Cover Martine admires her low-maintenance yard. “We used a special kind of Korean ‘no mow’ grass called Zoysia. It gives a kind of Dr Seuss “Whoville” kind of appearance with interesting mounds,” she points out (Photo: JM Tubera)
Martine admires her low-maintenance yard. “We used a special kind of Korean ‘no mow’ grass called Zoysia. It gives a kind of Dr Seuss “Whoville” kind of appearance with interesting mounds,” she points out (Photo: JM Tubera)
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In the heart of South Yarra, Melbourne, Martine Ho and Cliff Ho lovingly restored and modernised a heritage-listed Victorian home, transforming it into a unique family abode for their little tribe of three
"So, how do you clean your tiles?” was the question begging to be asked of this homemaker, given the stove’s gleaming white Japanesque tiled range hood plus backsplash or even the fancy custom turquoise and blush floor-to-ceiling tiling in the master and guest showers.
"Actually," Martine Ho delightedly clarifies with a giggle, "a lot of people ask me that. But they haven’t been any more difficult to clean than normal tiles.’’
It is abundantly clear that the mister has very little input on design, aside from a sprinkling of masculine wooden elements throughout what is an absolutely stunning light-bathed, art-filled, modern Melbourne home.
“My husband said it’s very Australian to have native wood and to keep these tones similar,” Ho shares. And apart from a smattering of child-friendly pieces such as a plush sheepskin beanbag in the living room, the vibe is decidedly 99 per cent...Martine.
In case you missed it: Sunnies Studios’ Martine Ho on building a wildly trendy and thriving lifestyle empire
Above Martine found herspecial range hood andbacksplash Inax tiles viaArtedomus, which importsall its tiles from Japanesemanufacturers
Martine found herspecial range hood andbacksplash Inax tiles viaArtedomus, which importsall its tiles from Japanesemanufacturers
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“I love how scandalised Cliff ’s friends get when they come over for dinner and there’s this massive, larger-than-life, topless portrait of me,” laughs Martine, a smidge haughtily, of the nude she commissioned her aunt, Isabel Diaz, to paint for her dream house. “That’s so me.”
For those unfamiliar with the style icon and tastemaker, think Philippine-born, California-raised, Sixties girlie sex kitten meets type A creative genius. That doesn’t even begin to cover what “so me” means.
As the creative director of Sunnies, Inc, an accessible, Filipino-grown lifestyle empire that comprises eyewear (Sunnies Studios), beauty (Sunnies Face) and F&B (Sunnies Café and Sunnies Coffee), the Sunnies’ brand DNA is synonymous with Ho’s. From the overall visual impact and brand recall all the way down to the nitty-gritty of product development, her unique stamp is felt all throughout the group’s milestones and successes. Just last year, it celebrated a decade in business and earlier this year, the Philippine launch of Sunnies Flask was met with hyper enthusiasm.
Above Martineloves sitting at her SarahEllison dining set andwatching the Japanesemaples she plantedchange from green toyellow and to orangethroughout the year
Above The light-filled diningroom looks out onto thepocket courtyard
Martineloves sitting at her SarahEllison dining set andwatching the Japanesemaples she plantedchange from green toyellow and to orangethroughout the year
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Perhaps more known for his international TV hosting and producing-directing gigs, Cliffton, Martine’s Australian-Chinese husband, has slipped rather nicely into an entrepreneurial seat as co-founder of The Commons, the biggest co-working space business in Australia.
Her husband works closely with the best architects in the country, which means Martine often finds herself sitting in on their meetings, learning the processes, picking up spatial design and how materials flow together to create something harmonious; as such, when she brought her know-how to the table, the result was nothing short of spectacular. “I had free creative control over our Manila home, but our Melbourne home was a compromise between Cliff and I—as is marriage in general,” she fully appreciates.
To her point, the confluence of interests, experiences and tastes that touch this cosy, neo-futuristic home straddles multiple continents and is coloured by the vibrant cities they each grew up and worked in. What was once a quaint, two-bedroom, single-frontage Victorian bungalow is now a three-story, three-bedroom marvel that seamlessly blends heritage home charm with a space-age aesthetic.
Above There’ssomething specialabout a clean and crispcontemporary kitchenthat makes mornings a bitperkier and dinner prep a bitmore fun
Above Thehand-blown Buds 2 lampfrom Foscarini exudestimeless elegance
There’ssomething specialabout a clean and crispcontemporary kitchenthat makes mornings a bitperkier and dinner prep a bitmore fun
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“What’s beautiful about our house is that we purchased it from the original owners, the very first family that had migrated here from Italy in the 1880s. But then you have to take a lot of precaution restoring a heritage-listed home, so for us to even change the façade’s colour to white—which it is currently—took a long time to process.”
