Our brief was to create a home that brings the outdoors in, hides the garage from the street, and keeps the staircase out of sight from both the front entrance and main living area.
The home has excellent natural light, effective cross ventilation, and good temperature control in summer and winter, with ceiling fans as the only mechanical cooling. Our favourite space is the large north-facing living area, which is bright, welcoming, and closely connected to nature.
At the front, an open garden with deciduous trees and dichondra ground cover extends right up to the large glazed sliding doors. With no paving or lawn, it feels like an extra living area shaped by nature. Birds are frequent visitors, and in summer we often hear frogs from the pond.
This garden also improves comfort. In summer, the trees and ground cover protect the large windows from direct and radiant heat while creating shaded outdoor sitting areas. In winter, the bare branches allow sun to reach deep inside, warming the tiled floor, which releases heat into the evening.
The home is designed efficiently, with no wasted corridor space. The kitchen opens to the living area, making it ideal for cooking and entertaining while looking out to the garden. Appliances such as the toaster and kettle are hidden away in a bench-height cupboard under the stairs, while clever joinery creates extra storage, an enclosed scullery, open pantry shelving, a generous workbench, and a coffee cabinet.
The staircase is tucked discreetly between two walls in a single straight run, out of sight from the living area. It is wide enough to allow for a future stair lift, and the opposite wall is lined with bookshelves. The space below provides additional garage storage and houses the electrical switchboard and solar inverters.
This home was built before the shift away from gas, so it still has a gas cooktop and gas-boosted solar hot water.
