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CLIENT BRIEF

The project was the reconfiguration of an existing semi, turning from a dark and depressing house with a bad layout into a beautiful, light filled space with a functional layout and double height void with minimalist art deco inspired forms. 

Our clients were quite involved, Christine has great taste and made some good suggestions and well targeted requests and suggestions such as with colours and materials and a request for more decorative detail on the balustrade. Kris had great technical input when it came to smart lighting and audio visual tech. Christine’s friend chose some great interior decoration and furniture such as the round rug and Eames chair in the library. 

The level of detail reached in this project can only be achieved when the architect and interior designer have a high level experience in design, construction methods and the use of materials and very detailed technical drawings and specifications are done. This is then followed up by the highly skilled building team and the architects regular site visits to assist the builder. 

Christine and Kris had a good size semi-detached house in Bondi and despite being big enough the house had a bad layout and was dark and had a number of dysfunctional spaces. The key issue was that the staircase was in the best spot in the house and was in the way. It dominated the kitchen and dining room and the best parts of the upper level. The client wanted to improve these spaces. Other things needed were: 

• A better connection to the backyard 

• More sunlight needed in the living room and kitchen areas 

• A nicer dining room - the dining room was dark and gloomy 

• A second upper level bedroom - there was only one bedroom upstairs despite it there being a lot of floor area 

• Upgraded ground level bathroom 

• New kitchen, laundry and living room 

• Upgraded deck 

• Upgraded sustainability systems such as triple glazing, water storage, solar panels and insulation 

• Better storage solutions 

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DESIGN SOLUTION

• Planning / layout solutions

• Staircase and new void - We moved the staircase from the prized North East corner of the house and made it a single flight stair at the end of the hall. This change had a transformational effect on the house on both levels. Instead of filling on the void left by the removed stair we left the void there and put in a big East facing window and then another big internal window looking from the library into the void below. The void served three functions, firstly, increasing the vertical space in the dining room, secondly, bringing morning sun and light into the house and thirdly, providing a visual connection between upstairs and downstairs. The new single flight stair had to be narrow but we increase its apparent width with a recessed handrail light and open steel art deco inspired balustrade. We also created a curved sculptural landing which gives the stair playfulness. 

• Library - Sometimes unexpected spaces emerge that are in between spaces and you need to resist the temptation to rationalise them away. The library is one and it is the most delightful space in the house. We designed a bookcase / storage unit with a central black rectangle and you can sit on the Eames chair on the circular hand made rug and look into the void or off into the garden. 

• Deleted side deck and full width living room - The house has an unused side deck which we deleted and gave back to the kitchen / living / dining room. By deleting this and moving the stair we were able to create a simple rectangle shaped kitchen / living and dining room. The living room opens up to the deck and there is a wonderful huge minimalist TV cabinet with curved ends. You can hide the TV inside the joinery for a peaceful environment. The TV has a long single shelf and curved ends. 

• The upper level bathroom location was changed and walk -in robe deleted, creating a new North facing bedroom. The bathroom was put into the oversized front room and given a skylight.

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DESIGN IDEAS

• Curves and minimalism - The overall aesthetic concept was to introduce curves throughout the house while maintaining an overall minimalist design. This has the result of enhancing the delight of the curves while avoiding kitsch features. 

• North facing class conservatory - in the North East corner we designed a plant conservatory with a custom designed hardwood planter box in a future retro style. Skylights match windows and cables provide for the climbing vines. 

• Laundry under stairs - We designed the laundry under the new stairs and carefully designed the joinery so that the laundry doors look like wall panels to the stair. When closed the laundry disappears but when it's open it has everything in it. We carefully detailed the laundry doors to have the stair stringer so that your eye follows the art deco balustrade instead. 

• Deck - we rebuilt the deck in grey ironbark and installed a new drop arm awning, wall lights, bifold glass doors and a rainwater tank underneath 

• New bathroom and ensuite - We created luxurious yet natural feeling bathrooms. Blue translucent subways on one wall of each bathroom in a herringbone pattern lend some dynamism and limestone flooring and bath / wall add a timeless natural feel to the bathrooms. A further level of detail was developed by the use of stone niches, mitred stone corners, gold fixtures and custom curved shower screen glass and mirror cabinet.

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