Californian-style bungalow turns creative retreat in Melbourne suburb
An introverted retreat in Elwood, Australia, inspired by a Californian-style bungalow, has been lovingly restored by architecture studio Splinter Society to capture and preserve its original charm.
It’s owner, a creative person and a collector of objects from around the world, wanted a rustic hideaway from which to work from home, and occasionally open up for gatherings of friends.
The snug, unpretentious feeling of the existing cottage has been embraced by the architects. The house’s plan, with its side entrance with central corridor and small rooms opening up off it, has been maintained and recrafted with dark timber with Japanese vernacular design in mind.
A minimal aesthetic inside the rooms – concrete floors and whitewashed walls – is offset by custom designed storage that opens up nooks and niches for books to create personal narrative and plenty of texture. The rooms are independent, yet flexible in function and able to open up to expand into the outdoor space.
The ultimate escape from the world, the house is buried in a garden bursting with green plants. Any modest additions to the bungalow focus on creating more intimacy between the house and the outdoor space – a modest sized swimming pool in the backyard. Splinter Society, led by directors Asha Nicholas and Chris Stanley, likes to add some unexpected experiences into every design.
INFORMATION
Wallpaper* Newsletter
Receive our daily digest of inspiration, escapism and design stories from around the world direct to your inbox.
Harriet Thorpe is a writer, journalist and editor covering architecture, design and culture, with particular interest in sustainability, 20th-century architecture and community. After studying History of Art at the School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) and Journalism at City University in London, she developed her interest in architecture working at Wallpaper* magazine and today contributes to Wallpaper*, The World of Interiors and Icon magazine, amongst other titles. She is author of The Sustainable City (2022, Hoxton Mini Press), a book about sustainable architecture in London, and the Modern Cambridge Map (2023, Blue Crow Media), a map of 20th-century architecture in Cambridge, the city where she grew up.
-
The best design-led cocktail shakers
If you like your drinks shaken not stirred, these are the best cocktail shakers to take your mixology skills to the next level
By Rosie Conroy Published
-
Tech Editor, Jonathan Bell, selects six new and notable Bluetooth speaker designs, big, small and illuminating
These six wireless speakers signal new creative partnerships and innovative tech approaches in a variety of scales and styles
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
As London’s V&A spotlights Mughal-era design, Santi Jewels tells of its enduring relevance
‘The Great Mughals: Art, Architecture and Opulence’ is about to open at London’s V&A. Here, Mughal jewellery expert and Santi Jewels founder Krishna Choudhary tells us of the influence the dynasty holds today
By Hannah Silver Published
-
A Melbourne family home draws on classic modernism to create a pavilion in the landscape
This Melbourne family home by Vibe Design Group was inspired by midcentury design and shaped to be an extension of its verdant site
By Jonathan Bell Published
-
Tour Clifton House, an airy Bondi family home, brimming with natural light and foliage
Clifton House by Anthony Gill Architects is a North Bondi home using an abundance of vegetation to create a slice of privacy within the suburbs
By Tianna Williams Published
-
Tour this compact Melbourne home, where a small footprint is big on efficiency and experimentation
Northcote House is designed by architects David Leggett and Paul Loh as their own home in Melbourne
By Stephen Crafti Published
-
Bridging Boyd is the rebirth of a modernist Melbourne home
Bridging Boyd by Jolson is a modernist Melbourne home reimagined for the 21st century
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
This Sydney house is a family's stylish seaside sanctuary
This Sydney house is a young family's suburban dream come true thanks to Alexandra Kidd Interior Design and Rich Carr Architects
By Léa Teuscher Published
-
Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024: meet the practices
In the Wallpaper* Architects Directory 2024, our latest guide to exciting, emerging practices from around the world, 20 young studios show off their projects and passion
By Ellie Stathaki Published
-
Peek inside this secluded rural Australian retreat by Alexander Symes, in sync with nature
Based in Sydney, Alexander Symes Architect joins the Wallpaper* Architects’ Directory 2024, our annual round-up of exciting emerging architecture studios
By Tianna Williams Published
-
At the heart of Sydney Metro’s expanded Central Station lies a spectacular new public space
The new extension to the Sydney Metro, designed by Woods Bagot in collaboration with John McAslan + Partners, can now be accessed beneath its monumental roof structure above the city’s historic Central Station
By Jonathan Bell Published