Shutter House

What was the brief?
The home started as a speculative collaboration within our family, which eventuated in a built outcome that was a representation of our collective experience, announcing State of Kin’s establishment through the amalgamation of two generational family businesses. 

Being one of the first projects State of Kin worked on as a collective entity, the project served as an exciting opportunity to test design ideas and work cohesively with the construction team to ensure the best outcome. The site itself presented many opportunities through the proximity to Lake Monger and surrounding parklands, however the brief was speculative, and had to be flexible enough to suit a myriad of potential owners upon completion. 

The vision for the project was clear – to capture views of the lake opposite whilst maintaining privacy and control of light/shade within. The brief identified the drastically sloping site as an opportunity to work with strategic use of floor levels and creation of connectivity between spaces across a variety of planes. Vignettes and vistas are framed and captured with intention to unite interior with exterior, the height of boundary walls and surrounding buildings create sensations of secluded privacy. 

What were the key challenges?
The site presented many constraints, however through a rigorous design process these were turned into opportunities that encouraged a highly considered response that facilitated the creation of a unique spatial program throughout the residence. The steeply sloping topography of the site allowed for the integration of subterranean courtyard spaces that permeate into the centre of the home, offering serene and contemplative areas away from the main living spaces. The home’s interaction with the streetscape and adjacent lake can be controlled through operation of the mechanized façade screens. 

What materials did you choose and why? 
This project presented a unique opportunity to be expressive with our design, both architecturally and with the interiors. We were still an emerging practice when we started the design for this project, and we had found in the past clients would hesitate to explore the possibility of bold colour when it came to their homes. We wanted to demonstrate that colour could in fact be sophisticated and mature, and that when juxtaposed against natural materials and a nuanced external palette, it could be highly successful.

The State of Kin interiors and architecture team worked simultaneously on Shutter House, with a clear focus on creating a light filled sanctuary that is rich in colour and materiality. 

A focus on unique and hand-crafted finishes is evident throughout – the hand-seeded terrazzo at ground level and oak parquetry to upper levels accentuate the highly considered palette throughout the home.

 We introduced a terracotta grout to offset the sleek Sugie tile in the wet areas, iridescent mirrors, hints of olive green are seen throughout, coloured tile within the pool, we brought back ‘Mission Brown’ in the stairwell and coloured mosaic in the pool. Exposed concrete ceilings and carefully sourced granite, quartzite and travertine provide robust yet rich surfaces, which are accentuated by flourishes of colour and a curation of playfully sophisticated furniture pieces and contemporary, abstract artby local Perth artists compliment the thoughtful design. 

Material Used :
Facade cladding: Stringy Bark Timber Square Profile, Vertically Mounted

Flooring:   
GF: hand-seeded terrazzo, custom by SOK
GF External: Crazy Pave 
FF & 2F: Custom Scale Oak Parquetry, Stained 

Doors: 
External doors: Custom timber frame, double glazed, Inglewood Joinery
Garage Door: Vertical Timber Profile
Side Opening Door: Danmar Doors

Windows: Inglewood Joinery
Interior furniture: Mobilia

Bathroom Fixtures and Tapware: 
Artedomus
• Agape, SEN Tapware/Showers/ Accessories – Ensuite, Bathroom, Powder Rooms 
• Agape, Cuna Bathtub –Ensuite
• Agape, Bjhon 2 Pedestal Basin – Powder Room 
• Agape, Cheese Basin – Powder Room 2 

MOBILIA AND STATE OF KIN JOIN FORCES TO FURNISH STATE OF KIN’S SHUTTER HOUSE PROJECT.
Mobilia has teamed up with Perth based architectural and interior designer studio State Of Kin to furnish Shutter House, an inspiring and forward thinking home designed for the modern family and furnished with some of the world’s most renowned and decorated brands; carefully hand picked to compliment the architectural beauty of the home. Situated across from the iconic Lake Monger in Wembley, Western Australia the aptly named Shutter House is a concrete block that utilises the warmth of locally sourced timber to create a battened timber skin that wraps around the home, while a mechanical system allows the timber façade (Shutter) to open and close, creating a sense of enclosure and intimacy whilst still allowing unobstructed views to the adjacent lake.

