Our task here was to preserve Ilyuka and have a light touch on the original building, while creating a fully functioning kitchen that worked for a house where large-scale entertaining was a regular occurrence.
Rob Mills
Set in stunning park-like grounds and sited on Portsea’s clifftops over Port Phillip Bay, Ilyuka was built by an American oil baron in 1928 as the ultimate symbol of wealth and prestige. Its architecture is based on a Spanish Mission style popular in California at the time.
RMA was invited to inject a new energy, refresh the building’s original elements and create a new kitchen and entertainment complex. Bathrooms were upgraded but kept in the original style and a new laundry was added.
The carefully considered restoration drew on RMA’s address book of skilled craftspeople to ensure that the contemporary work fits seamlessly with the original design. This iconic home required sensitive spatial remodelling to ensure that contemporary living dovetails with the heritage significance of this landmark building.
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