This renovation looks amazing. The neutral palette, the wood and the bricks create a beautiful and modern place, definitely a great place to live.

The house has had a series of renovations over the past century; the original Edwardian home was converted into apartments in the 1930s and then a substantial family home in the 1980’s. The brief was to restore the Art Deco facade, retain the existing footprint and add a third level.

The house is located directly opposite the beach in Middle Park and is constantly filled with beautiful light. Morning sun strikes the garden aspect, and at the end of the day the sun sets across the bay.

The planning has been carefully considered to create a series of distinct rooms, rather than an open plan. Joinery is placed to create spaces, but still allow views to flow from room to room and then to the horizon.

Materials have been selected to provide understated tones within a neutral palette. The neutral colour palette supports the play of light at different times of day. The overall feeling is extremely soft and one feels visually and emotionally connected at all times to the expansive sea, sky and garden views. At the same time the house has a feeling of intimacy & warmth, perfect for family living.

The client’s original intention was to demolish the existing house and build a completely new structure. After living in the house for a year, the architects thought the existing building worked well with the views and light and had a distinct ‘personality’. In short, it would be a shame to demolish a house which had stood for 100 years.

Trades that existed 100 years ago, don’t exist anymore, or are considered too expensive. The architects therefore chose to restore the existing building and protect the craftsmanship of the Art Deco period.  So, the most substantial decision regarding sustainability was to work with the existing fabric of the house.

Once this decision was made, materials and servicing were all designed around principles of sustainability, including a smart managed hydronic heating system, double glazed windows, and positively shaded windows with curtains and screens.

The building uses only natural materials such as stone, and stained (not painted) timber, windows are either steel or timber, and not aluminium. Additional ESD attributes include solar hot water booted system, solar pool heating and rainwater harvesting for drip feed garden irrigation systems.

 Photographs  © Derek Swalwell

The main space of the Loft is left open and a stage has been designed to accommodate various performances. The library works as a background /theatrical prop to the stage and the kitchen becomes part of the bookshelves system. The bookshelves prop can be open and become a single seating area for the reader or close of and become a screening façade.

For more than four years, WORKac has collaborated with the family to create a new space for urban living that embraces diversity of materials and spaces, kinetic interventions to transform spaces and a highly developed sense of whimsy and the unexpected.

The classic New York minimalist loft was considered too constraining and inflexible. The concept therefore was to divide the space into a series of programmatic “stripes” to accommodate different functions, moods and materials and break down the length of the apartment into a promenade of experiences, from most public at the front to most private in the back. This is combined with a shifting of the rear floors to allow for three full-height levels.

The stripes consist of: the Living Room at the front of the apartment, with white resin floors and a loft-lke minimalist feel; the bamboo Shaker Box which has built-in storage and Japanese-style tables set in the floor – it can double as a stage or dance floor; the Kitchen/Dining room with plum-colored concrete floors and walls and a more formal arrangement of a table for 12 to 16 and an enormous kitchen; the Media Room where curved felt-covered walls, floor and ceiling provide a comfy nook for hanging out – a kids-only sleeping loft above provides space for sleep-overs.

The Void is an indoor light shaft with a mesquite-tiled floor that accommodates the circulation as well as a “Stitchevator” (named after the family dog) carrying tired dogs, snacks or toys between levels and a translucent bridge connecting the Master to a megacloset behind; the Bedrooms zone contains two kids rooms at the top, Master at the basement level and Nanny and Guestroom at the bottom; the Skylight strip employs a number devices (glass, voids, an outdoor courtyard) to distribute light among all of the levels; the rear Garden is a small stripe of green – and chicken coop.

All of the ground-floor stripes are connected by a series of unique tables. The Dining Room table can be extended with a leaf, the Shaker Box tables can be raised or lowered, the Living Room table doubles as a chandelier and can be lowered from the ceiling. All of the tables can be joined together for huge dinners, or twice a year to form a catwalk that can connect to the stairway in the void for the fashion designerâ€s new collections.

Paloma, thank you so much for inviting me to be part of this fun series. As a result, I have officially concluded that I need 3 homes. One in the city, one in the county, and the other by the sea. But for now, I have tried to merge my love for all three, into one Big Dream. So here is a little tour of my place.

Anne Decker

It starts with a beautiful central entrance. I am a huge fan of Georgian Colonials and French Country houses, so this home is a blend. Windows to the left, windows to the right, and a detached carport.

Nathan Egan

A large welcoming foyer that showcases some of the homes architecture.

Barbara Barry

To the right, the formal room, for relaxing or entertaining, completes with a piano and of course a fireplace, somewhere in there.

Baden Baden

To the left, the library and office, although mine would be a little a little lighter with a few more touches of modern.

Bates Corkern

Towards the back of the house, a large modern and very functional kitchen for all the amazing recipes I whip up for my family. And it must have a walkout to the back terrace.

House and Home Magazine

The Dramatic Dining Room is just behind the kitchen. A place to showcase some antiques, and an old world iron table. After dinner, guests can escape to the outdoors.

Brian Gluckstein

Across from the kitchen, and neatly tucked away, is the family room. This room will take the most abuse, so we need comfortable easy clean seating, and plenty of room to stretch out.

Barbara Westbrook

Just up the steps is a beautiful and restful guestroom.

Nancy Price

And finally my little piece of heaven, a traditional, peaceful and very romantic master bedroom.

Sarah Richardson

A large master ensuite, with double sinks, freestanding tub, and massage therapy shower.

Barbara Barry

My private retreat is a large dressing room with a vanity table right under a window, and room to house a beautiful collection of clothes and shoes.

Apartment Therapy

And speaking of beautiful clothes, I love laundry rooms. Itâ€s the most therapeutic of the housekeeping chores. My laundry room would be more of a studio, for potting and crafts as well.

Ina Gartenâ€s home, House Beautiful

Outdoor rooms are just as important as the indoor ones.

Spitzmiller and Norris

And here she is at dusk.

I hope you enjoyed the tour of my dream home. I am missing rooms for my two little munchkins, think bright red fire trucks for one little boy, and a beautifully draped canopy bed for a pretty little girl.

via La Dolce Vita