Two energetic young guys, Adam and James who are long time friends, bought a modest 1940’s house in South Yarra with the view to maintain the front facade of the property but build a sleek, contemporary extension at the rear to allow for a second story and rooftop terrace with uninterrupted city views. The ground floor layout consists of two bedrooms with a main bathroom with an open plan kitchen, living and dining area at the rear. The second floor is made up of a generous sized master bedroom with walk in robe and ensuite as well as a study nook, and rooftop terrace. Both Adam and James work as project managers on large scale luxury apartments so their aim was to pull together their industry contacts and industry know-how to build their own house project that reflected their keen eye for design.
I was engaged by Adam and James to design the joinery throughout as well as to select each of the finishes, fittings and furniture for each space. When I took on the project the house was just an empty shell with the rooms mapped out only by a timber stud frame. I felt instantly excited about the project when they briefed me on what direction they wanted to take the interiors. Their brief was to design an interior with strong masculine elements through the use of materials and joinery detailing and fittings. The palette came together through the combination of black timber veneer, Grey Tundra natural stone, black and grey flecked carpets, and aged brass fittings. Gentle curves were introduced throughout the joinery to balance out the masculine tones, creating an easy continuous flow between each of the spaces. Some of the key design features include the oversized proportions of the living area fire place with its black veneered curved chimney and curved cabinetry below, the freestanding bath that sits in front of the full height one way glass window over looking a courtyard garden and the soft grey curves of the kitchen cabinetry with natural stone and black leather pull handles. The clients love the end result of this project and are able to enjoy their own individual spaces between to two floor levels as well as entertain together in the communal areas.
Material Used :
1. Grey Tundra natural stone - kitchen bench tops, island bench facade and splashback
2. Grey Tundra tiles from Signorino Tiles - bathroom walls
3. Tasmanian Oak - floorboards throughout
4. Carpet from Supertuft - bedrooms
5. Two pac polyurethane in colour Dulux ‘silkwort' - kitchen & bathroom cabinetry
6. Black timber veneer in ‘ravine’ finish from Elton Group - living area cabinetry
7. Gas fireplace from Jetmaster - living area
8. ‘Multi Lite’ dining area pendant light - Surrounding Australia
9. Living Area furniture - Rug from Cadry’s, midcentury armchair and floor lamp from Atlas Gallery, coffee table from District Furniture, artwork from Sophie Gannon Gallery
10. Kitchen barstools - Grazia & co.
