Modern Addition Celebrates Texture, Color and Pattern
A new 2-story space in Melbourne, Australia, expresses the owners’ interest in art, design and the landscape
Take a Victorian home with a 100-year-old mulberry tree in the backyard, add a two-story addition for clients who have a strong interest in art and design, and you have a modern home with texture and history. The clients wanted “a warm and highly textured palette with rich color and pattern … that celebrates natural materials and the handmade,” says Sarah Bryant, director at Bryant Alsop Architects. “It was important the new build read as new and contrasted with the early Victorian house.”
In the existing Victorian building, the hallway runs past the children’s bedrooms into the addition. The walls are painted soft green to complement the wooden floorboards and trim, and the tilework in the kitchen and bathrooms.
“Being an early-Victorian construction, the spaces are modest and not heavily decorated,” Bryant says. “We used color to create a softness and mood that contrasted with the contemporary addition.”
“Being an early-Victorian construction, the spaces are modest and not heavily decorated,” Bryant says. “We used color to create a softness and mood that contrasted with the contemporary addition.”
“The kitchen needed to be a truly functional family kitchen that was not precious or fussy, but rather beautiful and earthy,” Bryant says.
The island provides an area for food preparation. Sandwiched into the island is a length of blackbutt wood that extends out one side to serve as a dining table for daily use.
The island provides an area for food preparation. Sandwiched into the island is a length of blackbutt wood that extends out one side to serve as a dining table for daily use.
The kitchen has solid wood shelving with charcoal gray cabinetry. The tiled backsplash, in colors that complement the painted hallway walls, introduces color, texture, pattern and dimension to the space. The island countertop is made from engineered stone, with natural blackbutt detailing to match the open shelving on the wall behind.
Island countertop: Irok, Dekton; island cabinetry paint: Natural White, Dulux; back countertop: Cemento, Silestone
Find backsplash tile on Houzz
Island countertop: Irok, Dekton; island cabinetry paint: Natural White, Dulux; back countertop: Cemento, Silestone
Find backsplash tile on Houzz
A large walk-in pantry behind the kitchen opens to the laundry and a small office nook, keeping utility and service areas out of view but easily accessible.
The living room is adjacent to the kitchen and dining area with all spaces opening to a central courtyard for natural light and ventilation. The courtyard reinstates the traditional veranda that was once part of the original house. “The courtyard has a black steel pergola, and in time it will support vines that add shade, greenery and softness to this central space,” Bryant says.
Sofa: Plaza, King; rug: Reves Arabes, Ajar
Sofa: Plaza, King; rug: Reves Arabes, Ajar
Bryant Alsop Architects used a natural-material palette that includes a structural rammed-earth wall with a bluestone and charcoal counter running its length. The herringbone porcelain floor provides geometric interest against the mass of the structural earth wall while complementing its light tones and textures.
Blackbutt wood cladding lines the interior wall of the living room, and both the wood and rammed-earth walls stretch to the adjoining north-facing deck at the rear. “This gives a sense of space and continuity,” Bryant says. “These materials will endure, and as a long-term family home, this was key. It was part of the owners’ desire for an enduring and sustainable home, both functionally and aesthetically.”
Floor tiles: ivory porcelain, Cerdomus; fireplace with gas insert: Universal, Jetmaster
Blackbutt wood cladding lines the interior wall of the living room, and both the wood and rammed-earth walls stretch to the adjoining north-facing deck at the rear. “This gives a sense of space and continuity,” Bryant says. “These materials will endure, and as a long-term family home, this was key. It was part of the owners’ desire for an enduring and sustainable home, both functionally and aesthetically.”
Floor tiles: ivory porcelain, Cerdomus; fireplace with gas insert: Universal, Jetmaster
Open shelving separates the living room from a small bar area while maintaining the sense of connection. The small bar gives purpose to an otherwise unused narrow space alongside the staircase. “It is a fun element that will be used … for entertaining, but also in day-to-day family life,” Bryant says.
Stairs leading to the open retreat sit on a wood platform. The treads and risers are pronounced, extending beyond the balustrade, and the wood-framed glass maintains the soft and tactile aesthetic.
The wood-framed glass balustrade extends along the edge of the floor upstairs, allowing views from the kitchen and dining areas to the treetops and sky above. This brings additional natural light downstairs, while enhancing the airiness of the space and maintaining the strong connection to the outdoors.
Pendant lights: Mark Douglass
Pendant lights: Mark Douglass
It was important to the owners that their bedroom feel like a sanctuary. Located in the back of the house, it has bifold glass doors that open to a private deck and yard.
Dark-colored carpet sets off the natural white walls, while wood accents include the handmade wardrobe doors, decking and wall siding.
Dark-colored carpet sets off the natural white walls, while wood accents include the handmade wardrobe doors, decking and wall siding.
The clients had a specific request for a feature they’d always wanted: a round window in the en suite bathroom. The master bathroom has a stained cedar-framed window that complements the wood tones throughout the house, and a round mirror of the same size echoes the window. Japanese glazed mosaic tiles pick up the soft green tones throughout the house and complement the porcelain herringbone floor tiles. The gunmetal gray hardware continues the earthy and organic selection of materials and fittings.
Wall tiles: Yohen Border, Yas Bahar for Artedomus; see more mosaic tile
Wall tiles: Yohen Border, Yas Bahar for Artedomus; see more mosaic tile
The site also contains a mulberry tree, which is more than 100 years old. “It was important to the owners that this was retained and the history of the tree preserved. It sits in the garden behind the living room and deck, where it is visible from the master bedroom and [second-floor] retreat,” Bryant says.
The north-facing deck that extends from the living room provides casual seating around a stone-covered fireplace and is partially covered by a generous eave. The rammed-earth and wood-lined interior walls extend along the sides of the deck to frame the space and extend the living area, and the bluestone hearth complements the bluestone cabinetry inside.
The deck and lawn are deliberately level to create a seamless transition from house to garden.
Wall siding: blackbutt wood, Eco Timber; stone wall: Coolum Random Ashlar, Eco Outdoor; fireplace: Universal, Jetmaster; armchairs: Roca, Ajar
The deck and lawn are deliberately level to create a seamless transition from house to garden.
Wall siding: blackbutt wood, Eco Timber; stone wall: Coolum Random Ashlar, Eco Outdoor; fireplace: Universal, Jetmaster; armchairs: Roca, Ajar
“The spaces feel incredibly calm, and there is a serenity in the house that is hard to explain but is very beautiful,” Bryant says. “We strive to make each project a reflection of our clients and to create a unique response to the site and context.”
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Who lives here: A couple and their two children
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Architect: Bryant Alsop Architects
The original home now contains the children’s bedrooms, study and sitting room, while the new addition accommodates the living room, kitchen and dining area. The master bedroom sits at the back of the house, and an open retreat is upstairs.
“This creates a clear separation between the parents’ and children’s areas,” Bryant says. There is also a distinct size difference between the smaller private bedrooms and larger open living spaces. The design also focused on creating two outdoor living spaces and forging a strong connection between indoors and out.