DETAILS

HOUSE Curve House

LOCATION Vaucluse, NSW

DATE COMMENCED February 2016

DATE COMPLETED January 2017

INITIAL BUDGET $1.05m (excluding landscaping)

FINAL COST $1.3m (including landscaping)

This Vaucluse home was built when sky-high quiffs and stovepipe jeans clogged Sydney streets. Built in the mid-1950s, the abode was last altered in the early 1960s. After 55-plus years without so much as a new lick of paint, Nick Bell Architects was enlisted to bring the house up to date. Indeed, the team were given the tricky task of preserving the best of the mid-century features while improving and opening up the awkward layout of the block.

The existing layout saw service areas located at the rear of the property, which effectively – and annoyingly – disconnected living areas from the back garden and a large existing swimming pool. Purchased with the view to transform the property into a lifelong family home, the clients’ brief was comprehensive. Firstly, they requested a new and spacious open-plan living area and the expansion of the existing garden. Secondly, Nick Bell and his team needed to develop a multipurpose basement suitable for use as a rumpus room, nanny’s quarters or guest suite. To achieve this, the original staircase (a dangerously steep set of steps with low head height and small treads) needed to be improved and the structural opening enlarged. Additionally, a new laundry/bathroom and gym were added to the space, made possible with the introduction of new internal walls, new windows and doors.

Next on the owners’ list of must-haves was an abundance of natural light, a touch of glamour and a whole lot of mid-century charm. Finally, a resort-style ambiance with a garden oasis perfect for alfresco shindigs and casual gatherings was crucial to the success of the project.

Turning the brief into reality, Nick Bell Architects delivered a new extension to the back of the existing house that features an open-plan kitchen/dining/living area and master bedroom with walk-in-robe and ensuite with access to a private landscaped courtyard.

The other existing bedrooms and living areas were largely unaltered except for minor restoration. “Original mid-century modern features such as parquet flooring, pelmet lighting and timber wall panelling were restored,” says Nick. “The two bathrooms were reconfigured and completely refitted, and the hallway was opened up (by removing wall nibs and doorways).” Aiding the opening up of the entry hallway is a new skylight that infiltrates the space with natural light.

The triangular shape of the block threw up some challenges. Namely, retaining a spacious back garden while extending the rear of the house. “The master bedroom was positioned to make maximum use of the unusual-shaped block and orientated at an angle to address the triangular garden,” explains Nick, who credits the curved wall (and feature overhang) of the rear facade with softening the angles and creating a seamless transition between old and new. “The large pool provided a design parameter, making it feel integrated into the new design.”

Existing mid-century details acted as a springboard for the design, which sought to reference the original period of the building while also creating a sense of playfulness and glamour with the injection of new ideas and materials.

One of the key material choices was sandstone crazy paving as an external and internal floor covering. Brought into site as 2m x 1m panels, the large slabs were broken up by hand. The resulting floors emphasise the unity of the spaces, enhance indoor/outdoor flow and reduce the severity of the triangular rear garden.

From floors to walls, walnut-stained timber cladding provides richness and warmth to the rear facade, while internal tallowwood timber joinery ties to the original built-in joinery and parquet flooring of the house.

When it came to the kitchen, the colour palette was the niggling question. The ongoing debate about a blush-hued kitchen was introduced in the early design development but at various points throughout the project, the clients see-sawed between loving and loathing the idea. Eventually, the pink kitchen was given the green light when the team of architects explained their desire to combine the pink with tallowwood and white Corian, thus subduing the colour and creating a calming, modern and sophisticated palette.

Perhaps the most striking feature of this Vaucluse project is the roof, which curves in two directions (in plan and in section) and opens to the north above the kitchen to maximise natural light at the back of the house. “The relaxed holiday atmosphere the clients sought has been embodied and reflected in the architecture, which also respects and enhances the original house,” says Nick. “The finished home has achieved a unique ambience and blends modern Australian design with mid-century elements and a Palm Springs feel.” 

PROJECT TEAM

Architect/interior designer Nick Bell Architects, Nick Bell, Poppi Denison, Gabi Brasil, nickbellarchitects.com, 02 9699 3572

Contractor Jakin Construction Group, James Watkin and Dean Pringle, Jakin.com.au, 02 9958 8370

STRUCTURAL TEAM

Structural engineer R Balas Consulting, rbalasconsulting.com.au

FIXTURES & FITTINGS  

Tapware Brodware City Plus in matt chrome, brodware.com

Bathroom fittings Luxholdups, etsy.com/au/shop/LuxHoldups

Benchtops & basins Corian Glacier (white), casf.com.au

Cooktop Wolf, winningappliances.com.au

Fridge/freezer Liebherr integrated, winningappliances.com.au

Oven Fisher & Paykel, winningappliances.com.au

El Greco bath in grey limestone Natural Stone Co, naturalstonebathfactory.com.au

Wall uplights Lucitalia Zero, lpalighting.com

External lights Wever & Ducré Tube, lpalighting.com

In-ground uplights Lumascape, lumascape.com

Visi downlights LPA, lpalighting.com

Perla honed penny round tiles, Skheme, skheme.com

FURNITURE & FURNISHINGS  

Dining chairs SeehoSu, seehosu.com.au

Blue sofa, yellow & pink chair & small yellow cushion Bludot, bludot.com.au

Rugs (master bedroom & original living area) Designer Rugs, designerrugs.com.au

Trace chair, Tidal sunlounge & side table Tait, madebytait.com.au

Blue throw, green Gubi chair & turquoise side table Hay, cultdesign.com.au

Enoki coffee tables, Anemone rug & Showtime vases livingedge.com.au

Tortuga chair with pouf, outdoor white folding chair & white stools Sara Lund, kezu.com.au

