Tabla de contenidos para Issue #22.5 2020 en Home Design

Renovations, extensions, makeovers, additions… the fact is if you’re looking around your home and longing for change, there are all sorts of ways to make a difference to your living space, significant or subtle, luxe or budget. How about the innovative Twist House addition in the UK, an award-winning sculptural extension to a North London Georgian terrace comprising four distinct twisting columns. The unique brickwork certainly packs an aesthetic punch (and adds a shower, utility and living space into the mix), designed to improve connections between the (differently coloured) brick house and its backyard. What an ambitious and exciting addition from London architecture firm Urban Mesh for its director James Beazer. Equally unique — and highly sustainable — is Collage House in India, an intriguing project from Mumbai firm S+PS…

James Walsh has always loved to draw and create, even as a young child. After completing a degree in fine arts, where he majored in drawing, it wasn’t long before James knew his career was destined to evolve in another direction. “I came across my first industrial design exhibition and realised that industrial design is an opportunity to problem-solve everyday issues in a way I couldn’t achieve through fine arts,” he says. Subsequently, he went on to help develop and design an affordable prosthetic limb. Having completed a degree in industrial arts at RMIT, his passion for learning and honing his craft took him to the Netherlands and the Eindhoven University of Technology. He has attended many exhibitions and exhibited himself both nationally and overseas. He’s also entered competitions, which…

Summer is over and the temperature is starting to drop. But don’t let the cooler weather bring you down. You can enjoy your outdoors year-round, whether alfresco dining on balmy nights or rugging up and toasting marshmallows in the heart of winter. The doors you choose to connect these outdoor spaces with the interior of your home largely depends on the building design and your requirements. Paarhammer presents its four most popular door designs so you can choose to go inside or out in style. SLIDING DOORS Interior/exterior flow comes easy with this crowd-favourite option. Think outside the box with custom-made giant sliding doors, sliding stackers and corner sliders. This space-saving door can slide over a fixed glazed area with no protruding door panel internally or externally. For even easier…

BOFFI SHOWROOM, MELBOURNE The second store of many (fingers crossed!), the new Boffi showroom in Collingwood, Melbourne, is a striking addition to this vibrant community. Surrounded by restaurants, design studios and art galleries, the showroom is in a cultural hub of creative ideas and innovative design. The studio is situated in a former gospel hall now converted into the home of this brand’s four distinct product ranges. From Boffi kitchens, bathrooms and systems to furniture brands De Padova, MA/U Studio and ADL partition systems, there’s something for every part of your house. Admire the collections and the history of the building, with original architectural details still intact and soaring pressed-metal ceilings exuding an otherworldly feel. Photography by Tom Ferguson. boffi.com/en-ww THE BOTANICA, VAUCLUSE Nestled in the heart of Sydney’s Vaucluse,…

Vaucluse isn’t short on big fancy homes. The sandstone-laden locale is lined with grand old trees and large new mansions as well as established homes that have called Sydney Harbour their neighbour for decades. A mammoth house with views to die for and space for half of Sydney (not quite) sounds intimidating, but Vaucluse Residence XII has a homely feel and a modern heart. The project kicked off with a bang or, more precisely, a birth. It all started with the arrival of the owners’ first child and ended with the birth of their second. The clients weren’t shy when asking for all the bells and whistles. And we mean all the bells and whistles. Think library, home theatre, wine cellar, rumpus room and study. Horizon Homes was thrilled to come…

“The kitchen becomes a sculptural element in the apartment, with a large island slab, ultramarine-finished bar, pantry and fridge block and textural timber cabinetry”—Nina Still Lavender Bay is a well-heeled Sydney suburb where affluence abounds and gorgeous homes drip with opulence. Designed by Still Space Architecture and built by Element Constructions, Lavender Bay Apartment has gone from a dark and dated home to a plush harbourside pad worthy of its exclusive geographical positioning. Comprising a series of champhered planter beds blocking the view and connection to the bay below, the terrace apartment was dark and neglected, not a place that sparked joy. Hoping to rectify this disconnection, the client requested an enticing outdoor area with ample space to prepare and share food. Limited functionality and scant natural light held the…

Joi Murugavell’s abstract artworks are thought-provoking, energetic and filled with colour. They invite the viewer to pause and ponder, to reflect and immerse themselves in a magical narrative about life and its many intricacies. This talented artist embraces a diverse array of mediums, including acrylic, crayons, chalk, oil sticks and wax crayons. “I like trying everything out as every new thing creates something I wasn’t aware of before,” she says. Joi believes her creativity is drawn from the universe, which in many ways has become her muse. “It’s the not knowing that inspires me,” she reveals. Getting into the zone to create, Joi enjoys the relaxed, chilled feeling of escapism while she is crafting her art. “I love the beautiful, light feeling and freedom to be in my own head,…

