Periscope House draws light into a young family’s home, adding thoughtful solutions and flexible spaces to 1950s Art Deco foundations. Our clients engaged us to undertake a considered extension to their character-rich home in Malvern East. They wanted to celebrate their home’s history while adapting it to the needs of their family, and future-proofing it for decades to come. The extension’s form meets with and continues the existing roofline, politely emerging at the rear of the house. The tones of the original white render and red brick are reflected in the extension, informing its white Colorbond exterior and selective pops of red throughout. Inside, the original home’s layout has been reimagined to better suit a growing family. Once closed-in formal dining and lounge rooms were converted into children’s bedrooms, supplementing the main bedroom and a versatile fourth room. Grouping these rooms together has created a subtle definition of zones: private spaces are nestled to the front, while the rear extension opens up to shared living areas. A tailored response to the site, the extension’s ground floor addresses the western back garden, and first floor (AKA the periscope) faces the northern sun. Sitting above the open plan living areas, the periscope is a mezzanine that nimbly sidesteps the harsh afternoon light synonymous with a western facing back yard. It features a solid wall to the west and a glass wall to the north, emulating the rotation of a periscope to draw gentle light into the extension. Beneath the mezzanine, the kitchen, dining, living and outdoor spaces effortlessly overlap. Also accessible via an informal back door for friends and family, this generous communal area provides our clients with the functionality, spatial cohesion and connection to the outdoors they were missing. Melding modern and heritage elements, Periscope House honours the history of our clients’ home while creating light-filled shared spaces – all through a periscopic lens that opens the home to the garden.

Cremorne Residence

Jodie Carter Design

Custom cabinetry in Dulux Snowy Mountains Quarter and Eveneer Planked Oak shelves. Escea gas fireplace with sandstone tile cladding.

Penthouse Apartment Renovation

Mal Corboy Design

This penthouse apartment has glorious 270-degree views, and when we engaged to complete the extensive renovation, we knew that this apartment would be a visual masterpiece once finished. So we took inspiration from the colours featuring in many of their art pieces, which we bought into the kitchen colour, soft furnishings and wallpaper. We kept the bathrooms a more muted palette using a pale green on the cabinetry. The MC Lozza dining table, custom-designed wall units and make-up area added uniqueness to this space.

Coventry Lake Contemporary Stunner

Nosan Signature Homes

The spacious great room in this home, completed in 2017, is open to the kitchen and features a linear fireplace on a floating honed limestone hearth, supported by hidden steel brackets, extending the full width between the two floor to ceiling windows. The custom oak shelving forms a display case with individual lights for each section allowing the homeowners to showcase favorite art objects. The ceiling features a step and hidden LED cove lighting to provide a visual separation for this area from the adjacent kitchen and informal dining areas. The rug and furniture were selected by the homeowners for everyday comfort as this is the main TV watching and hangout room in the home. A casual dining area provides seating for 6 or more and can also function as a game table. In the background is the 3 seasons room accessed by a floor-to-ceiling sliding door that opens 2/3 to provide easy flow for entertaining.

Sherbourne Circle

Morrone Interiors

This stunning living room was our clients new favorite part of their house. The orange accents pop when set to the various shades of gray. This room features a gray sectional couch, stacked ledger stone fireplace, floating shelving, floating cabinets with recessed lighting, mounted TV, and orange artwork to tie it all together. Warm and cozy. Time to curl up on the couch with your favorite movie and glass of wine!

Coral Cay

Laura Brophy Interiors

2015 Midwest Home Luxury Home #12 - Divine Custom Homes

Spacecrafting / Architectural Photography

Builder: Divine Custom Homes - Photo: Spacecrafting Photography

Mid-Century Raised Ranch Remodel

The Artisans Group, Inc.

