Renovating
Small Details That Take Your Home From Ordinary to Extraordinary
Can't put your finger on why you love a particular house? The answer is likely to lie in the design details
Detailing is such a difficult word to define in the world of architecture, but to me, it is the intricate or bold design elements that can make a space unique. Detailing can be so subtle that it’s subconscious – you don’t know why you like the space but for some reason you do. It only becomes apparent that the space is neither here nor there when the small details are removed. So let me take you through the work of some fantastic designers where the details create great spaces. Ask yourself the following question: What would the space be like if small details were removed or replaced with something more ordinary?
It may not be apparent at first, but the architects at Auhaus Architecture have used the careful placement of a wall-mounted reading light, a chair and a large picture window to define the space. It’s an invitation to sit, read a book and admire the view. Even the window itself has been given the star treatment. Notice that there is no architrave around the window, no openable section and that the window reveal itself is made of a beefed-up chunky timber section. This is design at work. Let’s now transform this space to the ordinary. Remove the light and install a domestic timber awning window, and the space automatically becomes just another room.
Why have an ordinary vanity benchtop in your bathroom when a more creative approach is possible. Mihaly Slocombe Architects have cleverly extended the benchtop into the shower recess where it then becomes the windowsill and draws your eye upwards to the view outside. The window is the exact proportion of the timber top and blurs the line of where the benchtop finishes and the window starts.
Such a simple idea – take an ordinary window and add some internal shutters. However, that in itself wouldn’t make this space that much more interesting. The architects at Alexander and Co chose to add the creative detail of splitting the shutters in two. Have a closer look and even the door’s alternative lever-strap handles provide a minute detail that sets them apart from any other common handle.
By necessity, all stairs require balustrading to stop you from falling. Nobbs Radford Architects were not content to simply create a barrier or handrail to lead you up the stairs. From the lounge room, the vertical timber sections are integrated into the base joinery and storage boxes float seamlessly up the staircase. If you look more carefully, these display boxes are actually the treads of the staircase, a detail that creates an interesting composition and an artistic solution to contrast the harshness of the concrete ceiling and mezzanine above.
Read more: A Whole New Level: 10 Mezzanine Ideas to Look Up to
Read more: A Whole New Level: 10 Mezzanine Ideas to Look Up to
PHTR Architects sort an alternative design solution to this staircase balustrade by creating a visually exciting metal work structure that defies normal convention. The artistic detail of angling the metal rods in two directions has created a stimulating hallway that would otherwise be a simple passage to another space.
This contemporary black and white interior by Ian Moore Architects uses bold shapes and details to reinforce the designer’s concept for how the space should be presented. Adding merely black and white furniture and furnishings may have been enough, but if you look at the finer detail, the fine blade-like balustrade is replicated in the blade-like structure of the study desk. The rectangular black shapes are then turned vertically to form the feature wall behind the desk. Change the design of the table or introduce another shape and the detail would be lost.
What would have become of this space if not for the creative detailing of the underside of this staircase? What could have been construed as leftover space is now a cosy corner to read a book. The architects at Auhaus Architecture once again demonstrate the importance of simple detailing, creating design solutions that result in imaginative spaces. The striking black colour of the storage shelves set against the blonde timber finishes also help reinforce the fact that this space has been purposely designed.
Would a simple square skylight have provided the necessary natural light for this bathroom design? Well, the answer is yes. However, Louise Nettleton Architects have increased the drama of this space by a subtle change in the skylight’s shape – it is not only narrow in proportion but covers the entire length of the room. Light rays are thrown across the tiled surfaces and move about the room as the direction of the sun changes. This alternative design solution is the detail that transforms a space from ordinary to extraordinary.
Can three pendant lights hung close and low to each other over a dining table be enough to create an interesting space? Robert Mills Architects and Interior Designers have designed an intimate dining space where the activity at table level is the all-important function. However, there are other subtle details at play to reinforce this. Note how low the backs of the chairs are, so to be almost at table height and not above. Also note the height of the adjacent window head. You have to be seated to admire the view. Once again, reinforcing the activity at table level.
Read more: Ribbon Windows: The Long and the Short of It
Read more: Ribbon Windows: The Long and the Short of It
Built-in book shelves create a place to obviously store your books and collectibles, but Mihaly Slocombe Architects have created a room that transcends the mere storage of books. The simple detail of introducing a ladder that slides across a rail elevates this room to the stardom of a library.
I look at this interior created by Centrum Architects and immediately I conjure images of a castle, a fortress and a drawbridge that takes you from one side to the other. Others might read it differently. You see, it’s how the bridge has been detailed that evokes these images. Notice how the timber bridge overhangs the tiled surface as if it has been lowered onto this surface and constructed long enough to reach the other side. What if the bridge was instead tiled and level with the tiled surface? It would feel as if it had two holes on either side of the bridge. Designing the link between the two parts of the building to appear as a bridge allows you to feel like you are crossing a great void.
YOUR SAY
Do you have a space in your home that has been transformed from the ordinary to the extraordinary because of the detailing? Attach a photo or share your thoughts in the Comments.
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YOUR SAY
Do you have a space in your home that has been transformed from the ordinary to the extraordinary because of the detailing? Attach a photo or share your thoughts in the Comments.
MORE
How to Master the Act of Separation in Open-Plan Spaces
From the Ground Up: Designing for Your Location
From the Pros: 8 Design Habits of a Successful Architect
How to Build Recycled and Discarded Material Into Your Home