At Home with Zach and Tayla from 57 Martin Street

Zach, a product manager at Zendesk, and Tayla, an HR professional at the Royal Women’s Hospital, began their journey to Thornbury during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. "Starting a new job during COVID was quite the experience. I didn’t meet my boss or teammates in person for almost a year," Zach reminisced. Transitioning to a remote work environment forced the couple to rethink their living arrangements, as they quickly realised the two-bedroom apartment they had just moved into no longer met their needs.

Purchasing their Collingwood apartment off the plan in 2017, they endured a frustrating four-year wait until its completion in 2020, only to realise the space felt constricting as they adjusted to new realities. “After 18 months in lockdown, we definitely outgrew our previous place,” Tayla explained. “We had imagined we’d be out and never at home. But working from home changed everything,” Zach noted, reflecting on the impact of the pandemic on their lifestyle.

While that apartment was always envisioned as their first step on the property ladder, the two outgrew it faster than anticipated, so after a momentary sea change on the Mornington Peninsula, while remote work allowed for it, they renewed their property search, circling back to Neometro, a developer they’d started following 13 years earlier while they were working at McDonalds, Collingwood while construction was underway on Neometro’s 9 Smith street, Fitzroy project where it is headquartered. Parking their car outside the McDonalds that brought them together, they enquired about and negotiated the purchase of their next home. Taking full advantage of stamp duty savings while locking in a competitive purchase price and the luxury of saving more towards their deposit during the construction phase, Zach and Tayla purchased a 3-bedroom townhouse at Neometro’s 57 Martin Street, Thornbury.

While looking for their next home, they prioritised finding a reliable developer, turning to Neometro, known for its commitment to quality and design. “We wanted something we could trust, especially after our experience with the previous property where communication was terrible, and the project was plagued with delays,” Zach stated firmly. Tayla concurred, emphasising the importance of a trusted partnership in the home-buying process.

Their choice turned out to be wise, as they successfully secured a property at Martin Street that met their practical needs and resonated with their aesthetic sensibilities. “We really liked the quality of Neometro’s work. Some so many developers produce mediocre homes, but we felt they take design and construction seriously,” Zach observed, highlighting their commitment to finding a place they could genuinely call home.

Third, in a boutique collection of 6 double-storey homes that stretch back from a single street frontage, Zach and Tayla’s townhouse rests at the heart of the development. Nineteen months after moving it, the shared garden pathway leading to their front door is a verdant expression of barely contained beauty designed by Mud Office. The smell of jasmine, the industrious sound of bees and the alluring fusion of native and ornamental botanicals have the gentle impact of a welcoming exhalation.

Through their solid timber front door, the open-plan living space unfolds. Polished concrete floors, terracotta tiles, chrome, granite bench tops, exposed white painted bricks, timber window frames, and gauzy window treatments introduce a timeless material honesty that continues Neometro’s mantra to wear in, not out. Designed by Common Ground, it is a space that makes no airs. Beautiful in its simplicity and rinsed of any unnecessary adornment.

Interior styling has become a tool for complimenting and softening the edited architectural language, introducing textures and colours that reconcile the built elements with the garden outlooks that bookend the lower level. Zach and Tayla engaged Alessandra Smith Design to overlay colour, warmth and personality through furniture, objects and artwork that bring warmth and character to the home. A Vitsoe shelving system subtly adheres to the living room wall, holding the storied paraphernalia of life. A Joshua De Gruchy painting accentuates the spectrum of tones in the terracotta tile feature wall while a pair of United Strangers Malibu Lounge Chairs in orange boucle pull the warm palette off the walls and into the room. An Akari 3A lamp sits on the shelves, conversing with the paper composition of a large orb pendant hanging over an oak Ellison Studios Earth Dining Table surrounded by vintage Spoleto chairs. With space and light tangibly moving in and around each piece, the home feels airy and spacious, like a beautiful canvas that could carry any aesthetic painted upon it.

Zach and Tayla's story is more than just a property purchase; it reflects the larger narrative of millennials navigating the complexities of modern life. Their journey exemplifies a generation marked by flexibility, resilience, and an evolving definition of what home truly means. As they settle into their new townhouse, Zach and Tayla embrace the challenges of balancing career aspirations, personal growth, and the quest for a nurturing living space.

A big thank you to Zach and Tayla. Find out more about 57 Martin Street, Thornbury by Neometro here. Words by Tiffany Jade. Photography by Derek Swalwell.