131 Smith St
Outline Projects (TCON)
Freadman White
Freadman White
Burleigh
Plank
On one of Melbourne’s most watched streets, 131 Smith Street had to earn its place. Sandwiched between two heritage-listed buildings in Fitzroy, the mixed-use development designed by Freadman White and developed by Outline Projects had to be contextually respectful, architecturally confident, and liveable across 39 apartments and two ground-floor retail tenancies.
It also had to feel considered underfoot.
Burleigh from Kustom Timber’s Project Series runs through the apartments. Harmony from the Artisan cork range lines the hallways. Together, they carry a material warmth through the building that the architecture sets up and the flooring quietly delivers.
The brief
The brief for 131 Smith Street was built around restraint. Freadman White’s approach to Fitzroy’s heritage streetscape was to reference, not replicate — drawing on the bay windows of the former Foy & Gibson warehouse complex and the rhythm of nearby masonry piers, then reinterpreting them through a contemporary lens.
A sculptural precast concrete facade gives the building a quiet authority. Bay windows have been softened into gentle curves. Precast columns mirror the cadence of neighbouring buildings. The upper levels step back, preserving the heritage street wall as the dominant visual plane, while cantilevered balconies and full-height glazing introduce movement and light.
Inside, the design follows a considered material sequence. The residential foyer works in deep tones — concrete in an earthy register, brick pavers, leather seating — creating an arrival experience that gradually lightens as you move further in. By the time you reach the apartments, the palette has shifted to warm organic tones intended to instil what the project team described as ‘uncomplicated calmness.’
That’s where the flooring comes in.
The floor
Specifying commercial timber for a project like 131 Smith Street involves a different kind of thinking than a residential fit-out. Durability, consistency across a large run, and the ability to hold a coherent aesthetic across multiple apartment typologies are all non-negotiable.
Burleigh from Kustom Timber’s Project Series meets those requirements without compromise. Engineered over a cross-laminated eucalyptus plywood core with a 3mm hardwood oak veneer and finished with an eight-layer UV lacquer, it’s built to perform across high-traffic commercial environments while retaining the warmth and visual richness of natural timber.
The tone was the deciding factor. Burleigh’s balanced natural blonde with sandy undertones sits comfortably against concrete, marble, and bespoke joinery without competing for attention. In a project where the material palette is doing a significant amount of architectural work, that kind of restraint is exactly what’s needed.
The 190 x 1900mm plank format, installed in a straight run, also brings a considered scale to each room — generous enough to feel resolved, proportioned enough to work across both compact one-bedroom layouts and the larger through-apartments that enjoy cross-flow ventilation and dual aspects.
In the hallways, Harmony from Kustom Timber’s Artisan cork range takes over. Light, warm brown tones with a softly textured surface, Harmony introduces a material shift that feels deliberate rather than decorative. Cork’s natural acoustic properties make it a considered choice for shared corridors — quieter underfoot, kinder to the building’s community feel. The 300 x 600mm tile format and UV lacquer finish keep it practical. The tone keeps it cohesive.
The result
131 Smith Street received recognition at the 2025 National Architecture Awards in the Interior Architecture category — a nod to the interior detailing that makes the building work as well inside as it does on the street.
For Kustom Timber, 131 Smith Street is an example of what commercial specification at this level requires: products that perform reliably across a large installation, hold a consistent appearance in varied lighting conditions, and contribute something genuinely warm to spaces that are architecturally complex.
Burleigh and Harmony did that. Each in their own register, and better together.
Specifying for a commercial project?
Our commercial timber flooring range and Artisan cork collection are designed for exactly this kind of work. Enquire about Burleigh, explore Harmony, or get in touch to discuss your next project.
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