This beautiful Elizabeth Bay apartment has incredible views across to Rushcutters Bay Park and the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia. The owner wanted to renovate both bathrooms in line with the home’s more sophisticated aesthetic, and also came to us for advice on upgrading the lighting throughout the apartment.
Our design for the bathrooms was a careful balance of necessity and ingenuity, with a heavy dash of luxury. Wet areas are often neglected as candidates for renovation, given how expensive and difficult they can be to work with, and this apartment was no exception. One bathroom was in bad shape and needed to be stripped out completely. We used vein-cut travertine to re-surface the walls and floors, which adds grandeur but also gives the room a spacious, luminous quality. The new island bath and shower sit in a set-down area behind a sliding panel, reflected in the new mirror cabinetry and vanity. For the other bathroom, we retained the Carrara marble tiles and tapware, adding storage with teak cabinetwork. Shower bench seating, reminiscent of teak boat decking, adds warmth and references the nearby Yacht Club.
We kept the material palette simple to maximise the sense of space in each bathroom. We were also limited by positioning of the original copper and brass pipework, which services the apartment above and could not be moved. We claimed extra space by removing the surrounding duct, riser walls and door panel, and polished the newly exposed pipes as a stunning new feature. Both bathrooms were carefully finished with minimalist detailing, to let the materials shine.
The result is proof that limited space doesn’t have to limit your design. Both bathrooms have a timeless, luxurious style which is both private and inviting. The simplicity of the materials and careful design choices have made these bathrooms a standout feature of the apartment – right alongside that unbelievable view.
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This vacant lot on beautiful Park Road wasn’t quite the blank slate it appeared to be. Situated in the Mount Lawley Heritage Protection Area, the site was heavily overlaid with council regulations and design restrictions. Our design would need to link back to the surrounding Federation houses, while still meeting contemporary living and sustainability standards.
The owners, a busy professional couple, needed a low-maintenance home with a few unique features. Our four-bedroom design included a study and plenty of storage, as well a spacious, light-filled kitchen which opens out onto a grand decked verandah. Their collection of cars would be housed in a custom five-car garage at the rear of the lot, with roller-door access to the main courtyard. We positioned a guest bedroom at the rear of the house, off the kitchen, to offer mutual privacy and independence from the main bedrooms.
Space was also a big consideration, given the modest, single-storey layout. Interior spaces were kept open and expansive, with large windows to break up the solidity of the Federation brick. We made the most of the lot’s orientation, with ample north-facing outdoor areas to maximise winter sun, while still retaining some protection from the worst heat of summer. A simple landscape design makes the outdoor areas easy to maintain, and maximises space for entertaining.
The finished home is classic Federation in form and feeling, with some carefully selected modern touches. Heritage guidelines meant we were limited in our choice of materials, so we opted for a simple aesthetic which is a lot cleaner than traditional early-1900s homes, but doesn’t sacrifice the warm character of the Federation style.
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This truly unique home in South Perth boasts some of the best river and city views we’ve seen. The owners wanted a large, stately home that would comfortably house not only them and their two children, but also their parents, who often stayed to spend time with the family. To complicate the design process, the lot was located in an estate with a height limit caveat and design guidelines from the mid-1980s which prescribed a Tuscan-style aesthetic – which was not to the owners’ tastes.
Sumptuous from the outset, our design re-imagined the Mediterranean forms of the guidelines into a more Hamptons style, and borrowing heavily from grand Georgian homes. The owners loved the aesthetic and selected a lot of the finishes and hardware themselves from the USA. They also worked closely with the carpenter on the beautifully detailed mouldings and panelling, which give depth and dimension to the soaring internal spaces. We took care to provide ample amenity for the multi-generational family with separate wings for the master suite and living/study areas, a guest suite, a sizeable garage, plenty of storage and provision for a future lift.
The home makes the most of its stunning location. The roof terrace takes in the river views and offers an intimate experience of the city lights reflected in the water at night. Proportion and balance were also very important with this sort of design, to avoid it becoming overpowering. The solidity of stone and wood are carefully balanced with high ceilings and abundant light, as well as the exquisite hand-crafted details and wall panelling. The central stair void makes a feature of the light itself, crowned with a coffered glass skylight and hanging chandelier, which lend different moods to the house at different times of day.
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This old industrial space didn’t immediately reveal its potential. Situated off Wolf Lane underneath the old Pierucci building, it originally housed the clothing company’s bustling nerve centre of pattern-makers and seamstresses. The building’s new owners saw the opportunity to create not just a new bar, but a unique venue which would bring live local music back to the heart of the city.