Lamps Gras No.213 wall lamps in black satin with white inside, spenceandlyda.com.au

Wall lamp Lindholdt Petite Machine wall lamp, fredinternational.com.au

Internal wall colour Dulux Lexicon Quarter, dulux.com.au

SERVICES 

Sandstone supplier Gosford Quarries (2m x 1m slabs broken up on-site), gosfordquarries.com.au

Joinery Four Seasons Joinery, 4sj.com.au

The post Mid-Century Vibes in Charming Vaucluse appeared first on Completehome.

DETAILS

HOUSE Coolum Beach House

LOCATION Coolum Beach, Queensland

INITIAL BUDGET $1.1m

FINAL PROJECT COST $1.1m

DATE COMMENCED October 2016

DATE COMPLETED August 2017

Home to some of the best waves on the Sunshine Coast, Coolum Beach is adored for its sandy shores and surf culture. And now it possesses a piece of real estate so impressive we’re in serious danger of soiling our wetsuits.

A hop, skip and a 150m jump to the breaking surf at First Bay sits Coolum Beach House. Prior to the site’s makeover by Aboda Design Group, the vacant north-east-facing plot with views to Noosa National Park was begging for a dose of TLC. Semi-retired clients Trish and Greg Low hoped to maximise the opportunity of the site by taking advantage of the sloping block’s amazing views, great orientation and excellent  location in one of Coolum Beach’s best streets.  Having raised their family in a nearby rural setting, they were seeking “an unpretentious, comfortable, easy-maintenance , subtropical beach house”.

The newly built beach house embraces year-round alfresco  dining, with all living spaces  on one level pivoted  around the pool and deck, which act as the focal points of the entry. The modern digs offer its occupants – and their guests, including two adult children who live interstate – three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a laundry and study, plus a two-car garage with ample storage and room for two more cars underneath.

“The home was designed to cater for the occupants’ needs as they get older, with supply of a  lift shaft for future retrofit of a lift and all living zones on one level,” says Andy Bardini from Aboda Design Group, who reiterates the importance of maximising the coast and beach  views. “Maintaining scale and proportion while trying to elevate the building in order to obtain and future proof the view of the ocean and the bays were essential design considerations.”

While not formally articulated, it was  clear the clients were in the market for a design and build process they could participate in. In fact, Trish was excited to put her knack for decorating to good use by injecting a relaxed aesthetic to the interiors and  furnishings. Greg was also  involved on a daily basis assisting the builder, Richard, on-site as a labourer. “The opportunity  existed to break from the  convention of the white beach house aesthetic  with the integration of darker, moodier materials and textures. This was  complemented  by Trish’s furniture and furnishing choices, influenced by life in Bali and the  integration of the soft landscape so well realised by landscape designer E’scapes,” Aboda Design Group’s Scott Falconer adds. Harbouring a long-standing crush on Balinese joinery, which featured throughout their former home, Greg and Trish’s eclectic taste is carefully incorporated into a contemporary palette. Stained plywood walls and joinery highlight the palette and warm the space. “A darker palette was embraced due to the flood of natural light the living zones enjoy through the solar orientation and high-level glass,” says Andy. Making use of this enviable solar orientation and boosting the home’s passive solar design, the project team slapped some 6kW photovoltaic panels (with future battery storage for produced energy) onto the roof.

Operable blade screening, activated by a single-action bar, combines form and function to ensure sun protection, timber floor protection and privacy. The oversized Rosewood doors in timber and glass reinforce a softening of the built form and create cohesion when coupled with internal timber lining, batten and external plywood.

With million-dollar views and the ability to adapt to aging homeowners, Coolum Beach House is an inspiration all coastal dwellers should study with great care. As Scott says, “The result is not only the clients’ dream but the conclusion of a seamless and completely enjoyable process.”

PROJECT TEAM

Designer Aboda Design Group, aboda.com.au

Interior designer Aboda Design Group, aboda.com.au

Certifier Sunshine Coast Building Approvals, Zane Russell, 07 5443 7288

STRUCTURAL TEAM

Engineer SCG Consulting Engineers, scg-engineers.com

Builder Hardwood Homes, Richard Goodchild, 0407 619 968

FIXTURES & FITTINGS  

Electrician Econelec, Paul Ehrenberg, 0402 180 130

Plumber Flow Solutions, Brad Lucas, 0403 331 655

Joiner Nambour Creative Kitchens, Scott Limpus, 0412 710 704

Aluminium joinery G. James Glass & Aluminium, gjames.com

Glass balustrade Complete Design Fabrication, Trevor King, 0421 786 369

Aluminium screens Lifestyle Aluminium, 07 5459 5459

Plastering Action Plasterers & Renderers, 07 5493 6800

Roofing Makesafe Roofing, 07 5472 7699

Painting Spectrum Painting & Decorating, Michael Thompson, 0408 755 821

Air conditioning Cool Comfort 07 5351 1700

Timber joinery Duce Timber, 07 5479 4411

Timber floor polishing Eco Ezy Floors, 0411 124 901

FURNITURE & FURNISHINGS  

Furnishings Watermelon Red, watermelonred.com.au

SERVICES 

Landscape design E’scapes Landscape Services, escapeslandscapeservice.com.au 

The post Sunshine Coast Beach House Makeover by Aboda appeared first on Completehome.