The residence is spread over three levels. The ground floor consists of a four car garage, wine cellar and entry into a spectacular three storey void that connects all levels via a feature staircase. The timber entry and elevator shafts are flanked by crisp white porcelain wall lights by Michael Anastassiades which sit effortlessly within the playfulness of the architecture.

In addition to the skilful detailing of the balustrade, Patricia Urquiola’s gem like Fordite rug by CC Tapis is a standout in the entrance bringing a joyful sense of scale and colour to the entry. Inspired by the material of Fordite (a bi-product of the automotive industry) Urquiola has integrated a similar approach to sustainability in the creation of this rug collection; which coexists perfectly with its material surroundings. Four bedrooms, three bathrooms, laundry and gallery are situated on the first floor, along with an intimate courtyard and balcony spaces adjoining each bedroom.

The master bedroom is fitted out with Patricia Urquiola’s latest bed for Moroso and an extension of her Redondo collection inspired by 1960’s American cars, the soft curves of their body work and their upholstered interiors. The three bathrooms on this level are tied together by the clever use of graphic tiling, vibrant colour and the fascinating and magical Shimmer mirrors designed by Urquiola for Glas Italia , which throw dancing shadows of colour on the tiling behind.

The monochromatic layering created by the nude Slinky Rug by CC Tapis and the vis a vis (face to face) Moroso Tender sofa, both designed by Patricia Urquiola, show the clever use of furniture and forms to define space in the gallery area; which divides the master bedroom from the other areas on the first floor.

The multi directional use of the sofa allows the user to face outward toward the light filled courtyard or reflect back at the artwork on the opposing wall when using the intermediate space as a place of reflection and pause (which also doubles as a void to ensure privacy for the master bedroom). An open plan living, dining and kitchen space on the second floor affords panoramic views of Lake Monger, and connects to a terrace and pool area with a separate studio. The sun filled front balcony, super architectural in its nature and providing an inner viewing to the timber battened operable shutters is graced by the welcoming relaxed vibe of Urquiola’s Vimini collection by Kettal; that highlights a modern twist of traditional materials both elegant and warm.

The Vimini collection which was inspired by the Basket Chair by Danish designers Nanna Ditzel and Jørgen Ditzel from the 1950’s, sits effortlessly with Urquiola’s latest collection of furniture, the Roll Tables and Band Armchairs for Kettal, inspired by the honest exposure of materials, a perfect marriage to the balcony area. The warmth and colour from the outdoor area gently flows into the adjacent dining room which is defined by Golran’s impeccable Meteo Rug by Inga Sempé which houses the dark stained version of the Moroso Mathilda table and chairs, a stunning and vibrant entertaining area for the home owners.

The modern and versatile kitchen looks onto both the dining room and the perfectly executed main living area which is a gentle balance of form, colour and under stated style and speaks back to the expression of the designers appreciation of Japanese architecture through the use of light and detail. Mobilia’s Director Salvatore Fazzari says he was excited by the opportunity to work on Shutter House with the team at State Of Kin.

“We have always been big fans of the talented team at State Of Kin and when the opportunity presented itself to furnish Shutter House, we were very excited about what we could achieve with the furniture. The architecture and hard interior finishes were so tastefully and perfectly executed that it was important to compliment those selections, as opposed to select furniture that would compete instead of enhance those pre made selections; which I felt we managed to achieve with the help of the State Of Kin Team. The house is expressive and playful in nature but it also has a underlying sense of elegance and therefore the selections needed to be honest to that subtle balance which the State Of Kin team managed to create; a balanced that I feel we managed to emulate with the soft furnishings.”

