🏡 Amess Terrace — Respecting the Past, While Boldly Embracing the Present
KNOWLEGE
5/24/20252 min read
🏡 Amess Terrace — Respecting the Past, While Boldly Embracing the Present
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Not every renovation needs to erase the past.
Some simply need the right kind of light — and the courage to let it in.
Amess Terrace, reimagined by Martino Leah Architects,
is a powerful example of how a once-dark Victorian terrace can become a light-filled sanctuary for a modern family —
without losing its soul.
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✦ From Closed-In and Dim… to Bright and Breathing Again
Victorian row houses are known for their tight layouts and lack of natural light.
To change that, the team demolished old additions,
reconfigured the upper floor, and carved out an enclosed courtyard that opens the home to the sky.
A dramatic skylight above the central staircase traces the sun’s path across the day,
quietly animating the home from within.
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✦ Where Modern Living Flows Naturally
The rear extension — with its pitched roof and steel-framed windows —
adds a generous kitchen and dining area.
Whitewashed brick walls stretch from the interior into the courtyard,
blurring the boundary between indoors and out.
In contrast, the front lounge leans intentionally into the home’s heritage —
wrapped in moody, atmospheric tones.
A quiet space to retreat, to reflect, to rest.
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✦ Honest Materials, Layered Living
Every surface is chosen to feel real, durable, and warm:
Recycled bricks painted white
Polished concrete flooring
Timber-lined ceilings
Natural stone benchtops with timber contrast
White finger mosaic tiles + soft terrazzo in bathrooms
Nothing tries too hard.
Every material plays its part in inviting you to stay a little longer.
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✦ A House That Understands Its Past — and the People Living in It
What makes this home special isn’t just design —
it’s intention.
Amess doesn’t abandon its roots.
It simply grows toward light, openness, and honesty.
A home that proves heritage and modernity don’t have to compete — they can coexist, beautifully.
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For those who believe a house shouldn’t just look good —
but feel deeply right to live in —
this is the kind of design that changes how you see “old homes” forever.
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