AUGUST 2017AWW.COM.AU 167
F
or Stephanie Jane Rampton
and her late husband,
finding a warehouse space
with a garden in the inner
Melbourne suburb of
Collingwood seemed to be impossible.
“I remember a real estate agent telling
me that whatI wanted – a warehouse
with a gardenwithin a very specific
area – did not exist,” says Stephanie.
Thankfully, the agent was wrong.
Having fallen in love with the area
for its vibrancy and proximity to
cafes, restaurants and the quick tram
ride into the city centre, Stephanie was
extremely happy whenthey found
a converted old coathanger factory
in her dream suburb.
Since moving in in 2004, Stephanie
has stamped her mark on the three-
bedroom warehouse space. From
the floorboards and staircase to the
kitchen, almost the entire home has
been revamped with the help ofMatt Staples, Stephanie’s close friend
and interior renovator. “Matt was
recommended by a friend and I sensed
he was the right man for the job
straightaway,” she says.
“When I discovered we had both
studied art in England, it was all too
good to be true ... little did I know
at the time that I’d form a lifelong
friendship with Matt and his family.”
Together, they have transformed a
tired warehouse into a remarkable
open-plan home. “I trusted Matt to
be as creative as he liked,” she says.
“Without a formal plan, we scribbled
ideas on scraps of paper as we went
along and it worked out beautifully.”
The kitchen was custom-made from
oak and walnut with stainless steel
worktops. The island bench has a mild
(low carbon) steel surround treated with
Penetrol, an anti-corrosion product.
Open shelves hang from cleverly
designed brackets against a “concrete»An internal window brings much-
needed light into the bathroom.
RIGHT: Glass blocks provide privacy
and an interesting feature wall.
BELOW: Rustic storage solutions.