IMAGES: SUPPLIED
T
he original house was built by
an architect in the 1930’s as
his family residence. It had the
beautiful proportions and timeless
decorative details so typical of the
era. During the seventies, the then
owners made extensive renovations
to the house, turning it into a faux
Spanish villa. When the new owners
purchased the property it was in an
advanced state of disrepair.
The brief for the property was to
maximise the existing structure and
to create an elegant, timeless space,
retaining some of the classical
architectural features and adding
slick modern interiors.
Investigations into the history of
the house and structure, informed
the design philosophy, to return
the house to its original form,
updating the exterior circulation and
entertainment areas with lightweight
steel and timber pergolas, which
would double as shading devices,
protecting the north-west aspect of
the house from the harsh afternoon
sun in summer.
Internally, communal spaces were
consolidated, and the bathrooms and
bedrooms reorganised into wellfunctioning private spaces. Stripping
away unnecessary walls created an
effective cir