, artwork and lastly soft furnishings, to add history and character to new spaces. TDF