Patrica Urquiola’s Moroso Gogan Sofa has been selected for the living space which takes its name from nature and in particular from Japanese stones rendered smooth over time. This sits perfectly with the Fjord armchair (one of the designer’s first and most iconic armchairs) and the blissful colour of the Visioni Rug that is centred by the VV Cinquanta Suspension Pendant by Italian architect Vittoriano Viganò, originally designed in 1951, and produced by Astep.

The outdoor terrace and pool area which are connected to the main living area are adorned with State Of Kin’s recognisable curved deco references, richness and balance of colour and materiality which is best demonstrated with the tiling in the area, clear cut deco inspired reveals into the pool and the custom tiled curved bench seat; that has been coupled with Urquiola’s Mesh Table and colourful Roll Chairs from Kettal.

This celebrated home, energetic and forward in its approach is testament to the wonderful work of this dynamic, young studio, State Of Kin and their partnership with Mobilia on this project has seen to the fact that the home and furniture selected is of the same high design standards of the interiors and architecture.

State Of Kin Co-Director Alessandra French explains “From the inception of this project we wanted to created a material palette championing raw, expressive materials and an enduring design statement for what has become our flagship project to date.

“We have a small studio which allows us to have a very close and collaborative approach between our architectural and interior departments, which is seen by the way the material finishes play off the architectural elements of this home. The design vision was clear from the start and I feel we managed to materialise our initial vision for the project from an architectural and design perspective. It was great to be able to use the work of some of our favourite contemporary designers like Patricia Urquiola, Michael Anastassiades and Inga Sempè and mix them with some of our favourite design masters like Gino Sarfatti and Vittoriano Viganò. The furnishings became an important ingredient in the overall result and sit perfectly with our architecture and interior finishes. We were really fortunate to have been able to select from the world’s best design brands giving rise to the opportunity to coordinate materiality and colour within the soft furnishings. This allowed us to complete the home to a standard that we had strived for from the start of this project. ”.

Shutter House features an array of Mobilia’s brands and work by a mixture of designers and brands including Patrica Urquiola (Kettal, CC Tapis, Moroso, Glas Italia), Inga Sempé (Golran), Studio Pepe (CC Tapis), Michael Anastassiades (Michael Anastassiades), Gino Sarfatti (Astep) and Vittoriano Viganò (Astep).

Mobilia’s Director Salvatore Fazzari adds;
“We have worked alongside the State Of Kin team on commercial projects before such as Pan Pacific Hotel’s Uma Bar (Perth CBD), Stables Bar (Perth CBD), Bodyscape Yoga Studio (Nedlands) etc however this was the first time we worked on a residential project with them and from the outset I had every faith that they would execute this family home incredibly well due to their versatility and depth as a studio.

Good design to me is about an approach more so than the typology of a project, the projects location or the limitations that each project uniquely and evidently presents. I feel the team at State Of Kin have really been able to showcase their flexibility and design maturity on this project and we were excited to see how how well this project was embraced by their peers and our friends within the local design industry in Western Australia and abroad.”

State Of Kin Co-Director Ara Salomone explains the architectural challenges of the project and how these challenges steered the designed of the home in a positive way:

“The site of the project was quite interesting from an architectural perspective, as a narrow, steeply sloping lot – it gave us some interesting parameters to work with. We embedded the home into the slope, using the varied levels to create connection and interaction between floors, to encourage access to light and air in every space and create vignettes of interest throughout the home.

Layering the second skin of timber battens to the openings of the building façade allows the residents to control and modify their experience of the home both internally and externally. The mechanical opening movement of the shutters imbues the home with an almost animated quality and a sense of movement that is engaging. It is functional as a shading device and privacy screen but also adds a layering effect to the façade that emphasises visual depth and the movement of shadow and light from the streetfront.

Spaces for rest and contemplation are separated from vibrant living spaces, they are smaller in scale and more intimate in ambience – yet each is connected to the exterior and allows flexibility in the ability to be open and airy, or private and tranquil. The outdoor and living spaces on the top floor are dynamic and bold, they are grand in scale but still welcoming, with clear visual connection to the outdoors from all points of view. These spaces are perfectly coordinated for entertaining, for energetic and lively gatherings.”