Stephen and Lynne wanted to return Brisbane to be near family and enjoy the simple pleasures of life. They wanted a forever haven to enjoy as a couple, separate work areas and the space to entertain family and friends. The style had to be calm and classical to remind them of Paris, complement exquisite mantlepieces hand-crafted by Stephen… and incorporate a secret wine cellar.
This original Queenslander had been built on land which rose steeply from the road. Extended in the 50s and 80s, it had been painted in 10 different colours. All the rooms felt small, hot and boxy, and a driveway separated the garden.
We raised the original house 1.5m and opened it in three directions to create flow for view and air from the rear garden, side frangipani and expansive front outlook. We made everything revolve around the kitchen island. We placed the carport on the street frontage and excavated under the house to create space for a new entry, family room, study, guest room and cellar. The side stairway now has a frameless glass corner to capture unexpected city views. The bathroom features the beautifully restored original clawfoot bath. The details are symmetrical and balanced with a pale neutral palette lifted by duck egg blue.
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An old-style, relaxed country homestead where they could develop their boutique distillery, care for rescued horses, entertain and host friends and family for extended stays.
This grey 1980s project home had scant connection to its extraordinary location – the ridge of Terranora over paddocks to the north, and the blue hills of northern NSW, over the Tweed River and across canefields, to the south. The house lacked presence. Entry was along a side path, past bathroom windows and through a poorly positioned sliding door. Only a good size floor area and OK bedrooms precluded demolition and starting all over again.
Leave both ends of the existing structure as is for bedrooms and garage. Add on three elements common to traditional homesteads: a ‘stables wing’ to house a garage, office and loft; a ‘side verandah’ as entry; and a ‘great room’ with raked ceiling on a north-south cross axis. What resulted was a calm balanced interior that immediately increased the home’s scale and presence in the landscape.
At one end, the great room roof extended into a north terrace down to paddocks. At the other, a river terrace with a truncated gable framed a sunset silhouette of Mt Warning. Sandstone walls marked the main entry. Inside, a range of large and small spaces to sit, dine and relax were detailed with neutral colours, natural textures and heritage features. Independent living was made possible with a self-contained flat on one side of the house, separated from the family’s three bedrooms, including a master suite with outlook in both directions.
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A light, airy, private pod with a view at the bottom of her garden, in harmony with her existing home and its neighbors, with the flexibility to either be rented as a yoga studio, accommodate the owner’s father or adult children and incorporating a garage that might double as a pottery studio. Budget: less than $175,000.
What was originally a corner store was now a purple residence that had been gradually extended, back and under, over decades, in a range of styles and textures. A steep south-facing slope and antiquated drainage added to the design challenge for construction, universal access and north light.
A 54-square-metre room with bathroom and kitchen that can be divided into living and sleeping zones. A north-facing skillion creates light and space. A lower deck provides a spacious outdoor living area, connects the pod to the house and provides level access to the street. Windows are carefully placed to allow views, but not outlook to or from neighboring homes. Underneath, recycled glass panels look onto massive sandstone boulder retaining walls and let in dappled light from the garden above – all completed on time and budget.
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