VORONOI II LIGHT BY TALA STUDIO How many designers does it take to change a lightbulb? Just the team at Tala Studio, apparently. Starting with a 3D model of the pattern, Tala smoothed the edges of the design to simulate natural erosion and wrapped a single filament around its central column as a representation of the Fibonacci sequence occurring in some plants. A bulb with something to say, the Voronoi II light draws on nature with a mouth-blown, elongated droplet shape that’s then hand-assembled into the striking resulting piece. euroluce.com.au BOYD BLUE MIDNIGHT OASIS COLLECTION Glamour doesn’t always mean shiny and gold. Celebrating the allure of darkness, the beauty of nature meets moody tones and rich texture in this collection. From double-take-worthy paintings to pendant lights sheathed in swaths of…

“I love furniture as a segue between the artist and engineer”—Justin Hutchinson Defining the room by allowing the walls to express the space rather than cluttering up the area with excess furniture, the Frame Living System is much lighter than traditional wall-to-wall joinery, and it looks it. Designed by Justin Hutchinson for Cosh Living’s Kett brand, the Frame Living System offers a seamless furniture solution integrating storage and technology in a stylish range of segments that are entirely flexible. You create the furniture piece you want. “I love furniture as a segue between the artist and engineer,” Justin says. “You cannot be a good designer without understanding humanity, and you cannot design a good chair if you don’t understand physics.” Frame was born from research into innovative connection systems that…

UNDER $500 ADD WOW FACTOR UNDER $200 TILE IN STYLE UNDER $100 FRUGAL AND FRESH…

“Natural cement render combined with large sheets of glazing creates open, light-filled spaces”—Feras Raffoul “Wellness design” may not be a phrase you’re used to hearing associated with architecture, but it’s time to take notice because the trend towards clean and peaceful living has taken root and isn’t going anywhere in a hurry. The proof? This project from FGR Architects that packs a whole lot of innovative wellness technology inside a luxurious Toorak home. Proudly incorporating the latest in “wellness tech”, the Toorak digs span three levels and make a timeless statement. Where affluence is second nature and grand homes are a given, Teringa manages to snatch the spotlight thanks to a curved glass facade that’s hard to miss and easy to love. “With circadian lighting and purified air conditioning and…

“Painted rough-hewn bricks make the new extension unexpectedly textural, tactile and approachable”—Rosemary Ross The sparkling coastline and bright beach boxes of Brighton in Victoria are legendary. So too is this family home by Rosstang Architects. Federation homes are like a good bottle of wine. When treated right, they ripen and mature and become better with age. Treated incorrectly, they spoil and become a shadow of their former selves, characteristics weakened or destroyed and the fundamentals warped with time. If Ballara were a bottle of wine there’s no doubt it would be a rare, expensive Penfolds. Unfortunately, it had not been kept in optimal condition and was crying out for a dose of TLC. Occupying a generous 2960sqm corner site, the double-storey 1910 Federation brick and timber home was sorely run…

Searching for a long-term home can be daunting. There are so many choices and deciding where to save or splurge can make a huge difference in a space. The current trend in the housing market is to prioritise luxury upgrades and finishes when searching for a home that buyers can live and grow in. Aware of buyers’ desires for a beautiful home with quality finishes, one of Australia’s largest residential builders, Privium Homes, is making luxury finishes a standard in all its designs. For a limited time, popular CANVAS series homes come with a Colorbond roof, LED downlights throughout and higher ceilings. The front-yard essentials are part of the package, including the driveway, porch and path. “We’re not just building homes for people — we’re striving to create a concept…

“Instead of the traditional backyard extension, the new living spaces are interlaced within three private courtyards”—Berit Barton Making the most of a narrow footprint in Melbourne’s inner suburbs is an old Victorian with a new lease on life and a young family to shelter. The owners were after a light and modern extension with a strong connection to the outdoors to suit their family of four. Like most Victorian cottages, light and storage were sparser than a rapidly balding man’s follicles and needed improvement post haste. A layout conducive to entertaining and a parents’ retreat were also on the cards. Pleysier Perkins architect Berit Barton, along with interior designer Elise Burton, worked out the home’s architectural and interior design in collaboration with builder Kleev Homes. “Instead of the traditional backyard…

Why not welcome the warmth into your home with a fireplace? A good fireplace is an investment not just for winter, but as a year-round luxury statement, not least because a fireplace introduces instant charm and warmth to a room. The popular Element range from Real Flame combines an impressive star rating and the latest in power-balanced flue technology in one innovative package. Element fireplaces are on the money, being part of the rising trend of connected homes controlled by voice or, in this case, through the press of a finger on a smart device. The WiFi capability enables operation of the fire from anywhere, so when you head home on a cold evening you can make sure you walk straight into a cosy home. If the idea of a…