DETAILS

HOUSE Auchenflower House

LOCATION Auchenflower, Qld

DATE COMPLETED 2016

From the pitched roofs and brick fence piers of Queen Anne Federation era homes to the late-colonial M-roof cottages with picture-perfect picket fences, Brisbane is home to a variety of housing styles representing almost a century and a half of architectural design. Brissy’s inner suburbs are dotted with porch & gable cottages popularised during the interwar period of the 1920s-1930s and this Vokes and Peters project was built in the Roaring Twenties.

Set amid manicured lawns and significant trees, the home was surprisingly well preserved considering its vintage. “Our clients admired the original character of the Brisbane cottage and wished to reveal this reverence in the design of alterations and additions that would enlarge the house by the addition of a new bedroom, bathrooms, laundry and studio,” says architect Stuart Vokes.

Sadly, the vast majority of original Brisbane cottages have been damaged beyond repair due to major changes that include raising, underneath building and rear extensions. “We attempted to avoid these typical outcomes by locating and scaling a two-storey rear extension in a way that allowed the new works to find a comfortable place in the backyard while earning a rightful spot in the roofscape of the neighbourhood,” Stuart explains. “The form of the building is distinctly abstract yet familiar and attempts to adopt the sensibilities of the 1920’s cottage.”

Built for a busy and energetic family of five, the project saw a reorganisation and extension of the kitchen, walk-through larder, sitting room with fireplace alcove, laundry, bathrooms, master bedroom and elevated studio. Combining contemporary aspects with traditional elements of the suburban porch & gable, the classic white batten facade ensures the house blends with its environment.

With their clients overseas on a two-year secondment, Vokes and Peters were in the unique position of constructing a client’s dream home without their intimate weekly involvement, as they are accustomed to. The level of trust being placed in their hands was not taken lightly and the finished product is spectacular.

The project was unique in its approach; the architects eagerly reinvested in the notion of private open space and chose gardens over extra rooms. Recognising the value of residences that open to the street and have the capacity to contribute to a vibrant streetscape, Auchenflower House is a testament to the expertise of Vokes and Peters, and the longevity and charm of the humble porch & gable cottage.

Embracing the classic combination of white bungalow and verdant suburban garden setting, the project is sentimental without being daggy and dated. “We adopted a classic pre-war suburban backyard motif inspired by the battened stair which was commonly seen on the rear wall of an elevated Queenslander,” Stuart says. “This defended stair was once used to provide safe, discreet and partially weather-protected access between the elevated kitchen and the laundry under the house.”

Beautiful one day, perfect the next, the Brisbane climate allows the planning arrangement to provide safe, comfortable and well-ventilated rooms in the house all year round. It also means the outdoor (covered) wet areas — including laundry, bathhouse, shower, WC and hand basin — are popular ports of call.

“The super batten screen provides a backdrop to the sloping lawn, and a folly positions you up in the canopy of the mango tree,” says Stuart, noting that the folly’s enviable vantage point offers views of the city skyline.

Auchenflower House may be a humble suburban project, but it is part of a bigger picture, and a body of work by a firm that values the contributions small projects can make to the “streets, neighbourhoods, and the broader narrative of the city”.

PROJECT TEAM

Architect/interior designer Vokes and Peters, vokesandpeters.com

Structural engineer Westera Partners, westerapartners.com.au

Hydraulic engineer H Design, 07 3848 0333

Builder Bauen Projects, bauenprojects.com.au

FIXTURES & FITTINGS

Weatherboard cladding James Hardie, jameshardie.com.au

Roof sheeting BlueScope Lysaght, lysaght.com

Firebox Jetmaster, jetmaster.com.au

Kitchen handles, towel rails Madinoz, madinoz.com.au

Ensuite vanity basin Duravit, duravit.com

Bathtub Reece, reece.com.au

Tapware Brodware, brodware.com

Pendant light Spence and Lyda, spenceandlyda.com.au

Ceiling and wall lights JSB Lighting, LAD, jsblighting.com.au

The post Auchenflower: 2017 House of the Year appeared first on Completehome.

DETAILS

HOUSE Coombs Curtain Wall House

LOCATION Coombs, ACT

DATE COMMENCED January 2015

DATE COMPLETED November 2016

INITIAL BUDGET $650,000

FINAL COST $800,000

Coombs couple Damien Lederer and wife Cristy Condon-Lederer had a dream to create the perfect light-filled home that was energy and thermally efficient. More specifically, they wanted a zero-net energy house that followed the principles established by the Passive House Institute.

Never heard of it? Let us lead you, Sherpa-like, through the basics of the German-based theory. As the only “internationally recognised performance-based energy standard in construction”, the principles of a passive house aim to minimise the ecological footprint of a built structure by severely cutting the energy required to heat and cool it. It is an approach that covers the modelling, design and construction phases of the building process to ensure resilient and airtight structures with super-insulation and pristine air quality.

More than just an energy-efficient building, a passive house is one blessed with comfort, affordability and ecological superiority achieved via the use of appropriate windows, a great ventilation system and heat recovery unit (among other things) to attain energy savings of up to 90 per cent. To put this in perspective, new builds are characterised by 75 per cent energy-related savings.

