The Design Files: The young family who turned a 1960s gem into an eclectic home

Who: Designer Kate Stokes, of Coco Flip, architect Haslett Grounds, of Grounds Architecture, and their daughters Mariko (3 years) and Juniper (1 year).

Where: Eltham, Victoria.

What: 1960s gem, designed by Alistair Knox.

It’s a common story. Young couple plans a family, priorities shift, and before long they find themselves seeking a home with just a little more breathing space.

Kate Stokes and Haslett Grounds were inner-city dwellers for years before they started craving a house with a couple of extra bedrooms and a garden. They spent a few years being outbid at every auction in Melbourne’s inner north before widening their search.

“I actually love looking at real estate, so I began to widen my search and dream of the different lives we could create,” Stokes says.

“When this house came up online I instantly fell in love, and then spent a lot of time researching the area to see if we could make it work for our lifestyle. There were way more pros than cons, so we went for it.”

Built in 1966 by revered Melbourne architect Alistair Knox, Stokes and Grounds’ home is typical of the time and place it was built.

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“Knox was a bit of a legend around that time in Eltham,” Stokes says. “He was a prolific designer/builder who was eventually given an honorary architecture degree by the University of Melbourne in 1984.”

Known as the “Collis house”, the property was designed and built by Knox for the Collis family, who lived there until 2015. Stokes and Grounds purchased the home two years later.

The materials are simple and typical of the era – slate floors, timber beams and glass to make the most of the greenery surrounding the house. A split-level floor plan separates living, kitchen and dining areas with bedrooms and bathrooms on the upper level. High ceilings with exposed beams give the space an airy feel, and trees all around ensure leafy views through every window.

This robust, modernist architectural framework has proven a perfect backdrop for Stokes and Grounds’ eclectic design aesthetic.

“Our interior vibe is very relaxed and informal,” Stokes says. Her own lighting designs populate the space, alongside vintage furniture, textiles and artwork, as well as trinkets collected on overseas travels.

For Stokes and Grounds, life still feels pretty bustling with two young children and two small businesses to run, but home has become more of a retreat these days.

“We spend a lot more time just hanging out here than we ever did when we lived inner city,” Stokes says. “Living centrally we were always pulled outside to the parks and cafes, whereas now we relish slower-paced days at home.”

The Design Files guide to getting the light right

Lighting alone can make or break a space. Award-winning Melbourne lighting designer Kate Stokes suggests the following creative lighting ideas:

• Aim to create ambience, rather than drenching a home in light all over.
• Layer your lighting. Combine different light sources with varying levels of light to create interest.
• Reconsider the standard downlight, which fills a room with bright light but rarely adds to the atmosphere. Pendants offer a great addition, acting as a sculptural focal point, as well as an ambient light source.
• Floor and table lamps are a versatile solution if you’re not able to undertake permanent electrical work at home.