The owners wanted to celebrate the story of the space, which was already evident in the beautiful skeleton of the old sewing room. We kept the exposed pipes and brickwork, visible ducting and the steel supports of the old factory. Half of the work was maintaining and highlighting the patina which spoke of the building’s history. Rather than concealing the age of the space, new additions enhanced it with a raw, undecorated aesthetic.
Our design was built around the music. More than the venue’s standout features – including a decadent Krug champagne vault – the music will define the Sewing Room. Acoustics and stage presence were a consideration in every decision. There were of course challenges in transforming such an old space into a premier live music venue. Originally constructed for a very different purpose, the Sewing Room needed significant upgrades in terms of fire safety, hydraulics, ventilation, toilets and sound proofing.
The result is a one-of-a-kind live music venue which is not truly ‘new’ or ‘old’, but a compelling combination of the two. The hum of sewing machines has become the vibrant beat of Perth’s world-class local music scene.
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This early-1900s house in Mount Lawley’s leafy inner streets was everything people love about Federation-era homes: welcoming, full of character and finished with beautiful detail. It was also everything which can make these homes great candidates for renovation: small, dark and completely closed off from the outdoors.
The owners, a growing young family, had an ambitious vision for the compact home. They wanted a contemporary extension which would meet the needs of a contemporary household, including an open-plan kitchen/living/dining room, a new garage, a pool, a new upstairs master suite and study – and plenty of storage for their extensive hoard of cool collectibles.
An outdoor entertaining space was very important to the owners, so we opened the main living space to the pool deck and added an external steel staircase to the roof terrace. These areas all flow together and deliver an intimate and surprising view of the park and city skyline – a rare luxury in the older suburbs. Given the light, spacious aesthetic, much of the focus of the interior design was on texture and materials, rather than colour. Polished concrete, white cement and black aggregate mix give an expansive feel to the living spaces, accented with the Tasmanian Blackwood cabinetry and the Bianca Carrara statement marble benchtops.
We were careful to keep the old elements (which the owners love) as intact as possible, in contrast to the new elements, which are distinctly and unashamedly contemporary. As a result, the extension unites the two faces of the home and brings it full circle. The character of the original Federation home both lifts and grounds the renovation, and moving between the two feels both effortless and completely natural.
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The owners of this beautiful Claremont lot were building for their future. Leaving behind their two-storey family home, they were looking for a new home that would allow them ‘age in place’ in comfort, without restrictions on their enjoyment of their home or how they moved around it.
Our sustainable design makes use of the block’s perfect orientation, with the home wrapped around a spacious north-facing courtyard. Access and space were crucial at every step of the process. The result is a single storey dwelling – fully wheelchair accessible – which utilises the whole block in a series of indoor and outdoor spaces. In a nod to one of the owners’ Chinese heritage, we designed a series of patterned steel screens, which update the traditional Federation-style verandah and provide a soft transition from inside to outside. A combination of natural and built materials, including veneered Australian Blackbutt cabinetry, stone surfaces and powder-coated charcoal steel, gives the home a clean, timeless feel.
Spaces for the family were important, with a compact swimming pool and lawn areas with space to play for the grandchildren. But the design also prioritises the sense of peace and the private, romantic touches the owners wanted from a home which was distinctly ‘theirs’. The combination of solid surfaces with glass and screening gives a sense of spaciousness without compromising their privacy. Outdoor showers – one near the pool and one with private ensuite access – allow them to shower under the stars. A purpose-built study will ease the transition when the owners decide to start working from home. And a final personal touch greets visitors at the front gate, which is designed around the owners’ initials – the perfect welcoming statement to a truly unique home.
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A stone’s throw from the beach, this plum corner lot was ripe for renewal. The longstanding owners loved the location but felt the original 1980’s mission brown brick-and-tile duplex was ready for an update. Long afternoons in the coastal breeze and endless views across the Indian Ocean were all the inspiration we needed.
Our design is a contemporary ‘pavilion in the garden’, with a sleek modernist box floating over the grounds. The house has a layered aspect, essentially a collection of stacked terraces which ensure that every level makes the most of the magnificent views. The home wraps itself into the southern side of the lot, with an overlapping ‘pinwheel’ orientation between the different floors. This creates a sense of shelter from the elements, without impeding light or the natural flow of movement between rooms. The staircase, with its spiral screen of white steel, reinforces this notion and softens the corner of the structure.
