Weather House is a bespoke home for a young, nature-loving family on a quintessentially compact Northcote block. Our clients Claire and Brent cherished the character of their century-old worker's cottage but required more considered space and flexibility in their home. Claire and Brent are camping enthusiasts, and in response their house is a love letter to the outdoors: a rich, durable environment infused with the grounded ambience of being in nature. From the street, the dark cladding of the sensitive rear extension echoes the existing cottage!s roofline, becoming a subtle shadow of the original house in both form and tone. As you move through the home, the double-height extension invites the climate and native landscaping inside at every turn. The light-bathed lounge, dining room and kitchen are anchored around, and seamlessly connected to, a versatile outdoor living area. A double-sided fireplace embedded into the house’s rear wall brings warmth and ambience to the lounge, and inspires a campfire atmosphere in the back yard. Championing tactility and durability, the material palette features polished concrete floors, blackbutt timber joinery and concrete brick walls. Peach and sage tones are employed as accents throughout the lower level, and amplified upstairs where sage forms the tonal base for the moody main bedroom. An adjacent private deck creates an additional tether to the outdoors, and houses planters and trellises that will decorate the home’s exterior with greenery. From the tactile and textured finishes of the interior to the surrounding Australian native garden that you just want to touch, the house encapsulates the feeling of being part of the outdoors; like Claire and Brent are camping at home. It is a tribute to Mother Nature, Weather House’s muse.

PB Teen bedroom, featuring Coco Crystal large pendant chandelier, Wayfair leaning mirrors, Restoration Hardware and Wisteria Peony wall art. Bathroom features Cambridge plumbing and claw foot slipper cooking bathtub, Ferguson plumbing fixtures, 4-panel frosted glass bard door, and magnolia weave white carrerrea marble floor and wall tile.

©Anna Stathaki

A complete re-fit was performed in the bathroom, re-working the layout to create an efficient use of a small bathroom space. The design features a stunning light pink onyx marble to the walls, floors & ceiling. Taking advantage of onyx's transparent qualities, hidden lighting was installed above the ceiling slabs, to create a warm glow to the ceiling. This creates an illusion of space, with the added bonus of a relaxing place to end the day.

After completing their kitchen several years prior, this client came back to update their bath shared by their twin girls in this 1930's home. The bath boasts a large custom vanity with an antique mirror detail. Handmade blue glass tile is a contrast to the light coral wall. A small area in front of the toilet features a vanity and storage area with plenty of space to accommodate toiletries for two pre-teen girls. Designed by: Susan Klimala, CKD, CBD For more information on kitchen and bath design ideas go to: www.kitchenstudio-ge.com

The ceiling of this shower accents the all pink walls perfectly. What girl wouldn't want a shower covered in pink glitter mosaic glass tiles?

Statuario marble countertops

Statuario marble countertops

This 1960s home was in original condition and badly in need of some functional and cosmetic updates. We opened up the great room into an open concept space, converted the half bathroom downstairs into a full bath, and updated finishes all throughout with finishes that felt period-appropriate and reflective of the owner's Asian heritage.

photos: Kyle Born for Homepolish