open house perth – The Interiors Addict

Real home: Inner-city ‘Dollhouse’ built on tiny block

Built atop just 173 square metres of land, this North Perth home, affectionately titled ‘The Dollhouse 2.0’ is proof that bigger isn’t always better. The home’s owners and architects Jakub and Laura Chruscinski decided to eschew the wide open spaces of more far-flung suburbs and stay living in the city when looking to expand their family.

“The design brief was to create a family home that functioned on a small footprint close to the city centre, that felt comfortable and spacious for everyday living with the flexibility to cater for larger gatherings. After living for close to 10 years in a small inner city villa, we valued the benefits and convenience of living close to the CBD. With this in mind, and wanting to start a family in the near future, we decided to build small and central, so that we could still have access to the lifestyle we enjoyed,” says Laura Chruscinski echoing a trend we reported on recently.

“We found a small subdivided 173m2 lot in North Perth, which enabled us to gain those few extra rooms we needed, without having to build a large house with spaces that we don’t need and further out from where we wanted to be. By building small, we’ve had to be clever about how we’ve used the spaces, so they have the ability to expand as needed,” says Laura.

The project’s most striking aspect, its dollhouse-like front elevation, was influenced by the work of Swiss architects Herzog and De Meuron. “The child-like impression of a ‘house-shaped’ form has always been somewhat of an obsession of mine since university, in particular projects such as Herzog and De Meuron’s house in Leymen. This particular form lent itself to the North Perth vernacular, with its pitched roofs and picket fences,” says Laura.

The home’s diminutive size was catalyst for some clever design solutions, particularly when it came to joinery. “Working with small spaces, we have put a lot of emphasis on the functionality of cabinetwork and built-in features. Our favourite part of the home is the bench seat which spans across one full side of the living room. It provides overflow seating for guests, as well as storage via the drawers underneath. The bench then continues externally in the same plane, but in concrete block, separated by a louvred window which provides a connection between the indoor and outdoor living,” says Laura.

The bench seat continues from inside to the alfresco

Capturing the northern light was also central to the design – Laura and Jakub were so intent on it that they sacrificed floor space in the end. “Our neighbours’ site has a four metre high wall on our northern boundary so we made the decision to pull the upper storey off the northern boundary a significant amount and create a large window on this elevation that opens up into a double void space over our dining and kitchen area,” says Laura. It’s a decision that means the home is flooded with natural light all year round, but it wasn’t without cost.

A light-filled void makes the small home feel more spacious

“That decision, while for a lot of people would equate to a loss of floor area internally, for us has equated to a central light well in the space that permeates through the rest of the home. Despite being a small home, this design feature ensures that we always have access to light and ventilation which gives the home its sense of spaciousness. To us, this is much more valuable than having additional rooms,” says Laura.

Perth readers can tour this home (and many fabulous others) when it opens as part of the upcoming Open House Perth programme on November 10-11, 2018.

For more | Savvy space ideas for smaller properties

Industrial style: A moody yet bright home in Perth

Appropriately titled ‘The Ash,’ this newly built Perth home uses materials such as concrete, timber and brick in a moody palette of black, charcoal and greige to create a dramatic and sophisticated family abode. The stylish space houses builder Sam Ruocco, of Limitless Building, his wife Sarah and their four year old daughter and is located in the Perth suburb of Morley.

Rather fittingly for a builder, when the home was in its early design stages, Sam and his family showed a keen interest in gritty, urban materials and details. “It was critical that raw materials such as brickwork, concrete, steel and timber were present in the design. We pulled these external materials throughout the design internally to create cohesion between the internal and external,” says the home’s designer Janik Dalecki of Dalecki Design.

“At the core of the brief was to create a light, bright home with a functional layout utilising a mixed material palette. The owners also placed high importance on the synergy and connection between the indoor and outdoor living zones that take advantage of the northern outlook,” says Janik.

The outdoors are certainly never far from view – even the pool can be viewed from the entrance due to the home’s design. “One of my top picks would have to be the entrance passage. The two and a half high voids with subtle patterned brickwork is pretty eye catching upon entering. This combined with the hit and miss block wall in front of the glass window at the end of the entry passage creates a very interesting and dramatic entry space,” says Janik.

The entrance features a black perforated metal staircase

“The overall height of the void really takes you by surprise and then the block work, with glimpses out to the backyard and pool, catches your interest and draws you,” says Janik who explains that the afternoon sun throws interesting patterns all over the entry floor too.

Particular attention was paid to the design of the home’s stylish outdoor space and though relatively small, it’s been meticulously planned. “I love how the internal space connects directly with the external space, but rather than the internal opening out to an alfresco space as a house traditionally would, it opens to a landscaped area with the alfresco beyond. The alfresco is still in sight and close, but with the landscaped lawn area between the two, the feeling when inside of being connected to the exterior is so much greater as you can literally step onto the lawn from the dining room,” says Janik.

The dining room connects directly with the outdoors

The u-shaped alfresco courtyard features a roof garden atop – a feature enjoyed from the first floor of the home. “The roof garden really adds to this space and considering we were left with minimal free ground floor land for landscaping I feel was critical. Not only does it provide some great vistas from the ground floor, but it really shines when on the upper floor,” says Janik.

“Additionally, the inclusion of the central courtyard and u-shape design has meant the entire interior is flooded with natural light including the central passage which is often one of the darker areas of a house,” says Janik.

“Overall with the design I feel the further you delve into the house the more it gives you. It does not reveal all of its cards upon entering the front door, but gives you cheeky little hints of what is around the corner constantly,” says Janik.

And at nightfall, the home reveals an entirely new mood again. “During the day the house is very light and bright despite having a very moody and textured palette. The house has a great energy and connection to the exterior making it a fabulous open space to live and entertain in. However, in the evening when the curtains are closed and the light much dimmer, the space completely changes to a much darker, moodier and cosier space really letting the darker and textured materials come to life,” says Janik.

Perth readers can tour this home (and many fabulous others) when it opens as part of the upcoming Open House Perth programme on November 10-11, 2018.

Photography: Dion Robeson

For more | BIG W’s industrial collection