Art Deco Revival, Camberwell

Project At A Glance

Location: Camberwell, Victoria

Architect: John Say Designs

Interior Designer: George Marks Design

Landscape Architect:

Photographer: Tom Blachford

Project Type: Heritage Architectural Extension and Renovation

Key Features: Art Deco façade retention, patterned brickwork, arched thresholds, leadlight glazing, single-storey rear addition, steel archway, V-groove two pack joinery, stone thresholds

Completed: 2021

Project Description Art Deco Revival extends a 1930s residence in Camberwell while retaining the strong geometry of its street-facing façade and entry sequence. Rendered surfaces, patterned brickwork and arched openings define the public presence, and new work is drawn back and kept deliberately low so the original form remains dominant. To the rear, the plan opens to garden connection through measured glazing and a calm, single-storey living volume.

Internally, the existing order is clarified rather than erased. Decorative plaster ceilings and leadlight glazing set the character of the retained rooms, while timber flooring carries through to create continuity into the newer areas. Arched thresholds mediate movement between spaces and level changes are expressed rather than concealed, giving definition to circulation. Joinery is integrated with aligned reveals so detailing reads as part of the architecture.

A new living and dining room forms the hinge between the original rooms and the garden outlook, anchored by masonry and controlled openings. Built by TCON in collaboration with John Say Designs and George Marks Design, delivery required careful coordination of structure, services and finishes within the existing shell, including precise alignment of floor levels and set-out to V-groove joinery, stone thresholds and a steel archway. The result is composed and durable, extending the Art Deco language without dilution.