In the original 220 sqm, the home was quite small for their growing family and so they built three floors up and added a roof deck, expanding the floor area to 300 sqm. Old Victorian homes were typically narrow and skinny and the turn-of-the-century style was not conducive to letting natural light in. Their solution was to design a pocket courtyard within the home as well as to carve out pill-shaped skylights to flood the living room with natural light.
While the façade has retained some traditional Victorian elements (the doors and detailing are still intact), once you enter and open out into the back, the vibe instantly transitions to a super modernist home saturated in light.
More from Tatler: Inside Aman Residences’ luxurious sky retreat in Tokyo
Above The talented (and multi-hyphenate)Martine Ho
The talented (and multi-hyphenate)Martine Ho
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“Aesthetically”, starts Martine, “I was trying to convey that I’m Filipino first and foremost, but I’d spent a lot of my life in LA where the mid-century architecture style really flourished. Richard Neutra [we did a home tour of the Neutra VDL Studio and Residences in Silverlake and I really loved it—I felt so at home there!] was a huge influence on the lines and structural shapes of our home. Then there’s the Ray & Charles Eames’ house…I wanted it to still have a California bungalow feel, but the curves and neo-futuristic nod in several of the rooms is a bit of an homage to my love for The Jetsons from the Sixties I grew up around.”
Being Chinese, Cliff is very superstitious, so a non-negotiable for him was a no-no to the number four and to turtles. Nor did he want any furniture that felt like it belonged in an art exhibition. “Other than that”, shrugs Martine, “we just went with intuition and what makes us happy about a space when we walk into it.”
Above A phallicshapedvase from EttoreSottsass - which isquite the conversationstarter - sits atop a shelf.“It’s definitely a vibe!”shares Martine
Above A dreamy blend of warmcamel tones render the livingroom extra inviting
A phallicshapedvase from EttoreSottsass - which isquite the conversationstarter - sits atop a shelf.“It’s definitely a vibe!”shares Martine
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The couple welcomed their now four-year-old daughter, Penelope, in 2020 and at the time, a proper family home was in order. A very pregnant Martine—who had not intended on giving birth in Australia until the pandemic altered plans—recalls putting her foot down about bringing Penelope home to Cliff’s dark, all-grey bachelor’s pad and to needing a more permanent home base in Melbourne. She then scanned the housing market every day and thanks to a crash in mid-2020 pandemic pricing, she found a diamond in the rough, which she describes as “possibly the most derelict and dilapidated place in South Yarra that needed so much renovation and work”. So when Cliff went to see the house the next day after she gave birth in the hospital and showed her a video, she bit the bullet and said, “That’s the one, I feel really good about it!’’
With Melbourne consistently ranked as one of the top liveable cities in the world, and South Yarra as the top most liveable suburb in Melbourne, one can say the Hos reside in one of the most ideal places on earth. “It’s a very family-friendly neighbourhood,” she shares, obviously pleased with her instinctive snap decision. “It has lots of parks; Penelope gets to be independent and runs around in mud; and we live beside a beautiful market that sells the best produce ever.”
Above Non-negotiables for Martinewere curved shower elements anddreamy Inax tiling in both the masterand Penelope’s bathrooms
Above Coffee-tablebooks and Sunnies Studiosframes echo her interestsand life experiences
Non-negotiables for Martinewere curved shower elements anddreamy Inax tiling in both the masterand Penelope’s bathrooms
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While the locale was an eleven-out-of-ten, the home itself is even more special to the couple because of how much of themselves they poured into it. “I did the architectural planning with a draughtsman, Isabel Bayani. I chose all the tiling, did all the interiors and lighting. Cliff [secured a] homeowner builder [permit] whereby he project-managed the entire build of the house together with his cousin and uncle. We painted it ourselves…It really was this labour of love,” she fondly reminisces. “We were able to put all of our energy and time into it—especially when most of us were just at home during the pandemic anyway. So, obsessing over tiles, carpets, colours, textures, the shapes and the forms of the house kept my sanity during what was a bleak time for everyone in the world…and this home was the prize at the end of it.”
No matter where life takes them, this South Yarra gem will always serve as a reminder that, despite adversity and their diverse backgrounds, the Hos are bound by a shared vision. “We put so much love into restoring this house and creating a unique family home for us,” says Martine, basking in the warmth and cosiness of their pride and joy. “I don’t necessarily think that this is our forever home, just because we want to have a bigger family; but it’s absolutely perfect for right now, and we have so much gratitude every night we sleep in it.”
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Credits
Photography: JM Tubera
