Open House at 57 Martin Street, Thornbury by Neometro

57 Martin Street has been meticulously shaped to cultivate healthier, beautiful, more enduring living for residents. In the words of Neometro's Design Director, Jeff Provan, “behind every Neometro project is the understanding that we are the conductors of an entire orchestra which harmonises to produce the finest outcome.”

Underpinned by an ambition to foster the holistic qualities that make a house feel like a home, each has been developed to emphasise natural light, fresh air, tactile materials and a natural, neutral palette which converses with garden outlooks by MUD Office. Dovetailing with architecture and interior design, which remain intentionally moderne, was a collection of furniture from our friends at CCSS, styled for the event in a seamless display of engaging, elevated domesticity by Pascale Gomes-McNabb Design.

Evolving from a conversation around placemaking and liveability, Pascale’s styling for the open house event rested in an understanding of the whims, rituals and expectations of future inhabitants. In explaining her response to this she stated that, “Neometro clients are discerning and inherently interested in quality design. My approach to styling 57 Martin Street was to create a fun, homelike and authentic environment which extends on the Neometro ethos: well-designed and well-built housing that performs functionally and feels pleasingly effortless to live in.”

Against a backdrop of polished concrete floors, creamy exposed brickwork walls, terracotta and oiled timber, a curation of vintage furniture pieces were selected from the covetable CCSS collection. Finding accord with the loose luxury of the homes, the vintage pieces echo principles of longevity, beauty beyond time and trend, craftsmanship and durability. Clare and Sonam, owners of CCSS spoke of “the textures used in the finishes in the townhouses, which are perfectly accentuated and complemented by the eclectic vintage furniture.” They, like many who attended, spoke of a tangible resonance of home, understanding that this largely came down to “the age of the items used by Pascale which add warmth to the home. The patina in the Rainer Daumiller dining setting and the fabric texture on the Melbourne-made ‘Lello’ sofa which adds cosiness and a sense of having been lived in.”

This sentiment, of conjuring the spirit of home through a preference for surfaces, pieces and objects that harbour a storytelling quality through the expressions that mark them, continues to be the north star of 57 Martin Street. In Pascale’s words, “gorgeous cushions and Moroccan ceramic pieces from Nouvelle Nomad, recycled amber glasses, African baskets and sheepskin rugs from Alma in Hobart. Butterfly chairs from Angelucci Furniture…it was about composing an immersive experience so that you could imagine living there.“

From the new to the vintage, each element of the townhouse exudes characteristics that draw you in, make you feel welcome and coax touch. We are immensely proud of this quality which nurtures an authenticity that can be lacking in new homes and one that has been the collective resolve of all those who we have collaborated with. In Pascale’s words, “good design can positively affect and contribute to our well-being and happiness. How we curate our homes reflects who we are and how we like to live,” perfectly sums up the like-minded approach from the entire project team.

We would like to thank everyone who came along to the open house event. We are so excited for the future evolution of our 57 Martin Street project which doesn’t stop at the completion of its development. We wish the new residents well and can’t wait to see how they settle and forge a community; how the gardens will entangle with and temper the architecture as they mature; and, how the patterns and rituals of life will play out in a delicate discourse between home and inhabitant.

We'd like to thanks all our collaborators for their commitment and passion. Architecture by Common Ground, Project Management by Main Projects, Construction by Provan Built, Landscaping by Mud Office, Styling by Pascale Gomes-McNabb Design, Furniture by CCSS, photography by Derek Swalwell and Annika Kafcaloudis, words by Tiffany Jade.