This stunning, contemporary and stylish home in Norwood Ave, Brighton was a very rewarding undertaking for the KWD team. Completed late last year after a 14 month timeline, this house is now home to a large family who are delighted with what the project team created.
When we began discussions with the developer and discovered he had engaged the services of Architect Ian Freeman of Morphosis, we were thrilled. We have worked with Ian over many years on a number of projects and we have a huge respect for his designs. He recommended a builder he had previously worked with as well, so the team had a united vision from day one. The architectural design Ian created was superb, and the developer was charged with bringing Ian’s vision to reality in the most cost-sensitive way possible.
The KWD team specified, sourced and supplied the hard finishes for this family-oriented home. With massive proportions, the clever layout created zoned living areas, allowing for a large family to come together whilst ensuring privacy and space to move. Downstairs there is a very large formal lounge/dining area plus an informal lounge/dining and kitchen space complete with butler’s pantry, and a laundry that offers access to an outdoor area with a clothes-line. There is also a powder room, an impressive wine cellar and a luxurious home theatre overlooking a light-filled, landscaped courtyard. Upstairs the spacious master suite has a walk-in robe and large ensuite. The three additional bedrooms also have the privacy of ensuite bathrooms and the clean lines of built-in robes. The study has now become a fifth bedroom.
Set close to the water in Brighton, this Norwood Ave property is light filled and airy, and it was important to the architectural integrity of the structure that we incorporated beautiful finishes and created an indoor/outdoor feel. Because it was a development project we decided on a neutral palette so that the property would attract a wide audience and allow the new owners to stamp their own personality on their home with soft furnishings, artwork and accessories.
We kept the walls light and white and neutral, and the overall palette was oyster grey which is a warm, inviting shade. With the outside space visible from most rooms, we invested in Travertine. We used engineered European Oak throughout the downstairs which is a beautiful light colour (and part of the imported KWD range). Carrara marble was also used throughout the design. We imported carpet specifically for the theatre room and bedrooms. It was a replica of a very expensive Japanese felted yarn carpet that we had produced in Korea, made from 100% wool loop pile in an oyster grey shade.
The massive ensuite is spectacular. Distinctly luxurious, it features Turkish crosscut large limestone with a honed finish. We also focused the budget on the beautiful kitchen joinery and stone bench tops, which reflect the stone used in the master ensuite.
The children’s ensuites were specially designed to be really practical and easy to keep clean with a glazed porcelain tile on the floor and clean white wall tiles as well. With an ensuite off every bedroom it was important to keep them all of a similar ilk rather than making the upstairs look like a bag of mixed lollies. Each child could then show off their own personality in their bathroom with their own colour towels and accessories.
We selected Spotted Gum for the outside decking and beautiful big black window frames that contrast so well against the soft grey render. The outdoor area was landscaped with lawns and ficus hedging, which will grow into a beautiful hedge and create a walled garden. Around the pool we used Turkish crosscut unfilled tumbled Silver Travertine, and because they wanted a real resort feel with pale, pale blue water, we were inspired to use white glass pool tiles which we call multi-glass because they make the water shimmer underneath the surface. It looks so effective.
We are sure that the owners will have turned this wonderful blank canvas into the most stunning family space. The KWD team would love to be invited back to the property so we can photograph this spacious house with all the furniture, art, soft furnishings and decorator pieces that the owners will have filled it with, to turn a designer space into a loved-filled home.
On a special design note, the Developer sourced some incredible light fittings from Kim Soo in Bali, and Kate loved them so much that she travelled to Bali to investigate importing them into Australia herself. More news in next week’s blog!
