Tag: modernism

Categories
Architecture Design Designers House Tours Interviews

Passive House: Desert Modernism inspires Perth home

Living room
Living room

Inspired by Desert Modernism, an architectural style that originated in Palm Springs in the 1950s, this Perth home pairs retro inspiration with modern sustainable design principles to create a gorgeous abode that also happens to be a certified Passive House.

Passive House
The house is located in the Perth beachside suburb of Scarborough

Originating in Germany, the Passivehaus international standard relates to the relationship between how comfortable a home is (specifically in terms of temperature and air quality), and the amount of energy needed to provide that comfort. 

Living room
Living room

“Though Perth has a fairly temperate climate, we still get really cold nights and really hot days and most people just run air conditioners or gas heaters to get them through,” says Perth architect Ben Caine, of Leanhaus who explains that this approach is not only terrible for the environment, but it’s not great for our wellbeing either.

“There are health issues when you block up your house and crank up the heater – it’s thought that this approach is contributing to rising rates of asthma and respiratory issues.” Ben was drawn to passive house principles for their positive environmental and health impacts.

Bedroom
Master bedroom
Ensuite
Ensuite

Central to the home’s passive design is insulation, airtight construction, high-performance windows and a simple 80-watt ventilation unit that costs approximately $140 per year to run. Wow.

“Designed to act like a thermos, fresh filtered air is provided continuously to provide an optimum level of comfort without the need for additional heating or cooling and results in energy savings of around 90 per cent compared with standard homes,” says Ben.

Lounge room
Lounge room

Incredibly, this home doesn’t require any additional cooling or heating which is remarkable when you consider that Perth temperatures range from 2 to 40 degrees celsius, depending on the season.

Dining
Dining and staircase
Powder room
Powder room

“The temperatures are consistently perfect and fresh, filtered air fills the house. Our electricity bills are now trivial. My house is proof that the science behind a passive house is spot on. I don’t know why anyone would be happy to live in anything less,” says owner Jason Edmiston.

Minimalist desert-inspired landscaping, including cactus and succulents, complement the simple Modernist form of the home
Pool: Minimalist desert-inspired landscaping, including cactus and succulents, complement the simple Modernist form of the home

Photography: Jody D’Arcy | Styling: Featherhorse

For more

Passive house design: a stunning Sydney example

With the environment and energy use top of mind for many Australians, we’ve seen many sustainable design and building practices emerge; the latest of which is the ‘passive house.’ Originating…
Categories
Architecture Design House Tours

Real home: Victorian country view maximised by glass

Exterior
Exterior

You could call it the Grand Designs effect but the modernist inspired countryside abode (with ample glazing) is right up there on my ‘dream home’ list. And it seems it was for Victoria’s Steve and Donna Bright too when they built Ashford House. “We wanted to incorporate floor-to-ceiling windows that could run seamlessly along the length of the house,” says Steve. He owns construction company Excelcon who built the home alongside Graham Jones Design.

Kitchen and dining
Kitchen and dining

Located on acreage in Upper Beaconsfield in Victoria, the home is a modern take on a farm-style Colorbond shed. But with four bedrooms, three bathrooms, a gym, butler’s pantry plus expansive kitchen, dining, living and alfresco it’s far from traditional.

Exterior
The exterior takes design cues from a traditional shed

With metres and metres of glazing, all designed to take in the view, there’s no denying that glass is one of the central features of the home. “We wanted the windows to provide vast open living spaces, while maintaining minimal visual impact from structural elements,” says Steve who used Stegbar windows and stacking doors throughout.

Bathroom

Bathroom
Bathroom

“In winter, we can keep the doors closed and still feel connected to the outside due to the large panes of glass and unobstructed views. During the warmer months, we can completely open them up and create a cohesive transition from inside out,” says Steve, who uses the alfresco area all year round.

Alfresco
Alfresco

Interestingly, the windows also perform another function – they provide lateral and cross-sectional strength to the home’s structure and actually look as if they are holding the entire home up from the inside.

Ashford House interior
The windows appear to hold the house up from the inside

“The design of Ashford House was always going to provide a challenge to window manufacturers. The Stegbar range has enabled us to achieve a final overall look that is true to our design brief, and creates an extraordinary home,” says Steve.

The gorgeous view rom the bedroom
The gorgeous view from the bedroom

For more on Stegbar | Another minimalist home in country Victoria

Categories
Designers

Meet the mother of Australian Modernism, Marion Hall Best

I came across the innovative Australian interior designer Marion Hall Best recently when perusing the line-up for A Modernist Season, the design program kicking off in Sydney this July. With a highly  successful career that spanned the 1940’s to the 1970’s, Marion had a very original aesthetic that was defined by the use of vibrant colour, and I was struck by just how pioneering her work was.

