Image Credit : VPT1 Photography
Project Overview
This intriguing and unique architectural gem was built in the early 1970s in East Killara in Sydney's northern suburbs. So intriguing is that this residence had no right angled walls in the entire construction of the house, consisting of only splayed and curved walls. The structures of the roof each even had its own contrasting designs from raked to exposed rafters. What was to be uncovered despite the clients never being able to see the potential was something completely remarkable - mountain views, natural lighting, space and air flow, allowing the overall look to be uplifting and calm. With the trend towards open-plan living, we were challenged to define these spaces in different and more creative ways.
Project Commissioner
Project Creator
Team
Interior Designer- Sarah Remaili - SR House of Design
Building Designer- Sarah Remaili - SR House of Design
Builder- Corvus Projects
Clients- Steven & Julie Le
Photographer- VPT1 Photography
Project Brief
The client was rigorous in articulating the need to maintain the authentic and unique characteristics of the house along with remaining considerate of the era it was built in, despite the challenges of no right angled walls. The client conveyed they wanted a luxurious and contemporary style that had to be a place to relax and get away from a fast-paced life particularly as there were mountain views. Given the house was built in the early 1970's, a renewal of retro needed to be reflected throughout the home. We were fortunate they allowed for a large glass panel to be installed in the main living area and give the master bedroom a more mature feel and experiment with ash base colours and pops of teal.
Project Innovation/Need
With the trend for modern comfort in a space such as this one which was uneven and displaced, the concept was to allow such complicated elements to look as though they were always meant to be this way. Playing with the challenging but unique design of the home, the geometric patterns, particularly the bathroom tiling and exposed brown bricks was largely focused on and allowed for a contemporary retro renewal. The use of soft textures such as throw rugs helped with adding elements of calmness and comfort to the harsh exposed brick. With tones of existing brown and red bricks, the subtle use of rose gold and light bronze and other earthy tones complimented these original colours and features of the house.
Design Challenge
Given the entire home had no right angled walls and had never received a renovation since it was first built, staying true to the era and making features from the oddly shaped structures to create that contemporary comfort ambience with a retro twist in design was quite the test. In addition, accurate measurements could rarely be achieved due to curved and splayed walls and substantial decisions such as replacing the wooden cladding with large glass panels to capture natural light and remarkable views were also trying. The choice of furniture such as round ottomans and modular seating, circular pendants all played up to the unique geometric shapes of the house.
Sustainability
It is acutely crucial that the selection of design elements and furniture were viewed as pieces "for life" and would not date. In addition, maintaining the retro style of the original brick walls allowed for them to store heat, making the house much more energy efficient and reflected well in remaining considerate to the era. In an effort to keep the memory of the original house alive, we recycled as much as possible.
Interior Design - Residential
This award celebrates innovative and creative building interiors with consideration given to space creation and planning, furnishings, finishes and aesthetic presentation. Consideration also given to space allocation, traffic flow, building services, lighting, fixtures, flooring, colours, furnishings and surface finishes.
More Details