S-fold Dupioni faux silk mink curtains Curtains can add so much texture, warmth and style to a room — and they’re so practical! This beautiful mink-coloured faux silk option offers a touch of gentle glamour without being ostentatious, and they feel lovely and soft to the touch while remaining sufficiently firm. The s-fold means they hang well, too (or they would if they hadn’t arrived with a hook missing, so make sure to check they’re all present on receipt). The “Complete Wave Curtain System” aluminium track they’re provided with isn’t the sexiest bit of kit aesthetically, so if hiding it from view is an option I’d recommend it, although the smooth glide along the rail is an absolute delight. Light-filtering lining is standard, and block-out or thermal options are available,…

“We decided to enhance and exaggerate the bend in the existing floor plan by extending out two verandahs, one off the living area on one side and the other off the master bedroom on the opposite side of the house”—Lisa Goddard Cocooned by a rough cliff face on one side and an expanse of folding green plains rich with eucalyptus trees on the other, the topography of the site was always going to inform the outcome of Boomabend, a modest brick country home resuscitated by LGDesign Studio. When Lisa Goddard and her LGDesign team accepted this Lower Portland assignment, the home comprised a pair of interconnecting yet independent wings. The building formed a V-shaped footprint bordered by whisper-thin balconies engulfing the north-western elevation and ending with a small balcony on…

“The clients’ professions prompted us to explore ‘morphogenesis’ — the biological beginning of an organism’s shape — providing an opportunity to relate science and mathematics to the new building’s form and composition”—Anthony Windust Completed in August 2019, Beehive is hexagon-heavy while remaining light and breezy. The home was a collaborative effort between Windust Architecture x Interiors and the builders from Homes By Artisan. Instead of simply tacking a standard boxy structure to the back of the small two-bedroom weatherboard Californian bungalow, Beehive’s extension is intricate and multifaceted. The owners work in science and mathematics, and it was this piece of information that got the architects’ creative juices flowing. “The clients’ professions prompted us to explore ‘morphogenesis’ — the biological beginning of an organism’s shape — providing an opportunity to relate…

“Ebonised cantilevered stairs, black joinery and brass inserts were used to create a solid but streamlined look”—Linda Morrice Trophy homes and Lavender Bay go together like Sydney Harbour and the Opera House, both of which are visible from interior designer Linda Morrice’s new harbourside home. “The house was an early 1900s Federation villa which had many additions and alterations over the last century,” says Linda, director at Lavender Bay Interiors. Linda and her partner are semi-retired with adult children who visit often. Their brief outlined a dynamic structure capable of housing the whole family whenever needed. Obviously, it also had to maximise exposure to the bridge and Opera House. The brief may sound simple enough, but the property’s complicated site made its execution difficult. The 336sqm patch of Lavender Bay…

Good storage is all about streamlining work and play zones so living areas are well organised and functional. You can also create some beautiful signature spaces in your home — all in the guise of creating extra storage. Many homes already have unused spaces that can potentially be used for storage, as well as options that exist in furniture, shelving, custom joinery and storage mechanisms to maximise storage efficiency. K2LD Architects designer Lauren Chan suggests asking yourself some simple questions when assessing your storage needs: Do you use the items on a day-to-day basis? How many seasonal items do you have tucked away? How many heirlooms and sentimental items do you have? Do you prefer everything out of view or to have some things on display? “Each person is unique…

An enormous range and variety of tiles have made bathroom design all the more exciting for Australia’s best designers. KBDi members have been creating magnificent spaces with thoughtful tile application and we’re sharing some of our highlights. KBDi Australian Bathroom Designer of the Year 2019, Kyle McGregor (Lux Interiors, WA), ran a 600mm x 600mm rectified-edge porcelain tile seamlessly from floor to wall in this award-winning bathroom. In doing so, Kyle allowed the striking curved dividing wall and stunning freestanding bath to take centre stage. NSW designer John Cullen (Blue Frog Studio) challenged his tiler with a cleverly creeping hexagon detail in the flooring of this moody bathroom. The finished effect is truly unique and will make this space a talking point for many years to come. We love the…

CREATIVE SELECTION Australian artists in the round PETRA MEIKLE DE VLAS 1/ As a young traveller, Petra’s desire to explore took her to far-flung places. She travelled the world, funding her adventures with her art. She lives in tropical North Queensland and draws on the beauty of the Great Barrier Reef for inspiration. Petra is a mixed media, realism to abstract artist. Her work represents the effects of reactions between mixed mediums. The power of the chemistry between pigments carried by different mediums, attracting or repelling each other, results in beautiful formations. artloversaustralia.com.au/vendor/petra-meikle-de-vlas MAGGI MCDONALD 2/ Maggi is an artist and designer. Her vibrant abstract artworks can be found in collectors’ homes all over the world. Her designs are available on a range of products including fabric, wallpaper and…