Winner of the 2018 Tour of Homes Best Remodel, this whole house re-design of a 1963 Bennet & Johnson mid-century raised ranch home is a beautiful example of the magic we can weave through the application of more sustainable modern design principles to existing spaces. We worked closely with our client on extensive updates to create a modernized MCM gem. Extensive alterations include: - a completely redesigned floor plan to promote a more intuitive flow throughout - vaulted the ceilings over the great room to create an amazing entrance and feeling of inspired openness - redesigned entry and driveway to be more inviting and welcoming as well as to experientially set the mid-century modern stage - the removal of a visually disruptive load bearing central wall and chimney system that formerly partitioned the homes’ entry, dining, kitchen and living rooms from each other - added clerestory windows above the new kitchen to accentuate the new vaulted ceiling line and create a greater visual continuation of indoor to outdoor space - drastically increased the access to natural light by increasing window sizes and opening up the floor plan - placed natural wood elements throughout to provide a calming palette and cohesive Pacific Northwest feel - incorporated Universal Design principles to make the home Aging In Place ready with wide hallways and accessible spaces, including single-floor living if needed - moved and completely redesigned the stairway to work for the home’s occupants and be a part of the cohesive design aesthetic - mixed custom tile layouts with more traditional tiling to create fun and playful visual experiences - custom designed and sourced MCM specific elements such as the entry screen, cabinetry and lighting - development of the downstairs for potential future use by an assisted living caretaker - energy efficiency upgrades seamlessly woven in with much improved insulation, ductless mini splits and solar gain

Interiors

Pecora Brothers, Inc.

Project in Tiburon

Julie Williams Design

Family room adjacent to kitchen. Paint color on fireplace mantel is Benjamin Moore #1568 Quarry Rock. The trim is Benjamin Moore OC-21. The bookcases are prefinished by the cabinet manufacturer, white with a pewter glaze. Designed by Julie Williams Design, Photo by Eric Rorer Photgraphy, Justin Construction

Lake House Retreat

In Site Designs

Westlake Remodel

Spaces Designed, Interior Design Studio, LLC

Remarkable focal points in each area aim to capture the personality of the homeowners – An elegant vintage chandelier that draws the gaze when sitting in the parlor, baroque hand made paintings that add a French colonial charm to the dining room and a stunning marble fireplace with a pattern that just takes the viewer’s breath away and adds glamour to the living room. A lighter toned color brightens up the entire space while creating a rustic and comfortable decor overall. Comfy Shag rugs on the sofas ensure the family dog has a cozy spot to snuggle in. A vintage area rug with hand-selected accessories in the cabinets around the fireplace finish out a gorgeous and welcoming room. Dining area chairs with a pop of blue around a sturdy round oak table personify energy yet are classically elegant. A lot of time, effort and of course, patience went into this 4-year project. But the end result is a balanced, harmonious space that reflects the personality of the people who use it, which is what good Design is all about.

Fireplaces

NMB Custom Homes & Renovations

This contemporary beauty features a 3D porcelain tile wall with the TV and propane fireplace built in. The glass shelves are clear, starfire glass so they appear blue instead of green.

Deveraux

Visbeen Architects

Builder: Mike Schaap Builders Photographer: Ashley Avila Photography Both chic and sleek, this streamlined Art Modern-influenced home is the equivalent of a work of contemporary sculpture and includes many of the features of this cutting-edge style, including a smooth wall surface, horizontal lines, a flat roof and an enduring asymmetrical appeal. Updated amenities include large windows on both stories with expansive views that make it perfect for lakefront lots, with stone accents, floor plan and overall design that are anything but traditional. Inside, the floor plan is spacious and airy. The 2,200-square foot first level features an open plan kitchen and dining area, a large living room with two story windows, a convenient laundry room and powder room and an inviting screened in porch that measures almost 400 square feet perfect for reading or relaxing. The three-car garage is also oversized, with almost 1,000 square feet of storage space. The other levels are equally roomy, with almost 2,000 square feet of living space in the lower level, where a family room with 10-foot ceilings, guest bedroom and bath, game room with shuffleboard and billiards are perfect for entertaining. Upstairs, the second level has more than 2,100 square feet and includes a large master bedroom suite complete with a spa-like bath with double vanity, a playroom and two additional family bedrooms with baths.

Family Friendly Design

Fine Art Interiors

Family Room with reclaimed wood beams for shelving and fireplace mantel. Performance fabrics used on all the furniture allow for a very durable and kid friendly environment.