Brendan Donnan Building and Interior Design was brought in to make Damien and Cristy’s “passive” dream an assertive reality. A rigorous 18-month design period was spent modelling every aspect of the house before a single sod was turned. In keeping with passive house principles, the built form is north-facing and utilises a heat recovery ventilation system to reclaim energy from the air. The building envelope was made as airtight as possible, thereby avoiding ingress and egress of heat during summer and winter.

Finding inspiration in unlikely spaces, the professional pair was moved by the architecture of office buildings and adopted some of this style when designing the exterior. “There’s a certain attractiveness to some commercial design that we feel is under-represented in residential housing,” explains Damien.

The inclusion of a two-storey west-facing curtain wall of glass that was thermally broken required some inventive design considerations and lengthy engineering work to overcome weight and wind loadings. The solution was to use a metal awning surrounding the house that was fixed to the structure in a way that avoided thermal bridging. Rather than drawing the heat in, as a traditionally installed frame would, this project effectively placed the steel frame inside the structure.

Within the panel-clad exterior, complete with its aluminium awnings and large glass facade, is a timeless interior. “We wanted to apply minimalist, modern design to achieve a look of simple sophistication. We blended Scandinavian and industrial aesthetics by using a mix of light woods, concrete, stainless steel and glass,” says Damien, crediting pale-toned woods like white oak, European beech and Tasmanian oak with balancing the palette.

Sporting four bedrooms and three bathrooms, this 300sqm home dedicates its upper level to the lush parents’ retreat, including mezzanine bedroom, ensuite and large walk-in change room.

Providing an open-plan layout while also achieving almost total energy efficiency isn’t easy, and demanded a rethink of the traditional layout of the family home. “We wanted as few ‘dead’ or ‘museum’ spaces in the house as possible. The goal was to make every square metre usable space, which meant minimising corridors, entrances etc,” explains Damien.

The polished concrete floor is stunning, boasting the ideal mix of aggregate colours to harmonise with other elements — like the kitchen’s marble benchtop — in the house. With more to offer than just its good looks, the concrete floor doubles as a heat sink/buffer to ensure energy efficiency in perpetuity. “The concrete floor acts as a large mass inside the thermal envelope of the building to absorb heat during summer and give it off during winter,” continues Damien.

From the front pivot door to the staircase and light fittings, stainless-steel accents inject tactile sophistication, clearly evident by the staircase. Made from a mix of brushed stainless steel, glass and wood, it is one of Damien’s most treasured parts of the home. “The central stainless-steel stringer/balustrade became a work of art in its own right,” he exclaims proudly.

Creating these passive digs was a labour of love, and we give it five stars for energy efficiency and an extra couple for being so darn good-looking.

PROJECT TEAM

Architect Brendan Donnan Building & Interior Design, brendandonnan@gmail.com

Builder EcoBlue — Jorg Staufenbiel, (0419 599 654)

Interior designer Cristy Condon-Lederer

SERVICES

Polished concrete Ruff Rock Pty Ltd, ruffrock.com.au

FURNITURE, FITTINGS & FINISHES

Bedroom Lilly & Lolly, lillyandlolly.com.au

Interior decorating supplier Inside Story, theinsidestory.com.au

FIXTURES & FITTINGS

Garage doors Sydney Garage Doors, garagedoors-sydney.com.au

Windows Hanlon Windows Australia, hanlonwindows.com.au

Kitchen supplier About Kitchens, aboutkitchens.com.au

Carpet Choices Flooring Fyshwick, choicesflooring.com.au

Benchtop Logan Leigh Benchtops, loganleigh.com.au

Aircon KL Air, klair.com.au

Bathroom suppliers Pietra Bianca, pietrabianca.com.au; Rifco Trading Pty Ltd, rifco.com.au

Roofing supplier Bondor, bondor.com.au

Ventilation Nuaire Ventilation, nuaireventilation.com.au

The post Passive Eco Warrior appeared first on Completehome.

DETAILS

HOUSE Byron Bay Barns

LOCATION Byron Bay, NSW

DATE COMMENCED February 2017

DATE COMPLETED June 2018

INITIAL BUDGET $1.2m

FINAL COST $1.3m

As a general rule, “worldly” and “refined” are adjectives rarely attached to the humble barn house, but this family home in Byron Bay is the exception to the rule.

Consisting of two level building sites (a main house and a granny flat) on a sloping block, Byron Bay Barns is the brainchild of Tim Sharpe. Tim does not have a hat fetish, but he did don a fair few as the architect, owner and builder of this project.

Cocooned within a setting of lofty hoop trees and magnificent pillar rock, both structures provide a strong indoor/outdoor connection that suits the subtropical coastal lifestyle of northern NSW. The pitched gable roofs are clad in spangled galvanised steel, a first in Australian architecture. Chosen because of its low-maintenance appeal, the cladding is just one example of Tim’s keen eye for design and unique take on architecture. He was eager to build a house that was not only low-maintenance, but also durable, comfortable and thermally efficient.

The inspiration behind this project’s design was a melting pot of influences, including the Australian woolshed, the European mansard and the steep, pitched gable roofs popularised around the world. “We were influenced by a year spent living in Switzerland and my wife’s European/North American background, as well as ensuring that the traditional style influence was rethought to suit subtropical weather conditions,” adds Tim.

