Toorak House 2 is a home for a client who loves to entertain, and who loves jazz.
The house presents a muscular simplicity to the street, a composition of white brick, off form concrete and finer bronze detailing.
Once through the figured polished bronze and glass entry, the home presents a series of interconnected spaces connected by soft arches. The base palette is travertine flooring and Venetian plaster walls, which soften the play of light and shadow throughout the day.
The lobby features a grand piano and Venetian chandelier.
The Welcome Room faces the private garden and is shaded by a mature oak tree, one of three giant oaks on the property. A striking pink onyx and white marble bar features as a gathering point for a morning coffee or an evening cocktail.
The kitchen is similarly more sculpture than traditional joinery.
A discrete Whiskey Bar sits at the entry to a secret chamber in electric blue, leading to the ‘by invitation only’ subterranean nightclub, pool room and wine cellar, where the night can ‘kick on’ according to mood.
Bedrooms are upstairs via a beautifully detailed stair void fearing an oculus skylight that spritzes light onto the polished plaster walls.
The principal rooms are all distinct but visually connected, so the home feels equally comfortable with one or one hundred quests. It is a house for music and conversation.
The brief evolved through conversation and sketching as the design progressed. We were all open to possibilities we hadn’t considered at the start of the project.
The home balances the sometimes-competing demands of restraint (privacy) and exuberance (a social life).
The planning is quite neutral; however, the joinery is representative of our sculptural approach to design.
We are proud of the level of skill and commitment demonstrated by all the craftspeople involved in delivering the design.
Sustainability is embodied in the decisions made by all good designers. Like most of our colleagues we aim for longevity in our projects, selecting natural self-finishing materials and detailing for maximum lifespan.
The site was home to 3 beautiful mature oak trees. Our approach was to rebuild a new home on the footprint of the old, so the roots and canopies were not disturbed. We minimized the footprint to allow for maximum garden area.
Toorak House 2 is an exercise in exploring a contemporary form for ‘the house’ typology.
A shift away from structural steel, metal cladding and glazing, Toorak House 2 uses traditional load bearing masonry construction to create a contemporary form within a recognisable ‘house’ typology.
Team:
Architects: K.P.D.O.
Landscape: Paul Bangay Garden Design
Photographer: Sharyn Cairns, Anson Smart
