Despite the covid lockdowns, our clients and the builder powered through the turbulent time of supply shortages, price increases and site shut downs – requiring a degree of resilience and adaptability unlike any other year. Whilst working from home as teachers and having a child remote learning, our clients bravely took on the HomeBuilder Grant and managed the construction process with the builder. Kudos to Marilena Buttignol and Tyson Lackovic, our clients and Simon Moustakas (Urban Prestige) for completing the project on time and keeping true to the design integrity of the project.
A key motif in this project is the use of brise-soleil; this motif is visible from every viewpoint from within the house to the North facing deck and garden.
This motif is repeated in the kitchen, forming a dividing screen between the kitchen bench and the living area, doubling up as a vertical spice rack. The screen also disguises a structural column which supports a hidden grid of structural beams in the roof space – another key design element in this project, not visible and yet transforms the space in a most significant manner.
The living area on the other side of kitchen & dining is filled with light and is protected from glare through the use of the timber brise-soleil. A brise-soleil is a sun shading screen that uses horizontal and vertical members to control solar and heat gain.
The natural timber screens are custom designed by WMA. The builder Simon personally took great care in its making. The natural warm tones of the Tasmanian Oak forms a feature in the monochromatic exterior.The original weatherboard house had a good North facing orientation which was blocked in by later extensions. The hidden structural grid designed by the structural engineer, Chris Garagounis from Jonicha Consulting, allows for the space to be completely opened up, internal walls demolished and a new roof put in, letting in natural light and ventilation. We have intentionally kept the original zigzag outline of the old footprint and deck, to provide continuity between the old and the new. A horizontal strip of timber traces the line of the old house, where a wall used to be.
The original front bedrooms were also all refurbished with minimal interventions except for again, the interventions that go unnoticed – insulation in the floors and walls where before there were none, better performing windows to make the home more comfortable and energy efficient.
Marilena and Tyson chose light fittings that were contemporary and yet paired well with the ornate ceiling ornamentation of the existing house which were retained and refurbished. The light fittings form a feature in each space presenting the rooms in new light.
The colours of the exterior were carried over into the interior- Marilena fell in love with green in the process and very deftly paired the monochromatic palette and warm timber tones with subtle botanic shades of green. The green in both the original and new parts of the home draw together the two halves.Tyson, a former chef took particular care with the fitting out of his new kitchen. The crisp simplicity with its absolute lack of clutter conceals clever placement of sauce and spice racks, storage for pots, pans, utensils, drinks and more. A butler’s pantry directly behind the kitchen is equipped with a second sink, prep bench and more storage.New bedroom joinery were put in, in keeping with the traditional style. In the extension, the aesthetic is minimal and simple – with straight edges, and flushed joints. With the builder, Marilena and Tyson completed the design and fit out of the bathroom by themselves. We are so pleased with the end result – a space well integrated within the home, filled with light and elegance.
WMA 