Complete Two Storey Transformation, 7 St Leonards Pl, St Kilda

Before founding Walton Custom Builders, Luke Walton project managed this complete two storey transformation of an apartment in St Kilda, running the job day to day from strip out to handover for the builder he was working with at the time, alongside MA Architects. The building contract itself was not held by Walton Custom Builders. It is presented here as an example of the project management, sequencing and on site problem solving Luke brought to a genuinely complex build. The transformation took eighteen months.

Location

St Kilda

Duration

18 Months

project

Full Transformation

Partners

MA Architects

Occupancy

Vacant, Investment Property

The Brief

The owners bought this 1990s two storey apartment as an investment property, with awkward split levels on the ground floor and a layout that had long stopped making sense. In major need of renovation and repair, it needed more than a facelift. Working alongside MA Architects, the brief grew into a complete transformation rather than a renovation, with every internal finish stripped out and the building rethought from the frame outward.

The Scope

This was a complete transformation rather than a renovation. Every internal finish was stripped out, and the building was rethought from the frame outward.

Complete strip out of all internal finishes
External framework modified to create a far better ground floor layout
Roof removed and a third storey built above, housing a new master bedroom suite
A lift retrofitted into the existing building
The entire exterior reclad in thermally treated Accoya timber cladding, finished in Woca exterior oil ‘Black’
New kitchen, robes, bathrooms, laundry and built in cabinetry throughout

Three pieces of structural work defined the project: a substantial steel awning spanning the full width of the carport and entry, the concrete removal needed to create a single level ground floor and form the lift shaft, and a new support beam carrying the first floor that allowed ground floor walls to be removed entirely and freed up additional car parking beneath.

Specification and Fit Out

The finished home carries a calm, natural material palette, executed with joinery level precision.

Corsi & Nicolai natural limestone benchtops and splashbacks, ‘Ceppo’
Floor to ceiling doors throughout
Full height pivot doors to the hallways
Custom timber entry door and frame, made to match the entry panelling and conceal the storage cabinet doors within it
Navurban ‘Ravenswood’ laminate cabinetry
Solid blackbutt joinery shelves and study desks
Blackbutt engineered flooring throughout

Outcome

The plan was always to rent it out. Then the owners walked through the finished building.

After eighteen months of transformation, the investment property had become a home they could not bring themselves to hand over to tenants, and they moved in instead.

Thinking about a major renovation or rebuild?

Considering a major renovation or rebuild in St Kilda or elsewhere in Melbourne?

Tell us a little about your project and we will be in touch to talk it through.

Or call 0419 155 344