Set in Melbourne’s west, Murnong is a modern interpretation of home that honours both country and community. The project name refers to the native yam daisy (Microseris lanceolata) - a staple food for Wurundjeri people.
Location & Brief
West Footscray, Victoria
3 Bed 2 Bath 1 Living
Scope of Works
Architectural design
Interior Design
Build
Partners
Builders
Martin Builders
Landscape
Bespoke Landscapes
Photography
Marnie Hawson
Styling & Art
Hannah Nowlan
Murnong's bagged recycled brick and deep-red corrugated roof create a warm, textured façade that feels both familiar and contemporary
Behind this modest exterior, a central courtyard brings light, privacy and connection to nature.
clean lines, natural light, and a restrained palette
Spaces are crafted with simplicity and calm in mind, balancing functionality with an understated sense of luxury.
8.3 Star NatHERS Rating
Murnong is a humble, thoughtfully crafted home that balances warmth, sustainability, and adaptability. The home is thoughtfully embedded within its West Footscray streetscape, paying homage to the Australian gable with lean-to vernacular while embracing contemporary living. Its modest, textural façade of bagged recycled brick and deep-red corrugated roofing ensures a warm yet understated presence, complementing neighbouring homes. A central courtyard mediates between the bustling street and private retreat, offering both seclusion and sunlight. Designed with sensitivity to site constraints, the home maximises passive solar principles while addressing the challenges of highly reactive clay soil. Beyond its structured simplicity, Murnong celebrates playfulness in materiality and detail—from curved corners and soft transitions in the architecture to bold colour blocking in the kitchen and bathrooms. Thoughtful touches like playful brass door handles introduce moments of joy and personality, ensuring the home is not just functional but also deeply personal.
Bespoke brass door handles, custom joinery, and carefully considered finishes elevate everyday moments into tactile experiences.
Thoughtful touches balance the home’s structured simplicity, making it functional yet deeply personal - a space that feels alive with creativity and warmth.
Inside, Murnong reveals a vibrant personality. Curved corners, colour-blocked kitchens and bathrooms, and playful brass handles create moments of joy and surprise.
Tactile Transitions
From bagged brick to timber thresholds, every doorway and junction is treated with care - reinforcing the home’s language of playfulness and craftsmanship.
Homeowner
Murnong
impact over its lifetime
Measured by auditing tool, eTool
18,644,198
balloons of co2 gas removed from the atmosphere
3,018
Trees planted
67
the amount of zero energy Australian homes for a year
109
number of cars taken off the road
As a renovation project to an existing heritage home, it can sometimes be challenging to reach our carbon reduction targets. The existing house had a low energy rating due to lack of insulation and high performance glazing, while also being powered by a gas hot water system and heated by a gas-powered hydronic system.
