A home in the country, set on very large acreage at the foot of the mountains, surrounded by trees and extensive gardens, is very much a family home. Designed to be comfortably elegant, for the young family who lives there. Timeless in design, keeping the rooms airy and light, was the brief for this project. The result is home which is finished in every detail and reflects the personalities of those who live here.
The New Classics
'Inspired by the classics', 'influenced by the 'now', 'created for todays lifestyle', 'grounded by the past, to create substance in contemporary design'.
All of the above can be used to describe the design term - 'The New Classics'.
Highly decorative, yet restrained, by not using too much of any one design element. An eclectic mix of styles and finishes to produce an interior that is dateless , yet perfect for the modern lifestyle we live today.
From a completed project, the image here shows the entrance of a large inner city apartment. The brief here was to create something that perfectly fits the description of The New Classics, and is a fine example of possibilities that can be created.
Open Plan Living in the Sub-Tropics
Today a family home is designed for open plan living, usually focused around the kitchen, with informal areas for dining and entertaining as part of the open scheme.
In this project, modern classical pieces of furniture have been selected, to be combined with contemporary lighting to create a comfortable home for the family who lives here. Art is always a medium we are passionate about to finish any interior space, and in the Family Room, a large painting by Archibald wining artist Wendy Sharpe was selected.
Timber shutters were installed on the windows, which are very functional in controlling light and glare, but also create the casual feel for a home situated in the subtopics.
Total Refurbishment
The apartment shown here, had great position, with extensive views of the city and river, but the interiors were tired and very dated. The solution was to gut the complete interior space back to the bare shell, and to create a stylish modern apartment, designed for the clients who live here.
The result is an open plan space that opens onto large outdoor terraces, where the views can be enjoyed and where the clients enjoy enetertaining in the warmer months.
Stone floors were laid throughout the main areas of the apartment and cabinet work was designed and made out of toasted solid oak. The new panelled mirrors on the rear wall help to create the feeling of openness, but also bring the view of the city scape inside. At night the city lights that are reflected in the mirrors, this creates a spectacular backdrop in the Dining area.
The new furniture and soft furnishings were selected in a neutral pallet that is warm and inviting, and the furniture, is a classic, contemporary mix of styles.
To see the finished apartment now, you realise what an amazing transformation has taken place, its one of those projects you had wished you'd taken a before photo of the old interior. To show the extent of what has taken place, and the stylish interior that has now been created.
A Mix For Today's Living.
A Room in a inner city home, where a mix of the contemporary and the classic come together perfectly.
''Melbourne Dining Room''
This was a Dining Room in a home in Hawthorn Melbourne, that was completed 15 years ago. The property was a large historic home, set on a large block of land with extensive gardens. The house was sound structurally but was in need of extensive interior work. The room featured here, was completely striped bare to begin with, then the walls were papered with a Chinoiserie Wallpaper in a magnificent shade of yellow. New carpet was laid, ceilings and architectural features painted, then curtains were designed and made in a pure silk two toned stripped fabric. This became the elegant backdrop for the clients extensive English Georgian Antique and art collection. Several more pieces of furniture and art were selected to finish the room, the Allan Baker still life above the side board was one such piece. The Swedish Crystal Empire Chandelier was also sourced for the project, and has become the centre piece of the space.
The wonderful thing about this room, is that it looks as good today, as it did when it was first completed. This Dining Room is not an untouchable showpiece, but an elegant and timeless interior designed to enjoyed by all the family who lives in this home.
'Architectural Detailing'
What could have just been a ceiling on this project, became something special, simply by adding beautiful architectural detailing to the ceiling space. The end result is something that elevates the room to another level.
'Elegant Bathroom'
This Bathroom was designed to be not only functional but elegant in design as well. This was achieved by the choice of finishes and fittings which has created the perfect end result seen here.
'Master Bedroom'
Against a colour pallet of warm neutrals, this bedroom was created to be light and fresh in form and finish. The built in credenza creates extra storage space, as well as being a stylish feature in the room. The large glass doors give access to a covered outdoor area with city views. A pop of colour has added through the use of cushions on the contemporary sleigh bed.
''Open Plan, Open Space".
The evolution of how we live in our homes and the interior layouts in the last 100 years is interesting. You can see the ever changing 'spaces', within our homes, from clusters of rooms that served a specific function, to less, so called defined 'living/dining rooms', and an open plan approach that we now see today.
The project here, is a good example of not only 'open plan' living, but interior spaces that open out completely to exterior covered spaces, allowing a continuum of flow throughout the areas of the home, where people gather for social interaction and quiet down time.
Where once our grandparents would have been horrified at the thought of a rear wall of a home, disappearing completely, this is now seen as a prized architectural feature of domestic design. When we worked on this design feature, it was to create maximum opening space to the outside areas, which has created not only the sense of greater space, both inside and out, but allows the dramatic effect of joining the two spaces harmoniously. Separate areas are created for dining, sitting and enjoying the extensive city views, both inside and outside the home.
The kitchen is the heart of the space, not just for meal preparation, but a point in the home, where people can gather in conversation and socialise, its become a focal point in the space, the joining factor of the exterior and interior spaces.
The living areas of this home, are open, filled with natural light, natural airflow and most of all, are a reflection of 'how we want to live', in the inner city urban hubs of our cities in the 21st century. These were the considerations we took into account when we stated work on this project, and the end result, combined with elegant furniture, soft furnishings and lighting, has created the ideal home for today.
