Light fantastic
Standing gracefully between established willows, this large home opens up
to its environment with a lighter-than-air charm that belies its studied design
Previous pages: Walls of glass, deep
overhangs and prominent parapet
bands create a horizontal emphasis
in this home by O’Neil Architecture,
with interiors by Lume Design.
Above: The entry has serene shoji-like,
dark-framed frosted glass doors and a
wall sculpture by artist Don Service.
Facing page: The formal lounge is
a double-height volume, while the
long living zone includes the kitchen
and entry to a separate dining area.
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One plus of living on a rural site with no close
neighbours is the option to open up your home
to the environment without issues of privacy.
This house makes the most of that opportunity.
The brief for architectural designers Darren
O’Neil and David Rea of O’Neil Architecture was
for a large, modern and timeless family home.
“The home had to be functional and flowing,
with an open layout suitable for family living,
and an emphasis on connecting to the outdoors
at every opportunity,” says O’Neil. “At the
same time, we also had to protect the mature
weeping willows on the site and make sure they
were appreciated in the home’s key outlooks.”
Taking all these factors into account, O’Neil
and Rea created an expansive, light-filled home
that threads elegantly between the tall willows.
In regard to layout, the home’s impressive
double height entry hall leads, left to the garage,
right to the long living, dining, kitchen wing and
straight ahead to bedrooms and a media room.
Upstairs, there are the large master suite, an
office, the library and more bedrooms.
However, while all these spaces fit neatly
into a practical layout, it’s the home’s clean,
crisp aesthetic that really makes it shine.