Tag: duplex

Inside Sydney Swans co-captain’s stylish new duplex abode

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date August 3, 2021
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Home to the co-caption of the Sydney Swans AFL team Luke Parker, and his partner Kate Lawrence, this new duplex build is situated in the city’s eastern suburbs. Developed by interior designer Kate and part-time property lover Luke, the couple reside in one duplex and lease the other one out.

Kate and Luke in their backyard — Luke and Kate in their backyard

“We wanted the property to have a modern aesthetic but still a nod to the coast through the colours and materials,” says Kate, who worked alongside the architectural firm Arkhaus on the design of the properties. For the interiors, Kate designed two quite different schemes – one is quite dark while the other is a lighter affair.

“The dark side is more reflective of mine and Luke’s personal style, but I knew the light side would be more universally appealing, making it perfect for an investment property.” She specified Venetian plaster, black timber kitchen cabinetry and concrete bench tops in her home, leaving the lighter tones for nextdoor.

The kitchen in Kate's home — Kate and Luke’s kitchen

Kate’s kitchen features Navurban New Aged Veneer in Ravenswood, benchtops in Caesarstone Cloudburst Concrete and ABI Interiors tapware in gunmetal grey. The kitchen nextdoor features limewashed oak cabinetry, Caesarstone Primordia bench tops and ABI Interiors brushed nickel tapware.

When it came to the bathroom in Kate’s house, she experimented with Venetian plaster. “Although it was nearly double the cost of using tiles, the maintenance and cleaning aspect of it made it justifiable for the long term. Well at least that is what I told myself at the time. And would I do it again? Absolutely!”

To counter the spend on the plaster, Kate put IKEA wardrobes in both homes which saved her over $10,000. “We had the carpenter frame around the wardrobes to achieve that built in look. I would definitely do this again,” says Kate.

Perfect for outdoor entertaining, each duplex has a pool in the backyard but it’s not obvious that they are part of the one structure. To maximise yard size and minimise costs, Kate enlisted pool company Blue Haven to insert one shell and build a dividing wall through the middle. “This saved us nearly $30,000 given we had one pool for two homes,” says Kate.

This wasn’t the only thoughtful design aspect – much consideration was given to the shared wall between the properties. “When designing a duplex, I think it’s smart to consider what joining walls you and your neighbour will share. Our staircase is our common wall which means no other rooms share a wall. It really helps you feel like you are in a freestanding home,” says Kate.

Before commencing this project, Kate and Luke had only ever renovated single properties – a knockdown and rebuild of two new homes was entirely new territory for the couple. “I’m proud of how smoothly our first project went and I attribute this to the amazing team we built around us. It went so well that we are doing it all over again which I guess says it all!”

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Duplex designs: This abode proves they can be stylish

When it comes to home design, the duplex has always been a bit of a poor cousin – practical but usually lacking on the design front. This stylish home, located…

Tags architecture, building, duplex, interior design, sydney

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Duplex with pool is low maintenance & eco-friendly

Post author By Jen Bishop
Post date May 18, 2020
1 Comment on Duplex with pool is low maintenance & eco-friendly

Duplexes sometimes suffer from a bit of snobbery compared to standalone homes but there’s no denying this particular example on Sydney’s lower north shore is one to covet!

Owner builder Ray Azizi of In and Out Building Group lives here with wife Josephine and their three daughters, and it’s proving the perfect low-maintenance family home.

“As our kids are getting older, they enjoy entertaining their friends and the design of our home is perfect for this,” says Josephine. “We had a good size block and thought it would be great to build a duplex on. We also loved the idea of building a home with less of the maintenance that sometimes comes with a more traditional one.”

It took two years to build the luxury duplexes (the second is being rented out). Location was everything, with their proximity to schools, shops and transport.

There’s no compromise on space however, with four bedrooms, three bathrooms with marble tiles, a laundry, home office, low maintenance garden and an oversized garage.

“We use the pool all year round as it’s heated,” says Josephine. “We wanted it to be a focal point of our home as it’s incorporated within the lounge and dining area. It really is the showpiece of this design.”

The generous kitchen has plenty of storage and a walk-in pantry, engineered stone bench tops and Bosch appliances.

The family previously lived in a seventies home which they renovated from back to front and this is the first they’ve built from scratch for themselves. They worked with architect David Baillie, who specialises in eco-friendly and sustainable design.

“The advantage of a duplex for us is the low maintenance, and I can honestly say we use every space in our home. Being an energy efficient build, we have enjoyed the benefits of an eco-friendly home, less cleaning, more cooking in our kitchen and entertaining family and friends,” Josephine says.

“As our lives are getting busier due to work and sporting commitments, we just enjoy more home time. This build was a wise family choice that is architecturally designed for its function and style, for practical family life.”

For more on In and Out Building Group | For more on David Baillie Architect

Another stylish duplex design

Photography: Jim Gleeson of PhotoPro

Tags duplex, duplex design, energy efficient home, low maintenance home, owner builder

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Duplex designs: This abode proves they can be stylish

Post author By Amy Collins-Walker
Post date February 21, 2020
1 Comment on Duplex designs: This abode proves they can be stylish

When it comes to home design, the duplex has always been a bit of a poor cousin – practical but usually lacking on the design front. This stylish home, located in Victoria’s Mornington, breaks the mould however.

“Not people to shy away from something different, the clients didn’t want to follow the pro forma unit developments in the street, but wanted that wow factor that is often lost in single storey, duplex style homes,” say the home’s designer Amy Hart of The Little Brick Studio.

The home’s owners, who recently welcomed a new baby, plan to keep one duplex for themselves and sell the other as an investment; a savvy financial decision that makes efficient use of a larger block without the requirement for any common property.

A study nook makes efficient use of space beside the kitchen

“With the right orientation and site, a duplex design can allow for generous practical and light filled spaces, without the cost of a larger single home,” says Amy, who believes we’re in the midst of a duplex resurgence.

Built by Foundation Builders, the home has a lovely facade with varying roof shapes complemented by a sophisticated colour palette. “We especially like the combination of textures on the façade – the rough split face and the smooth, dark Alucobond,” says Amy.

Duplex facade — Strong architectural shapes make this home look nothing like a typical duplex

“With a great team we created a comfortable home for our clients, as well as an alternative and interesting change from stock standard single storey duplex developments. We know there is no need to follow the formula and are proud that thinking outside of the square has brought this amazing project to life.”