In the fragile coastal environment with its fluctuating moods, sustainability was a priority. Deep eaves and clever placement of windows give the home shelter from the sun while still filling it with natural light, in spite of the block’s north-south orientation. We chose fixtures and materials for their low embodied energy, durability and thermal qualities, and the garden was designed, planted and irrigated according to water saving principles. Self-finishing materials like off-form concrete, copper cladding and face-brickwork will also reduce the amount of ongoing maintenance the property requires, so the owners can spend more time enjoying it.
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The owners of this 1920’s weatherboard house knew their renovations were going to face some limitations from the outset. With a small budget and even smaller space to work in, it would take a little fresh thinking and a lot of passion to bring their vision to life.
First, we looked at all of the ways we could use what was already there to make something new. The timber frame of the extension work was kept to minimise demolition. We re-proportioned existing rooms by opening them out onto decked outdoor areas on the ground and first floors, and created a voluminous double-height void above the dining area. The outside areas lift the house out and over the lush back garden and to the sky beyond, with glimpses of greenery afforded by both high and low slot windows. None of these changes were drastic in scale, but they add a spacious, open-air quality to the home which defies its modest footprint.
The owners also have a spectacular collection of art and mid-century furniture, which was a significant factor in our design. Open shelving and additional gallery-style lighting allow the textures and colours of their collection to feature on their own. We used small-format ceramic textures and natural wood to create a ‘blank canvas’, and added coloured glass accents to privacy screens and the front gate to complement the furnishings and light fittings. The owners’ passion for this project made it live, and the finished result is a testament to their love for their home. It’s also the best kept secret in Beaconsfield – a meticulous approach to the new design makes it all but invisible from the street.
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This project was designed in collaboration with Bacic Group builders. They had developed some concepts with the clients, who were looking for a minimalist beach house which still had the design daring to stand out in an already impressive Sorrento neighbourhood. A multi-generational family, theirs was a home that would always be full of people, and they wanted it to be open and welcoming without compromising privacy.
Our design gives the home a gallery feel, allowing generously scaled living spaces while maintaining a sense of seclusion away from the main circulation areas. The three-level plan presented numerous challenges in gaining council approval, but some clever design and a terraced approach towards the rear of the property helped to streamline the process, as well as balancing the steep slope of the block. We achieved a true minimalist aesthetic with careful resolution of the plan – walls align so that the window, skirting and cornice junctions disappear. This gives a grand, spacious feeling to the living spaces without overpowering them, and provides a ‘blank canvas’ to which the family can add their own character and sense of style.
A seamless indoor-outdoor flow was a key feature the owners wanted; they were looking for a beach house which gave them a holiday lifestyle feel with all the comforts of a modern family home. Openings are positioned to maximise northern sun exposure in winter, and every room in the house soaks in views of the Indian Ocean. We set the outdoor living areas back from the main planes of the structure in a series of decks, terraces, balconies and courtyards, allowing privacy without the need for screening in the direction of the view. Custom details, including the staircase, oversized front doors and entry bridge, added the finishing touches to this unique family home.
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This property, situated on a large block in Mount Lawley, is proof that ‘contemporary’ and ‘heritage’ do not have to be enemies. The owners, a family with young children, were looking to update their luxurious residence with more space and a few modern comforts. The property falls inside the City of Stirling’s Heritage Protection Area, so their chief concern from the outset was the notoriously restrictive nature of council guidelines.
Our design focussed on combining and contrasting the old with the new, rather than trying to make one look like the other. We left most of the original house untouched, with the exception of the kitchen/meals space, which we transformed into a play area. In order to meet council requirements, the parts of the home visible from the street were designed to match the Federation residence, both in their choice of materials – brick, timber and wrought-iron fencing – and in the form of the pitched tiled roof. The rear of the existing house now opens onto the hidden contemporary extension, which has a resort feel and a more modern palette of materials. It also caters to the family’s more contemporary lifestyle, with a powder room, high-tech laundry, generous garage and spacious open-plan living/kitchen/dining area on the ground floor. The outdoor areas were likewise remodelled to make the most of the large garden, with alfresco living spaces and a swimming pool which laps right up against the house.
Privacy was also very important to the owners as their kids were growing up. The upstairs section of the addition is the parents’ retreat, with a sizeable open living space incorporating a study and ‘den’ area. The neighbouring master suite includes a decadent bedroom with ensuite, large walk-in-robes and a balcony overlooking the garden below.
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