This wide and leafy street in Brighton, a bayside suburb of Melbourne, is inhabited by an increasing array of large McMansions. However, among the faux French châteaux is a fine contemporary home designed by architect Robert Simeoni.
Devoid of superfluous embellishments, this house offers a sense of restraint in comparison to some of the more frivolous neighbouring homes. ‘Our clients didn’t want their house to scream for attention. We were also mindful of trying to build around the established oak tree in the front garden,’ says Simeoni, who received this commission by means of a limited competition held by the clients.
Constructed in steel, glass and concrete, and partially clad in specially refined titanium zinc, the two-storey house frames the oak tree. However, past the courtyard and large pivotal front door, the house reveals an impressive double height lobby, with views through to the rear garden. ‘It is a large house, but we’ve “fragmented” the building to create a sense of intimacy,’ says Simeoni.
Spread over three levels, the Brighton house features a car park, a media room and a wine cellar in the basement. On the ground floor are the living areas, with a partially covered central courtyard bridging the two wings. As the owners have four young boys, they were keen to delineate spaces, while still having a sense of transparency. ‘The courtyard, complete with an open fireplace, is the design’s linchpin. It not only allows for outdoor dining throughout the year, it also freed up space in the garden for the children to play,’ says Simeoni. The courtyard also delineates the casual living areas in the house from the formal dining and sitting areas.
The building is constructed in steel, glass and concrete, and is partially clad in specially refined titanium zinc
Spread over three levels, the house features a car park, a media room and a wine cellar in the basement
On the ground floor are the living areas, with a half-covered central courtyard bridging the two wings
‘The courtyard is the design's linchpin,' says Simeoni. 'It not only allows for outdoor dining throughout the year, it also frees up space in the garden for the children to play'
Simeoni included sheer curtains on almost every window to both diffuse the light and provide privacy
The courtyard also delineates the casual living areas in the house from the formal dining and sitting areas
Devoid of superfluous embellishments, this house offers a sense of restraint in comparison to some of the more frivolous neighbouring homes
The living room and kitchen area. ‘We have used a considerable amount of marble, but we’ve balanced this with softer materials, such as the American oak joinery,’ says Simeoni
Unlike the site's previous 1920s home, which was placed awkwardly on the block, this house takes advantage of natural light, as well as valuable pockets of shade for the warmer months
-
The world's most enticing new hotel openingsExplore the best new hotels in the world, from Saltmoore, a chic country retreat in north England, to Palm House, a retro-inspired Florida hotel
-
The new Frederic Church Center at Olana complements its leafy Upstate New York siteTour the Frederic Church Center for Architecture and Landscape, now open at Olana, a historic site in Upstate New York, courtesy of architecture studio ARO
-
Out of office: what the Wallpaper editors have been doing this weekA week of jetsetting has seen the editors in Tokyo, Milan, Vienna, Miami, New York and drinking Guinness with Jonathan Anderson in London
-
A Melbourne family home draws on classic modernism to create a pavilion in the landscapeThis Melbourne family home by Vibe Design Group was inspired by midcentury design and shaped to be an extension of its verdant site
-
Tour this compact Melbourne home, where a small footprint is big on efficiency and experimentationNorthcote House is designed by architects David Leggett and Paul Loh as their own home in Melbourne
-
Bridging Boyd is the rebirth of a modernist Melbourne homeBridging Boyd by Jolson is a modernist Melbourne home reimagined for the 21st century
-
South Yarra House makes a sculptural statement in MelbourneSouth Yarra House by Pandolfini Architects explores the interplay of compression and expansion through a series of surprising sculptural objects in Australia
-
Eclat rethinks 21st-century workspace with a hospitality offering in MelbourneWith new Melbourne co-working space Eclat, Australian designers Forme defy the conventional shared office model through sensitive craftsmanship and hidden high-tech
-
This Melbourne aquatic recreation centre’s crafted timber ceiling hints at its sustainability ambitionsThe Northcote Aquatic Recreation Centre by Warren and Mahoney opens in Melbourne, blending sleek aesthetics with environmental responsibility
-
Tour midcentury gem Fisher House’s 21st century facelift in MelbourneThe midcentury Fisher House by Australian designer Alistair Knox in Melbourne gets a contemporary facelift by Adriana Hanna
-
A zero-waste workspace in Melbourne innovates in sustainable office designA zero-waste workspace in Melbourne for Today Design by Studio Edwards is composed entirely out of readily available materials
