In contrast to the large homes that surround it, THAT house is modest in size but also perfectly formed. “We were asked to provide the family with just the right amount of space,” says architect Andrew Maynard of Austin Maynard Architects, of the home that truly brings the outside in and is the embodiment of smart design.
Not only does ample glazing provide myriad views of the outdoors there are also lovely internal green spaces too. “A tree penetrates the roof whilst a garden bridges the kitchen and dining,” says Andrew who is, interestingly, not a fan of open-plan living and the house is an expression of that.
“We aimed to have secluded spaces within shared spaces. The ground floor of this house is ostensibly open, however the arrangement of spaces allows the owners to be together, or secluded, or any level of engagement in between,” says Andrew of the three-bedroom home that boasts a kitchen, lounge, dining, living and study (or fourth bedroom) too.
The concept of being ‘alone together’ underpins the clever design of this home – the arrangement of spaces and clever use of doors allows for adaptable use of the space.
Given the house is so open, privacy was a key issue and upward blinds were part of the solution. “How many times have you seen huge windows with their blinds permanently down? A downward blind provides no privacy until it is completely down while an upward blind enables you to eliminate almost all view into a home while still being able to look out to the garden, and the street beyond,” says Andrew. This not only allows you to control privacy but you can potentially let more light in too.
We love the extensive use of spotted gum timber-lined cabinetry which also contributes to the feeling of bringing the outside in. “It hides services and a variety of storage,” says Andrew.
Proof that bigger is not always better, THAT house is a masterpiece of clever design that is almost half the footprint size of surrounding homes.
“With good design and planning, modest size homes are not compromising. If fact, they can be far superior to their bulky, poorly-considered neighbours,” says Andrew.
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