Houzz Tour: A Home with Texture, Colour, Pattern and History
An early-Victorian house is transformed to express the clients' interest in art, design and the landscape
Rebecca Gross
8 June 2017
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design, and I study cultural history through the lens of architecture, design and visual culture. I have a Masters in the History of Decorative Arts and Design from Parsons The New School for Design, New York. My latest book is called "Ornament is not a crime: Contemporary Interiors with a postmodern twist."
Design writer and historian. I write about contemporary architecture and design,... More
Take a 160-year-old Victorian home with a 100-year-old mulberry tree in the rear garden, add a two-storey extension for clients who have a strong interest in art and design, and you have a modern home with texture, colour, pattern and history. “The brief called for a warm and highly textured palette with rich colour and pattern and that celebrates natural materials and the handmade,” says Sarah Bryant, director at Bryant Alsop Architects. “It was important the new build read as new and contrasted with the early Victorian house,”
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with their two children
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Year built: 2017
Size: 335 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, powder room, study, kitchen/dining and living area and an upstairs retreat
Architect: Bryant Alsop Architects
The original home now contains the children’s bedrooms, study and sitting room, while the new addition accommodates the living room, kitchen and dining area. The master bedroom sits at the rear of the house, and an open retreat is upstairs. “This creates a clear separation between the parents’ and children’s areas, and there is also a distinct difference in the volumes between the smaller private bedrooms and larger open living spaces,” Bryant says. The design also focused on creating two outdoor living spaces, and forging a strong connection between indoors and out.
Who lives here: A couple with their two children
Location: Melbourne, Victoria
Year built: 2017
Size: 335 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, powder room, study, kitchen/dining and living area and an upstairs retreat
Architect: Bryant Alsop Architects
The original home now contains the children’s bedrooms, study and sitting room, while the new addition accommodates the living room, kitchen and dining area. The master bedroom sits at the rear of the house, and an open retreat is upstairs. “This creates a clear separation between the parents’ and children’s areas, and there is also a distinct difference in the volumes between the smaller private bedrooms and larger open living spaces,” Bryant says. The design also focused on creating two outdoor living spaces, and forging a strong connection between indoors and out.
Entering through the existing Victorian building, the hallway runs past the children’s bedrooms into the new addition. The walls are painted soft green to complement the wooden floorboards and trim, and the tile work in the kitchen and bathrooms. “Being an early- Victorian construction, the spaces are modest and not heavily decorated,” Bryant says. “We used colour to create a softness and mood that contrasted with the contemporary addition.”
Heritage requirements necessitated that the addition not be visible from the front of the house over the existing roof. As such, the centre of the house has a 2.7-metre ceiling so that it sits under the original slate roof.
The galley-style kitchen is located in this centralised area. “The kitchen needed to be a truly functional family kitchen that was not precious or fussy, but rather beautiful and earthy,” Bryant says.
The island bench provides an area for food preparation. It has been purposefully designed as a solid block so that it is not a ‘sit-up island bench’. Instead it has blackbutt timber that runs the length of the bench, extending to serve as a dining table for daily use.
The galley-style kitchen is located in this centralised area. “The kitchen needed to be a truly functional family kitchen that was not precious or fussy, but rather beautiful and earthy,” Bryant says.
The island bench provides an area for food preparation. It has been purposefully designed as a solid block so that it is not a ‘sit-up island bench’. Instead it has blackbutt timber that runs the length of the bench, extending to serve as a dining table for daily use.
The kitchen has solid timber shelving with charcoal grey two-pack joinery. The tiled splashback, in colours that complement the painted hallway walls, introduces colour, texture, pattern and dimension to the space. The bench is made from engineered stone, with natural blackbutt detailing to match the open shelving on the wall behind.
Kitchen island benchtop in ‘Irok’: Dekton; island joinery painted in ‘Natural White’: Dulux; back benchtop in ‘Cemento’: Silestone
Kitchen island benchtop in ‘Irok’: Dekton; island joinery painted in ‘Natural White’: Dulux; back benchtop in ‘Cemento’: Silestone
A large walk-in pantry behind the kitchen opens to the laundry and a small office nook, keeping utility and service areas out of view but easily accessible.
The living room is adjacent to the kitchen and dining area with all spaces opening to a central courtyard for natural light and ventilation. Replacing a series of wet areas that had been added over the years, the courtyard reinstates the traditional verandah that was once part of the original house. “The courtyard has a black steel pergola and in time it will support vines that add shade, greenery and softness to this central space,” Bryant explains.
