HAIKU HOUSE

Modern kitchen with wood cabinets, a marble-topped island, and a metal and glass ceiling light fixture.
A person in a yellow raincoat walking past a historic brick apartment building with detailed ironwork balconies, a small front yard with a yellow-leaved tree, and bicycles parked outside.

“EVEN A THATCHED HUT

MAY CHANGE WITH A NEW OWNER

INTO A DOLL’S HOUSE”

- MATSUO BASHŌ, TRANSLATED BY DONALD KEENE

In Brunswick East, a heritage-listed terrace has been reimagined as Haiku House, a family home where memory and light are carefully interwoven.

For the clients, it carries a sense of nostalgia, a return to the same style of terrace where they first met, now reshaped to carry forward a spirit of openness, camaraderie and warmth for life with their three children.

With matching terraces on either side, light was the central challenge. A reworked stair with floating treads and a fine glass balustrade, quietly recalling shoji screens, draws daylight from new skylights and a high window through the centre of the home, while intimate pockets gather around it — a book lined retreat downstairs, whilst upstairs a study and an onsen-like bathroom are concealed behind a shoji-inspired feature wall.

Victorian character is preserved and reinstated, with arched openings, a preserved plaster keystone and softly bagged brickwork keep Brunswick’s texture in play. The kitchen works as hearth and bar, with warm timber joinery, blush stone, handmade tiles and gentle brass notes, opening to a leafy, north-facing courtyard that nods to tropical memory and invites everyday gathering.

Living spaces balance bustle and retreat. A deep indigo sofa anchors family life, smaller nooks offer calm, and a flexible rumpus welcomes sleepovers now and guest stays later.

The name Haiku House emerged during the build itself, when the long and often challenging process was lightened by an exchange of poems between client and designer. These haiku distilled moods, materials and aspirations, reminding all involved that creativity can carry both resilience and play. Today, the house reflects that spirit: pragmatic yet lyrical, rooted in heritage yet open to the future.

View from indoor room to cozy outdoor patio with plants, lounge chair, small side table, and wooden fencing, autumn foliage in background.
A modern wooden kitchen with a curved marble countertop, open shelving, and a tiled backsplash. The kitchen has a minimalist design with natural wood finishes and decorative items on the counter. There is a large wooden cabinet and a woven basket on a small wooden platform, with warm lighting.
Interior of a modern living space featuring a wooden bookshelf with a rolling ladder, a low wooden sideboard, and a wooden dining table with tea set. The space has warm lighting, textured walls, and a glass partition.
A cozy kitchen with wooden cabinets, a marble countertop, a stove, and a backsplash with beige tiles. On the counter, there are eggs in a bowl, a plate with a croissant, and a bowl filled with eggshells. There is also a coffee espresso machine and a small bottle on the counter.
Modern interior with wooden dining table, benches, glass-paneled room divider, exposed brick wall, and wooden flooring.
A cozy built-in workspace with wooden shelves, a desk, and a chair, enclosed by a sliding door in a minimalist room with wooden floors.
Modern bathroom with a freestanding bathtub, dark gray walls, small green-tiled half wall, copper fixtures, wooden ceiling accents, and a window
Modern bathroom with dark walls, green tiled lower wall, black marble countertop sink, and metallic storage cabinets.
A modern bathroom with green tiled shower area with an arched design, black toilet, copper sink, and wooden cabinetry. There is a white wall sconce and built-in wall niches.
Bright hallway with textured brick wall on the left and smooth beige wall on the right, leading to a staircase with a black grid-patterned rail, and a window at the end letting in natural light.
A modern interior with a wooden staircase, an open kitchen island with stools, pendant lights hanging over the island, and large windows letting in natural light.
A cozy room with a wooden loft bed, ladder, a large floor lamp, a stack of newspapers wrapped in paper, and cardboard boxes labeled 'fragile.' The room has a pinkish wall and wooden flooring.
A wooden table with a black teapot, a small dish with a spoon, and a glass cup of tea.
Open-concept living room with wooden floors, blue sofa, and a view of the kitchen with an island and open shelving, natural light, and minimalist decor.
Modern bathroom with black walls, green tiled accents, a large window, and a showerhead. There is a bathtub filled with white foam and bubbles, with a small brown object on the foam. A black stool is nearby, and there are brass rails along the wall.
Floor plan of a multi-story house showing basement, ground floor, and first floor with bedrooms, bathrooms, living areas, and outdoor garden.

DESIGN TEAM: KIM KNEIPP, CLAUDIA BLOXSOME
ARCHITECT: STEFFEN WELSCH ARCHITECTS
LOCATION: BRUNSWICK EAST, VICTORIA
YEAR OF COMPLETION: 2025

BUILDER: TRANSFORM HOMES
JOINERY: WOODCRAFT MOBILIAR & CALLUM MATHESON
LANDSCAPING: STRAW BROTHERS
PHOTOGRAPHER: MARTINA GEMMOLA

COLLABORATORS

Open-concept kitchen and living room with wooden cabinetry and furniture, large window with sliding glass door leading to outdoor space, indoor plants, ceiling fan, and modern lighting fixtures.
Modern bathroom with a dark marble sink, green tiled wall, and a round mirror with a metal frame.
Wooden ladder leaning against a curved wooden shelf in a room with brown walls and a record player on a desk.
Interior view showing a hallway with a textured brick wall on the left, a beige painted wall on the right, and a decorative arched opening leading to a room with wooden flooring, a window, and a black metal railing with textured glass panels.
A spacious room with a brick wall, a window with a blind, wooden floor, and a large wicker vase near the wall.
A black wall with a brass faucet pouring water into a bathtub filled with white foam bubbles.
Bathroom countertop with a black sponge, a tube of toothpaste, and a razor, against a black marble sink and green tiled wall.
A bathtub filled with white bubbles in a dark, minimalistic bathroom. There is a small orange rubber duck on the edge of the bathtub, with a towel hanging on a copper rail above. The wall has a matte finish, and there is a circular light fixture on t
Modern shower with black walls, green tiled accent wall, gold handrails, and a ceiling with wooden slats. Foam or bubbles fill the bathtub, topped with a small model ship.
A hallway with exposed brick wall on the left, a decorated ceiling with an ornate molding, a paper lantern hanging from the ceiling, a curved archway leading to a brighter space, a glass-and-metal partition at the stairway, and a window in the backgr
A wooden ladder leaning against a built-in wooden kitchen cabinet with a small stove underneath. The ceiling has a wooden fan, and there is a decorative woven basket on a lower shelf. The space has a warm, natural wood finish.
A wooden interior with a staircase on the left and a large, decorative woven basket with a lid on the floor against a plain wall.
A bedroom with two large windows showing autumn trees outside, a bed with beige bedding, a built-in wardrobe, a cardboard box, and a rolled-up rug on the wooden floor, with a ceiling fan overhead.
Interior view of a building with a modern glass and frosted glass partition, stone and wooden walls, and a wooden floor, seen from the top of a staircase.
A corner of a room with a wooden floor and brown walls. There is a tall, white, pleated lamp, a stack of newspapers or papers, and some magazines or books near it. A small wooden shelf is partially visible on the right. On the floor, there is a round
A large woven basket with a lid, decorated with black geometric patterns, sitting on a wooden floor in a corner with wooden shelving and a white wall.