Frequently Asked Questions.

Yes !! In fact, that’s our specialty. Through an in-depth knowledge of local architectural heritage and Victoria’s planning regulations, Blue Fruit can help you to navigate the process of extending and altering your home to suit your needs, while respecting its heritage story. We work closely with other building consultants - architects, building designers, engineers, landscape designers, building surveyors - to create a team that suits you and your project.

Yes, in fact spatial floor planning is the first place we start on all of our projects. It’s the most important part of getting your home to work for your lifestyle. Sometimes, re-imagining an existing footprint (with a practised eye) can lead to so much more efficient space and flow that an extension is not necessary.

Most definitely!! Through an extensive knowledge of architectural heritage and many years of experience of interior design, Blue Fruit can help you to create a home that suits your contemporary lifestyle while still celebrating the beauty and charm of your original older home.

Over many years of practice of designing in Melbourne, we have built up a fantastic team of builders and tradespeople. However, if you have a favourite builder in mind to construct your project, we are happy to work with you and your builder if you prefer.

Except for very small projects, all of our projects are conducted as part of a collaborative team with building designers or architects. We have a couple of preferred studios that we regularly collaborate with, and refer our clients to, in order to make this a very seamless process. After many years of experience in the industry, we have also built up a good team of other consultants such as planners, engineers, and builders. Blue Fruit becomes the glue who holds the team together for the duration of the project, keeping the integrity of the design consistent from start to finish.

Interior designers focus on a house’s design from the inside out - and are particularly interested in the connection of spaces, and how people interact between the areas. Blue Fruit’s expertise is how to do that whilst working with the heritage aspect of interior spaces. Getting the whole house to flow - from the front entry right through to the back garden, and every space in between, so that it all feels connected and calm.

We also tend to hone in on lighting design and layouts, and joinery design, often creating customised joinery or cabinetry which is individually designed to suit a client’s needs.

I love working as part of a multi-disciplinary team, as everyone will bring a different viewpoint to the project.

The range of eras we work on is much more extensive than just Victorian and Federation houses. Part of the reason I went back to university to study a Master of Urban and Cultural Heritage, was to explore the depth and breadth of styles in Victoria’s architectural heritage. To get a better understanding of all the fantastic eras, styles, and characteristics that go along with all the decades. So if, for example, you have a 1930s Spanish Mission, a 1930s Waterfall, a 1940s AV Jennings post war triple front, or a 1950s Post Modern house, or perhaps a 1960s Modernist flat - they all have personality and architectural merit. They will likely also have a quality of craftsmanship and building materials which are treasured today. Rather than tossing them into landfill, we prefer to use as much of them as possible, whilst reworking the footprint to suit a modern lifestyle, whilst respecting the beauty of the original architecture and craftsmanship.

Absolutely. Our approach of tailoring a design to suit an individual client works just as happily for new home designs as it does on existing heritage homes. If you are needing a design for your new house, and want a home filled with character, warmth and personality, talk to us to discuss how we can help.

Whilst the majority of our projects are in Melbourne, we also provide design services to clients with homes interstate. Get in touch with us to discuss how this might work for you.