High Density Homes: 6 Brookville Road

For twenty years, baby boomers Pete & Jude Mahoney brought up their family in a sprawling Neometro designed family home in Melbourne’s Kew. With a firm relationship established and nurtured throughout the design and build of the family home, the Mahoney’s turned once again to Neometro when, finding themselves empty nesters, the notion of downsizing became more and more appealing.

The Mahoney’s purchased their Neometro apartment within the  6 Brookville Road development in Melbourne’s leafy Toorak, off the plan, in 2013. This presented wonderful opportunity to work harmoniously with the design team to make small amendments to the floor plan of their first floor, 2 bedroom apartment, ensuring the bespoke spatial arrangement was perfectly suited to the couples needs. Pete is an avid amateur cook and revelled in introducing small alterations to what is a beautifully seamless and integrated kitchen. Further through the apartment, a subtle alteration to the flow of the home was acheived by moving a single door, introducing a usability to the home that was specifically aligned to the Mahoney’s intention for their space to acheive a resonance rarely found in new builds.  In fact, the entire apartment 5 years in has an uncluttered, airy appeal that is an homage to its clever design considerations and the opportunity to perfectly align to its inhabitants who have moulded it to fit their ultimate lifestyle. 

When asked why they turned once again to Neometro for their new home, Jude explains in her endearing and no-nonsense manner that she knew she would like what they designed because of the level of trust and expectation established by living within the Neometro aesthetic for so long in Kew. After viewing similar small scale apartments in inner Melbourne (Airlie Bank Place which was “too big” and Walsh Street “who wouldn’t love Walsh Street but it was also too big for us”) they were told of future plans for 6 Brookville Road. A quick drive through the location and they couldn’t deny its appeal. The ample green spaces and proximity to Malvern and Toorak Roads numerous amenities was perfectly suited to the couple who can walk to just about everywhere necessary to access their day to day needs. 

The sense of connectedness Pete and Jude have instilled within their home is hugely evident and wonderfully nurtured. Half way through meeting them in their home, old neighbours come to visit with their dog who Jude introduces as their “fourth grandchild.” With social interactions becoming increasingly digital and apartment design often missing the essence of domesticity and refuge, meeting the Mahoney’s and spending time with them in their home is like pressing the reset button and reinstating values that we didn’t even realise had been let go. Pete and Jude are a reminder that, sometimes, elements to maintaining happiness can be found between the walls of homes which have been designed to pay homage to the lives that flow within them.

Interior Design & Architecture by NEOMETRO™ in collaboration with MAArchitects

Photography by Derek Swalwell

Furniture & Styling by Nina Provan at NP.CO

Words by Tiffany Jade