With four bedrooms and three bathrooms, the main house provides direct garden access and invites the family to stretch out in the open-plan kitchen and living zone or relax in the snug/TV room (with French doors and stacker windows). Sharp like a knife, the two-degree pitched roof of the bedroom wing effectively outlines the private areas of the home. These spaces — primarily the bedrooms — were finished with lower ceiling heights for a cosier atmosphere. A home office, swimming pool and covered deck round out the living areas. Meanwhile, the granny flat provides guests with two bedrooms, one bathroom and a loft space.

To keep energy costs down, the buildings were designed and arranged to capture natural north and east light in as many spaces as possible. Polished concrete floors hide another energy-efficient inclusion: underfloor heating and cooling. Combined with natural cross ventilation and extreme insulation that exceeds standard requirements, the barns are right at home in the hippy-friendly, eco-conscious Byron Bay. “We wanted to create a house that would become better with age so we can focus on living in it and enjoying it rather than maintaining it,” Tim explains. To achieve this, he used materials that promised to age well and add character to the home. The galvanised steel flat pan profile roof and cladding, for example, will soften and reveal a grey patina over time.

Spotted gum cladding contrasts with the metal sheeting and will age into sumptuous shades of grey, with the addition of external sliding screens offering privacy and sun protection. By using a neutral palette of natural materials that will remain aesthetically pleasing as they age, Tim has ensured the home is grand and majestic, yet somehow warm and cosy. It is testament to his talent and the vision he and his wife refined from concept to reality.

When quizzed on his favourite space in the home, Tim struggled to identify just one: “We love the dark-blue snug room for curling up with the family on a rainy night,” he confides. “The lofty elevated office space has suddenly made bookwork a pleasure, and the kitchen island is a gathering place on Friday afternoons for a weekend start on nibblies and drinks.”

With his family in tow and polished concrete underfoot, Tim and his brood will be able to enjoy the form and function of their striking home for decades to come.

We love

The high ceilings and polished concrete floors

Editor’s favourite

The pitched gable roofs that are clad in spangled galvanised steel

PROJECT TEAM

Architect/interior designer Sharpe Design Construct — Tim Sharpe, Rani Blancpain, Marc Gerritsen, sharpedc.com

Builder Sharpe Design Construct, sharpedc.com

Engineer ICON Consulting Engineers, i-con.com.au

FURNITURE, FITTINGS & FINISHES

Cabinetmaker Keakraft, (02) 6687 0766

FIXTURES & FITTINGS

Hardwood & building materials H Williams & Sons (02) 6685 7355; Byron Bay Building Materials (02) 6685 6399

Roofing & cladding Stratco, stratco.com.au

Floor heating/cooling Radiant, 0477 211 811

Plumbing fixtures Reece, reece.com.au

The post ‘Sharpe’ Design with Grand Finishes appeared first on Completehome.

Details

HOUSE Modern farmhouse

LOCATION Elgin Valley, South Africa

This contemporary take on a traditional barn structure among the apple orchards of the Elgin Valley makes for a simple, inspiring weekend getaway for a Cape Town family

The Elgin Valley is the apple-growing capital of South Africa. The valley is filled with orchards as well as cool-climate vineyards, and is surrounded by mountains and nature reserves, including the protected Kogelberg Biosphere. It’s also less than an hour’s drive from Cape Town, which makes it the perfect weekend escape from the city. That’s why hotelier and entrepreneur Jody Aufrichtig chose it for his delightfully eccentric lodge, the Old MacDaddy, where the rooms are luxuriously and creatively converted vintage Airstream trailers.

In fact, it seemed so perfect that there came a point at which Jody and his family — his wife Deirdre and children Mina Mai, Jai, Sophie and Luca — thought they should have a holiday home of their own at Elgin Valley, a private spot where they could leave their clothes.

Architect Greg Scott and his team had worked with Jody on various projects over the years (Greg had designed the main barn-like venue at the Old MacDaddy, where there’s a restaurant and a swimming pool and space for weddings and events etc), so the Aufrichtigs began discussing their idea for a weekend bolthole with him.

They’d earmarked a beautiful spot near the farm dam, backing onto an orchard, with views over the water and the valley beyond. “I wanted to be near water because the birdlife is incredible,” says Jody. “Early in the morning I watch the ducks landing on the dam. It’s just lovely.” He and the kids love swimming and canoeing across the dam too, so the idea of having a house “right on top of the water” appealed enormously to the family. The site they chose faces west, so in the evenings there are beautiful sunsets over the water as the sun dips behind the distant mountains.

Greg had already begun exploring a contemporary barn aesthetic at the main lodge building and was keen to reinterpret and extend the idea for a holiday house. “It’s a very pure architectural form, and if you can stay true to it and put some beautiful punctures and apertures in it, and open up the ends, it’s an amazing way of building, and obviously relates very well to its context,” he says. “A barn shape inevitably looks right at home in an orchard.”

Barns also make for simple, practical construction, especially in remote areas such as Elgin Valley where you’d want to disturb the landscape as little as possible. “The steel portal frame is made off-site and can be erected quickly,” says Greg. So essentially that’s what his team did; they popped up a steel frame, enclosed it and clad it in corrugated roof sheeting, cleverly layering in modern systems such as solar power to keep its creature comforts sustainable and its ecological footprint small.