Plaza sofa: King; Reves Arabes rug: Ajar
Plaza sofa: King; Reves Arabes rug: Ajar
Alsop Bryant Architects used a natural material palette that will last and patina alongside its Victorian counterparts. This includes a structural rammed earth wall with a bluestone and charcoal bench running its length. The herringbone porcelain floor provides geometric interest against the mass of the structural earth wall, while complementing its light tones and textures.
Blackbutt timber cladding lines the interior wall of the living room, and both the timber and rammed earth walls stretch to the adjoining north-facing deck at the rear. “This gives a sense of space and continuity,” says Bryant. “These materials will endure, and as a longterm family home, this was key. It was part of the owners’ desire for an enduring and sustainable home, both functionally and aesthetically.”
Burlington ivory porcelain floor tiles: Cerdomus; Universal fireplace with gas insert: Jetmaster
Blackbutt timber cladding lines the interior wall of the living room, and both the timber and rammed earth walls stretch to the adjoining north-facing deck at the rear. “This gives a sense of space and continuity,” says Bryant. “These materials will endure, and as a longterm family home, this was key. It was part of the owners’ desire for an enduring and sustainable home, both functionally and aesthetically.”
Burlington ivory porcelain floor tiles: Cerdomus; Universal fireplace with gas insert: Jetmaster
Open shelving separates the living room from a small bar area while still maintaining the sense of connection. The small bar gives purpose to an otherwise unused narrow space alongside the staircase. “It is a fun element, that will be used both for entertaining, but also in day-to-day family life,” Byrant says.
Stairs leading to the open retreat sit on a timber platform. The treads and risers are pronounced, extending beyond the balustrade, and the timber-framed glass maintains the soft and tactile aesthetic.
The timber-framed glass balustrade extends along the edge of the floor upstairs, allowing views from the kitchen and dining areas to the treetops and sky above. This brings additional natural light downstairs, while enhancing the airiness of the space and maintaining the strong connection to the outdoors.
Pendant lights: Mark Douglass
Pendant lights: Mark Douglass
It was important to the owners that their bedroom feel like a sanctuary. Positioned at the rear of the house, it has bi-fold glass doors that open to a private deck and garden.
Dark-coloured carpet sets off the natural white walls, while timber accents include the handmade wardrobe doors, decking and wall cladding.
Dark-coloured carpet sets off the natural white walls, while timber accents include the handmade wardrobe doors, decking and wall cladding.
The clients had a specific request for a round window in the ensuite bathroom, a feature they have always had a desire for. Accordingly, the master bathroom has a stained cedar-framed window that complements the timber tones throughout the house, and a round mirror of the same size echoes the window.
Japanese glazed-mosaic tiles also pick up the soft green tones throughout the house and complement the porcelain herringbone floor tiles. Gunmetal grey tapware continues the earthy and organic selection of materials and fittings.
Yohen Border wall tiles: Yas Bahar for Artedomus
Japanese glazed-mosaic tiles also pick up the soft green tones throughout the house and complement the porcelain herringbone floor tiles. Gunmetal grey tapware continues the earthy and organic selection of materials and fittings.
Yohen Border wall tiles: Yas Bahar for Artedomus
The site also contains a mulberry tree, which is more than 100 years old. “It was important to the owners that this was retained and the history of the tree preserved. It sits in the garden, behind the living room and deck where it is visible from the master bedroom and first-floor retreat,” Bryant says.
The north-facing deck that extends from the living room provides casual seating around a stone-clad fireplace, and is partially covered by a generous eave. The rammed earth and timber-lined interior walls extend along the sides of the deck to frame the space and extend the living area, and the bluestone hearth complements the bluestone cabinetry inside.
The deck and lawn are deliberately level to create a seamless transition from house to garden.
Blackbutt timber wall cladding: Eco Timber; Coolum Random Ashlar stone wall: Eco Outdoor; Universal fireplace: Jetmaster; Roca Armchairs: Ajar
The deck and lawn are deliberately level to create a seamless transition from house to garden.
Blackbutt timber wall cladding: Eco Timber; Coolum Random Ashlar stone wall: Eco Outdoor; Universal fireplace: Jetmaster; Roca Armchairs: Ajar
“The spaces feel incredibly calm and there is a serenity in the house that is hard to explain but is very beautiful,” Bryant says. “We strive to make each project a reflection of our clients and to create a unique response to the site and context. This house is considered and sensitive to both personality and site and has succeeded in this aim.”
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So many wonderful spaces, colors and textures in this home! The kitchen and en-suite bathroom tile choices are tasteful, beautiful, memorable. The herringbone porcelain flooring is a simple geometric design that accents the various lines in the room. The indoor and outdoor fireplaces are unique and so creatively different from each other. Very creative and well done.