Balmain Houses by Benn + Penna, Australia

Many of these cottages cascade down the hills of this once-working-class, harbour-side peninsula.
Over the years the two houses had become 'divorced' from each other with different materials used. So timber was chosen as the consistent material palette, which sits comfortably alongside the historic fabric of heritage Balmain.
Benn + Penna's idea was to create two houses that were part of a whole, yet separate family homes for Andrew and his wife, and Andrew's mother and her partner.
The dilapidated dwellings burdened with crude additions, once dark and introverted, now swell with light and life.
Though the design is lively, striking and geometric, it is also adaptable, offering shade from the sun, direct harbour views, and privacy from neighbours.
Inside, the use of timber and geometrics continue to play to the different characters and needs of the families.
One house has a contemporary aesthetic, with references to Scandinavian design using birch plywood joinery and lime-washed timber floors.
...the other uses a warmer palette of finishes with a focus on natural materials such as slate and recycled Australian timbers.
The aim was to create light, open-plan houses that were more 'semi-attached' than 'semi-detached', reassembled for family living.
Built-in storage and furniture increase the sense of space in both houses
Though constantly connected, the houses offer occasional moments alone.
The cottages take advantage of all the available light.
Each detail has been carefully considered, down to the hidden plumbing below a kitchen island.
The pair of dwellings create an intimate universe for the two families to grow together
There is flow and interconnectedness between the two houses: for example, the stone wall that divides them has in-built peep holes; and you can slink through a gap at the end.
This is self-described 'textured modernism'- homes that are clearly contemporary but with a layering and grain that speak to the historic area of Balmain.
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Ellie Stathaki is the Architecture & Environment Director at Wallpaper*. She trained as an architect at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki in Greece and studied architectural history at the Bartlett in London. Now an established journalist, she has been a member of the Wallpaper* team since 2006, visiting buildings across the globe and interviewing leading architects such as Tadao Ando and Rem Koolhaas. Ellie has also taken part in judging panels, moderated events, curated shows and contributed in books, such as The Contemporary House (Thames & Hudson, 2018), Glenn Sestig Architecture Diary (2020) and House London (2022).
-
All-In is the Paris-based label making full-force fashion for main character dressing
Part of our monthly Uprising series, Wallpaper* meets Benjamin Barron and Bror August Vestbø of All-In, the LVMH Prize-nominated label which bases its collections on a riotous cast of characters – real and imagined
By Orla Brennan
-
Maserati joins forces with Giorgetti for a turbo-charged relationship
Announcing their marriage during Milan Design Week, the brands unveiled a collection, a car and a long term commitment
By Hugo Macdonald
-
Through an innovative new training program, Poltrona Frau aims to safeguard Italian craft
The heritage furniture manufacturer is training a new generation of leather artisans
By Cristina Kiran Piotti
-
Australian bathhouse ‘About Time’ bridges softness and brutalism
‘About Time’, an Australian bathhouse designed by Goss Studio, balances brutalist architecture and the softness of natural patina in a Japanese-inspired wellness hub
By Ellie Stathaki
-
The humble glass block shines brightly again in this Melbourne apartment building
Thanks to its striking glass block panels, Splinter Society’s Newburgh Light House in Melbourne turns into a beacon of light at night
By Léa Teuscher
-
A contemporary retreat hiding in plain sight in Sydney
This contemporary retreat is set behind an unassuming neo-Georgian façade in the heart of Sydney’s Woollahra Village; a serene home designed by Australian practice Tobias Partners
By Léa Teuscher
-
Join our world tour of contemporary homes across five continents
We take a world tour of contemporary homes, exploring case studies of how we live; we make five stops across five continents
By Ellie Stathaki
-
Who wouldn't want to live in this 'treehouse' in Byron Bay?
A 1980s ‘treehouse’, on the edge of a national park in Byron Bay, is powered by the sun, architectural provenance and a sense of community
By Carli Philips
-
A modernist Melbourne house gets a contemporary makeover
Silhouette House, a modernist Melbourne house, gets a contemporary makeover by architects Powell & Glenn
By Ellie Stathaki
-
A suburban house is expanded into two striking interconnected dwellings
Justin Mallia’s suburban house, a residential puzzle box in Melbourne’s Clifton Hill, interlocks old and new to enhance light, space and efficiency
By Jonathan Bell
-
Palm Beach Tree House overhauls a cottage in Sydney’s Northern Beaches into a treetop retreat
Set above the surf, Palm Beach Tree House by Richard Coles Architecture sits in a desirable Northern Beaches suburb, creating a refined home in verdant surroundings
By Jonathan Bell