The interior is almost entirely “skinned”, as Greg puts it, in spruce. The pale-timber walls and pitched ceilings follow the building’s exterior silhouette with simplified, clean lines so you can “read” the barn shape from inside too. The furnishings, lights and even the pots and pans were to be black. “We thought we’d have some fun when you step into the bathrooms,” says Greg. “They were predominantly stone and a series of white finishes.” The stone was harvested from the site and the rough, raw textured finish stands in contrast to the refinement of the living and bedroom areas.

Greg has been very restrained in the way he has positioned the windows. “We did very few openings on the sides, but they were considered and composed,” he explains. They’ve been positioned to frame views and create “a slightly irregular spread of light” throughout the interiors. They are set in deep wooden recesses so that a person can fit right inside them, like a window seat or a little pod off the living area where it feels as if you’re “inside and outside at the same time. You can imagine sitting there and having a little siesta or reading a book while the kids build puzzles or play with Lego,” says Greg.

While the views might be carefully edited along the length of the house, they’re “sucked in”, as Greg puts it, and “bounced around” the living room by a huge mirrored wall. “It makes the house feel a lot bigger than it is,” he says. He points out that it makes it possible to sit with your back to the garden inside but still see what’s behind you. “It really is an interesting game that you get to play with space.”

While the mirror teasingly blurs the distinction between inside and out, it also underlines the point that the house is ultimately outward-looking. In fact, as Jody says, it’s deliberately small not just to simplify and declutter, but also because the family’s weekend and holiday breaks in Elgin Valley are about being outdoors. Jody’s favourite spot is the outside entertainment area. “I spend most of my time there,” he says. “We’ve got a gas braai (barbecue) and a wood braai. I braai every night, I think. It’s actually not about the food for me, it’s about standing around the fire.”

Greg points out that, as the transitional zone between indoors and out, the outdoor entertainment area called for a creative response that would allow the functional, engineered language of the barn-shape “to blend and knit and mesh” with its setting. His response was a blackened timber pergola structure that extended the lines of the building, not only breaking up its mass visually, but also acting as a screen against the sun and wind. Inspiration came when they realised that to prevent the long runs of timber from warping and twisting, they’d have to pack the gaps with stabilising wooden blocks. “Instead of having the timber spacers all in the same place, we randomly scattered them,” Greg explains. “The idea is to create filtered, mottled light so that it feels like you’re under a canopy of trees.” At the same time, it is “where the strong industrial engineered architectural forms dissolve and disaggregate into something that’s a little bit more organic and natural”.

Greg and his team were largely responsible for the interior design of the home too. They designed a number of the furnishings and finishings and had them custom-made, including the steel-fronted kitchen and the wooden couches and bed units, and the free-standing bathroom units and mirrors. But they also helped source furniture to complement the timber-skinned envelope with a “fairly slick minimal stripped-down” palette “balancing timber and black and dark finishes”.

The custom-made furnishings were all manufactured by the contractor who did the spruce interiors, so there is “coherence and consistency. It’s a pet hate for me when you’ve got timber that doesn’t match,” admits Greg. Likewise, the black furnishings bring coherence and continuity to the rooms. “I think black offers massive opportunities from a design point of view,” he says. “It’s a wonderful way to sew together spaces, objects and elements.” He likes the way black gives each piece of furniture an identity without being “busy”, which is an asset in a small space.

But that’s not to say the black is dull or uniform. In fact, Greg’s found some poetic ways to humanise the somewhat industrial materials. The kitchen counter, for example, is a specially blackened brass, treated with heat to darken its surface. “It weathers and oxidises over time, so it develops a patina almost as a character with a story of its own, but underpins that industrial aesthetic that we were working with,” he says. He compares its charm to that of a shipwreck. “They might be hard, engineered steel machines, but there’s a softening and almost an impermanence in something that changes like that and weathers.”

While the palette might be carefully controlled, there is an energy and dynamism introduced by the asymmetrical arrangement of the interior furnishings. “I abhor symmetry,” states Greg, “so you’ll see nothing is in the middle of anything, nothing is mirrored, nothing is repeated.” At the same time, the predominantly strong, angular, masculine forms are offset by the occasional circular element such as a table. “It really tempers the space,” he says.

This kind of simplicity suits Jody perfectly; he vehemently believes that part of the clarity and sense of peace, perspective and creative freedom his visits to Elgin Valley offer him has to do with the eschewal of clutter. “I don’t want things,” he reveals. “I don’t have technology around the place. It’s simple, there’s no clutter, and actually I’m much happier. People seem to walk into the place and smile for some reason, and that’s the foundation for me.”

PROJECT TEAM

Architect Scott + Partners, scott.partners

FURNITURE

Coffee table, steel circular tripod table and cage lamp Weylandts, weylandts.com.au

Chairs Block & Chisel, blockandchisel.co.za

Cork ‘Low stools’ & ‘Lab vase’ Wiid Design, wiiddesign.co.za

Dining chairs and nesting tables James Mudge, jamesmudge.com

Dining and kitchen pendant lights Foscarini/Diesel Home (available from Crema Design), cremadesign.co.za

Strip pendant light and bedside lamp Spazio, spazio.co.za

Candelabra Tom Dixon, tomdixon.net

Bedroom art Rosie Mudge, smithstudio.co.za/content/rosie-mudge

OUTDOOR FURNITURE

Outdoor table James Mudge, jamesmudge.com

Outdoor lighting Hay, hay.dk/en

The post A Contemporary Barn Situated upon Elgin Valley appeared first on Completehome.