Marion designed this room for Peter Sculthorpe in 1971

“Best had a love of colour and an uncanny ability to use it to transform a room. Sydney Living Museums holds the largest collection of textiles, furnishings, ephemera and imagery relating to Best’s work, which will be on display in this exhibition showcasing her career,” says the exhibition curator Michael Lech.

A woman before her time: Marion with her Modernist furniture imports, many of which have become design classics

While Marion designed mostly private commissions, her work featured in exhibitions, magazines and newspapers at the time as well as at her two retail stores – one was in Woollahra and the other in Sydney’s CBD. While Marion’s work was described as electrifying, vital and avant-garde for the time, those superlatives could easily be applied today, such was her trailblazing work.  “Gentle, soft colours are not restful, but dreary, sapping the energy and the mind. By contrast, bright, clear colours challenge the mind,” said Marion.

Marion designed this room for Mary Quant in 1967

A design visionary, Marion was inspired by the Modernist movement and colour theory of artists of the interwar years, and she is credited with introducing international Modernism to the Australian market. She was the first to import textiles by Marimekko, Jim Thompson Thai silks and Indian cottons, French wallpapers from Nobilis and Follot, furniture by Knoll, Herman Miller and Cassina plus lighting from Flos and Iittala.

Marion’s Woollahra studio

“Best’s ability to transform space through colour has rarely been matched. Her work, once seen, was seldom forgotten,” says Michael.

Marion wearing Marimekko fabric in 1968

Marion Hall Best: Interiors opens on Saturday 5 August 2017 at the Museum of Sydney.

For more.

Categories
Smart Home

Discover the best of Australian Modernism in Sydney next month

In some ways, the modernist architectural period has never been more popular. Its design signatures (clean lines, open-plan layouts and fluidity between outdoor and indoor spaces) are certainly ever-present in contemporary Australian design, but a lot of us may be unaware as to how the movement began in this country.

Magett House in Bellevue Hill (1967)

First appearing in Europe in the 1920’s and 1930’s, Modernism made its way to Australia in the form of migrant designers who arrived after World War II and, this July you’ll be able to trace back the history of the movement in Sydney, through a fabulous program, A Modernist Season. The program features exhibitions and talks at the Museum of Sydney and the iconic Rose Seidler House and a selection of private homes will be opened to the public too.

Marion Hall Best’s room for Mary Quant, 1967

“This winter, Sydney Living Museums presents a new dynamic and creative program, A Modernist Season, offering a broad exploration and experience of mid-20th century architecture and design as an important part of Sydney’s heritage,” says the program’s executive director Mark Goggin. The event celebrates the creators, designers, architects and craftspeople who helped shape the movement in Sydney.

Seaforth House, 1955

The program kicks off on 22 July with an exhibition at the Museum of Sydney titled ‘The Moderns: European Designers in Sydney’ which will celebrate the influence of immigrant designers on Australian architecture and design. “Some of the individuals featured in A Modernist Season are still well known today while others, many of the émigré designers and architects, are now virtually forgotten. We want people to immerse themselves in this hugely important period of creativity in Sydney and explore the creatives who championed this fresh, new look of design and architecture,” says Dr Caroline Butler- Bowdon, director of strategy and engagement at Sydney Living Museums.

Stroud House interior, 1959

The Australian Modernism enthusiast, and entertainment personality, Tim Ross will speak at the Museum of Sydney in July about his experiences travelling across the world to seek out the best of the movement. From festivals to museums to Rose Seidler House and Modernism Week in Palm Springs, Tim has plenty of knowledge to impart on the topic.

Pfeiffer House interior, 1955

Tim will return on 27 August as part of a mini festival day of talks and tours at Rose Seidler House, where he will lead a talk that will explore the current renewed interest in Modernism. The program also features a curated tour of the iconic Rose Seidler House and visitors will also be able to step inside the iconic Killara home of Harry and Penelope Seidler.

A Modernist Season opens on 22 July 2017. For more.

Categories
Homewares

Prints to suit Modernist & Mid Century interiors

Boutique South Australian design studio Cul de Sac have released a new series of prints which reflect their love of Modernism and Mid Century principles of design and colour.

cul de sac 2

Their prints are a nod to the pop art movement as well as Danish and Italian design from the 50s and 60s. The latest series, Graphic, complements 2009’s Over-Size series.

Continue reading “Prints to suit Modernist & Mid Century interiors”