When we were approached to design two homes concurrently for a mother and daughter on adjoining titles in the heart of Fitzroy, we knew this was a brief unlike any other — two homes, one family, one duet. Part one, the front dwelling — a renovation of an existing single-fronted Victorian, where the original front two rooms are retained whilst a new addition emerges at the rear, finished in metal sheeting and punctuated by a grid of glass blocks that floods the stairwell with light.

Inside, we wanted warmth, personality and a home that truly reflected the young, gregarious couple's inner-city lifestyle. A custom sofa in the living room, an eclectic art collection, floating Silvertop Stringybark stairs, a kitchen that flows to the courtyard, and a downstairs bathroom that deliberately flips the script channelling retro American diner energy. Every room tells its own story. True Story.