DETAILS

HOUSE McMahons Point House

LOCATION Sydney, NSW

DATE COMMENCED August 2014

DATE COMPLETED August 2016

Ever notice how a lot of good things start with “coco”? Coconuts, Coco Chanel, cocoa, and interior design powerhouse Coco Republic. One of the firm’s latest Sydney projects is this 1950s tri-level warehouse in McMahons Point. Owned by Revelop (developers) business partners Charbel Hazzouri and Anthony El-Hazouri, the warehouse was divided into two luxury houses.

To ensure both abodes possessed a sense of individuality, Coco Republic was called in to trick out the interior of Charbel and his wife Laura’s side of the warehouse.

Dilapidated and riddled with asbestos, the structure had received very little TLC since it was originally built and the roof — a standout feature of the structure — was in desperate need of repair.

Coco Republic senior interior designer Victoria Chapman claims that maintaining the roof form and original trusses was extremely important. Spanning the width of both residences, the M-shaped roof threw up a number of challenges, namely ensuring its connection to new internal structures such as the glass lift shaft and the floating stone stairs. “The roof was an evolving element of the building process mainly due to the condition of the existing structure and the challenges presented with integrating the glass roof over the lift wells of the two properties,” Victoria outlines.

Home to a growing family, the three-storey interior design needed to combine luxury with functionality while providing ample entertaining space for parties and get-togethers. Answering the brief is an open-plan kitchen/living/dining/family room, three bedrooms, three bathrooms and a study.

The top level of the home was to serve as a private space for the family, leaving guests with access to the ground and second floors only. The guest apartment on the ground floor offers one bedroom, one bathroom and a kitchen/living/dining area.

Partial to the classic Parisian Pied a Terre, the couple wanted to inject some of this grandiose aesthetic into their home and cited Calacatta marble as a key material to be used throughout the project. “The clients sourced some beautiful slabs, which we used in key areas to provide both a luxurious finish and visual interest,” Victoria adds. “We didn’t want the marble to make the space feel too cold, particularly as the ceiling soars to more than 5m on the second floor, so to offset the stone we introduced giant-format engineered oak floorboards in a sable/grey tone that was laid in a chevron pattern.”

Chevron flooring spans the full extent of the second-floor open-plan living area, with the oversized design balancing the ceiling height and floor area. Off-white walls with a green oxide undertone (Resene Merino) are consistent throughout the home, allowing the carefully curated furnishings, and the enviable views, to enjoy the limelight.

Hugging Sydney Harbour, this McMahons Point home is just as stunning inside as the views are outside. Kudos to you, Coco Republic!

We love

The Calacatta Oro marble and custom stained oak joinery

Editor’s favourite

Bespoke details including the large-format flooring

“The roof was an evolving element of the building process mainly due to the condition of the existing structure and the challenges presented with integrating the glass roof over the lift wells of the two properties” – Victoria Chapman

The guest apartment on the ground floor offers one bedroom, one bathroom, and a kitchen/living/dining area

Chevron flooring spans the full extent of the second-floor open-plan living area

PROJECT TEAM

Interior designer Coco Republic, cocorepublic.com.au

Architect Bureau SRH, bureausrh.com

Builder Revelop, revelop.com.au

The post A Coco Republic Luxury Furnish appeared first on Completehome.

This inviting entertaining zone is designed with the whole family in mind and has plenty of space for everyone. Kiama Pools engaged Cycas Landscape Design to create a design concept that was true to the clients’ vision. Kiama Pools then brought the concept to life, building the pool, landscaping the space and constructing an outdoor pavilion with polished concrete flooring. The pavilion has a cantilevered area with recessed LED lighting underneath it, creating a glamourous floating effect.

“Despite their limited footprint, with a great design and correct proportions we fit everything in,” explains Tim Sprague from Kiama Pools. “We built an outdoor room and landscaped the entire area, showcasing the pool with a lush tropical backdrop. We worked with our clients’ vision, the design, their home and budget to create an outdoor space with the highest-quality workmanship and products so that they can enjoy it for many years to come.”

At a glance

Pool built by: Kiama Pools

Pool designed by: Cycas Landscape Design

Pool size: 6m x 3m

Heating: Austral Solar

Cleaning: PV3 Paramount in-floor cleaning and Viron automatic doser

Filtration: Astral CA340

Coping: Dropdown bluestone coping

Tiles: Bondi Blue ceramic 48mm x 48mm tiles

Pavers: Bluestone

Pool cover: Remco automatic

Landscaping: Kiama Landscapes

Company profile

Kiama Landscapes & Pools

A: Factory 17, 34 Christensen Street, Cheltenham Vic 3192

P: 03 9555 3565 (Cheltenham)

W: kiamapools.com.au

Tim Sprague and Stephen Lloyd, co-owners of Kiama Landscapes & Pools, both have extensive landscaping experience and noticed a gap in the market: clients wanted to deal with one company to design and create the entire outdoor space — a complete pool and lifestyle solution. Kiama Pools was created with this in mind and has since grown into a successful business, managing the design and construction of outdoor spaces, from landscaping and pool building to outdoor rooms and pavilions. Kiama Pools is now comprised of a group of fully qualified team members who are experts in their field, and each plays their part in offering clients a one-stop solution.

