Behind the rolling hills of Arthurs Seat sits “The Farm”, a coastal getaway and future permanent residence for our clients. The modest three bedroom brick home will be renovated and a substantial extension added. The footprint of the extension re-aligns to face the beautiful landscape of the western valley and dam. The new living and dining rooms open onto an entertaining terrace. The distinct roof form of valleys and ridges relate in level to the existing roof for continuation of scale. The new roof cantilevers beyond the extension walls creating emphasis and direction towards the natural views.

To meet the client‘s brief and maintain the character of the house it was decided to retain the existing timber framed windows and VJ timber walling above tiles. The client loves green and yellow, so a patterned floor tile including these colours was selected, with two complimentry subway tiles used for the walls up to the picture rail. The feature green tile used in the back of the shower. A playful bold vinyl wallpaper was installed in the bathroom and above the dado rail in the toilet. The corner back to wall bath, brushed gold tapware and accessories, wall hung custom vanity with Davinci Blanco stone bench top, teardrop clearstone basin, circular mirrored shaving cabinet and antique brass wall sconces finished off the look. The picture rail in the high section was painted in white to match the wall tiles and the above VJ‘s were painted in Dulux Triamble to match the custom vanity 2 pak finish. This colour framed the small room and with the high ceilings softened the space and made it more intimate. The timber window architraves were retained, whereas the architraves around the entry door were painted white to match the wall tiles. The adjacent toilet was changed to an in wall cistern and pan with tiles, wallpaper, accessories and wall sconces to match the bathroom Overall, the design allowed open easy access, modernised the space and delivered the wow factor that the client was seeking.

Light plays well across the building all day

With its gabled rectangular form and black iron cladding, this clever new build makes a striking statement yet complements its natural environment. Internally, the house has been lined in chipboard with negative detailing. Polished concrete floors not only look stylish but absorb the sunlight that floods in, keeping the north-facing home warm. The bathroom also features chipboard and two windows to capture the outlook. One of these is positioned at the end of the shower to bring the rural views inside. Floor-to-ceiling dark tiles in the shower alcove make a stunning contrast to the wood. Made on-site, the concrete vanity benchtops match the imported bathtub and vanity bowls. Doors from each of the four bedrooms open to their own exposed aggregate terrace, landscaped with plants and boulders. Attached to the custom kitchen island is a lowered dining area, continuing the chipboard theme. The cabinets and benchtops match those in the bathrooms and contrast with the rest of the open-plan space. A lot has been achieved in this home on a tight budget.

Andrea Rugg

Sherri Rosson