With them, you deal with one company that manages your entire pool and landscape project, or alternatively will collaborate with your home builder, designer or other landscaping professionals to bring your outdoor vision to life. The company has more than 30 years’ experience in creating luxury outdoor living areas across Melbourne and the Bellarine and Mornington peninsulas.

With an award-winning team of experts to design and build the ultimate outdoor space and swimming pool to suit clients’ requirements, Kiama Pools can create the lifestyle you’ve always wanted.

The post A Lush Kiama Design appeared first on Completehome.

The owners of this contemporary-style, rectangular pool in Hawthorn, South Australia, love entertaining, while their kids love sport, so it was essential their new pool address both of these requirements. “In designing their pool, we understood the clients’ needs, taking into consideration all family requirements so that the pool gains maximum use,” says Michael Robinson from 360 Pools.

His clients wanted a pool that is both the highlight and “makes” the backyard, while also being totally usable. Their pool is inspired by a refreshing look, with inviting water that makes the whole family want to dive right in. “The white tiles and compact look create an open feel, making it a place in which you really want to be,” explains Michael.

Built on the family’s flat 800sqm block, the design incorporates a striking hardwood deck wall with raised planter boxes and corner rebate seat area. The 7m-long pool is surrounded by large-format limestone pavers with drop-edge coping. 360 Pools also looked after the pool’s fencing, paving and the render work as part of the design and project management process.

A highlight from the home’s kitchen and dining area, this delightful pool will also be the main feature in the backyard’s future entertaining space.

At a glance

Pool built and designed by: 360 Pools

Pool size: 7m x 4m

Heating: Solar

Cleaning: Robotic

Filtration: MK MineralChlor magnesium

Coping: Hewnstone drop-edge limestone

Tiles: Surf White

Pavers: Hewnstone limestone

Lighting: Waterco

Fence: Active Fencing

Landscaping: 360 Pools

Company profile

360 Pools

A: 39 Highland Drive, Bellevue Heights SA 5050

M: 0411 111 727

E: info@360pools.com.au

W: 360pools.com.au

Michael Robinson started building pools in 2006 and launched 360 Pools in 2016. Meeting the needs of the pool owner, understanding their family and their lifestyle, then designing a pool that meets these needs is a top priority for 360 Pools.

“We work across Adelaide with mostly new pools — around 10 pools a year — so that we can focus on each client’s needs,” explains Michael. “Our specialty is providing a turn-key pool area from the pool/spa to the landscaping around the pool. First we get an understanding of what the client is after, then look at options and provide ideas. We then look at the budget to see if the dream can be a reality and work from there to make it happen.”

360 Pools, a member of SPASA, recently received awards for two categories at the SPASA SA Awards 2018: gold for the best concrete pool under $100,000 and silver for the best pool/spa combo under $100,000.

The post Limestone Layered Luxe appeared first on Completehome.

Avalon, on Sydney’s stunning and super-relaxed northern beaches, is home for this retired couple who love the outdoors and entertaining and wanted to be at one with their surroundings. Naturally, their wish was for their new pool to have minimal impact on its environment.

For their steep, sloping, sub-tropical site, they opted for a contemporary, triangular-shaped pool that integrates into its treetop environment in a harmonious nature. And the result, despite its challenges, is nothing short of incredible.

“The pool was in a landslip zone with poor access and required extensive engineering,” explains Nick McCarthy, owner of Urban Escape, a company that specialises in highly integrated pools that sit in a harmonious nature within the existing landscape. The out-of-the-ordinary shape also required unique construction techniques. “The triangle shape and 12m wet edge make this pool a spectacular example of workmanship and attention to detail,” says Nick.

Solar heating, rainwater harvesting and a sustainable construction approach to retain existing trees in the construction zone was also incorporated by the Urban Escape team.

In addition, the company not only built the swimming pool with its expansive wet edge, but also mended and extended the spotted gum deck. It’s now an amazing place to relax and admire that dazzling water view, beautiful at any time of the year.

At a glance

Pool built by: Urban Escape Landscaping & Pools

Size of pool: 12m x 4m

Heating: Solar

Cleaning: Paramount in-floor

Filtration: Astral Pool

Coping: Spotted gum

Tiles: Porcelain

Decking: Hardwood — spotted gum

Landscaping: Urban Escape Landscaping & Pools

Company profile

Urban Escape Landscaping & Pools

A: 48/28 Barcoo Street, Roseville NSW 2069

P: 0416 180 530

E: nick@urbanescape.com.au

W: urbanescape.com.au

Urban Escape began as a structural landscape company with a clear but simple vision of creating quality and stylish gardenscapes to suit its clients’ needs. Owner Nick McCarthy was soon inspired to become a licensed pool builder. The boutique company has now been an integral part of Sydney’s landscaping and pool industry for more than 22 years. Urban Escape offers an holistic approach to outdoor design, from consultation and design to council submissions, maintenance, landscaping construction as well as pool/spa construction, resulting in a seamless and stress-free process for clients. The company prides itself on its personalised service, limiting its clientele to Sydney metro-based clients, creating and renovating between 10 and 15 pools per year, and goes through a lengthy consultation process to achieve a comprehensive brief prior to design works. Urban Escape has been recognised for its quality workmanship and has received many awards, both local and national, for its pools and gardens. It is a member of LNA, AILDM and SPASA.

The post Harmonious Fashion within the Treetops appeared first on Completehome.