Tag Archives: Homes

Design: ‘Border Street’ Tour, Byron Bay, Australia

The Local Project (April 26, 2024): Nestled on the beach in one of Australia’s most serene coastal enclaves, Border Street is an expensive home and eloquent response to the pristine Byron Bay environment where it resides. Artfully conceived by Workroom, the residence shuts out the rest of the world in its contemplation of place, form and materials.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to Byron Bay’s Most Expensive Home 01:00 – A Unique Location 01:35 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:23 – Framing the Surrounding Landscape 03:01 – The Opportunities and Constraints of the Site 04:16 – The Material Palette 05:22 – Workroom’s Design Approach

“I like the sense of calm that you feel when you walk into the house; it’s not busy, it’s not loud, it’s not contrived either – it’s very relaxed,” says John Bornas, architect and creative director at Workroom. Perched on a dune hugging a rainforest that falls straight onto Belongil Beach in Byron Bay, the expensive home taps into Byron Bay’s breezy state of slumber without neglecting a sense of refinement. From the street, the house is concealed by a series of screens. “The idea was to try and create a sense of wonder; you don’t really know what’s going on behind that screen,” notes John.

Walking through the front gate, there is a substantial walk to the front door, allowing one to really experience the landscape the home is set in, rather than “just simply walking through a front door,” says John. One then enters the main living and dining areas, which are bounded by the pavilions that open up to the dune and the rainforest. As with many expensive homes, designing it was not without challenges.

Tour: Frank Lloyd Wright Architecture In Phoenix

Architectural Digest (April 24, 2024) – Today, AD travels to Phoenix, Arizona, to tour the David and Gladys Wright house—the home designed by architect Frank Lloyd Wright for his son.

When your father is America’s most celebrated architect, the greatest gift he could give you is a house, and this unique home uses many of the same ideas Lloyd Wright incorporated in the design of the Guggenheim Museum. The spiral structures, often symbolizing the infinite or longevity, are poetic, as David and his wife Gladys lived to be over 100 years old in this house.

After many years of neglect and threats of demolition, father-and-daughter duo Bing and Amanda Hu bought the house and have since been on a mission to restore it to its former glory, keeping its legacy alive.

Previews: Country Life Magazine – April 24, 2024

Country Life Magazine (April 24, 2024): The latest issue features

The summer Season

  • Ben Lerwill looks forward to high-speed sporting action
  • Tom Chamberlin and Sophia Money-Coutts reveal how to keep your cool when the heat is on
  • Hetty Lintell presents glorious ensembles for hot days
  • Paul Henderson asks top chefs for their picnic picks
  • Julie Harding meets the wicker weavers
  • Harry Eyres and the Country Life tasting team find English fizz in sparkling form

Every picture tells a story

As the National Gallery counts down to its 200th anniversary, Carla Passino delves into the fascinating stories behind 10 paintings in the collection

John Booth’s favourite painting

The chairman of the National Gallery board of trustees picks an exquisite, skilful work that resonates with deeper meaning

The private made public

In the second of two articles, John Goodall investigates the 20th-century evolution of Stansted Park in West Sussex

Luxury

Hetty Lintell reveals the secret to staying fresh faced and fashion artist David Downton shares a few of his favourite things

The legacy

Octavia Pollock hails the talented Stevenson clan, who saved countless lives at sea thanks to their prolific lighthouse building

Interiors

Giles Kime on how decorative frames can give a room an extra edge and Arabella Youens on the creation of a family kitchen

Processions, proclamations and punishment

Time has not been kind to way-side crosses, once beacons of the British landscape. Lucien de Guise follows a trail of destruction

Supporting acts

Amelia Thorpe selects the best structures for growing climbers

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson gets creative with fresh, cooling spearmint

Dropping down to Derwentwater

Lakeland fells form a dramatic backdrop to the captivating Arts-and-Crafts garden at High Moss in Cumbria, finds Non Morris

Satan on six legs

Crushing one is said to absolve you of all your sins, but the Devil’s coach horse beetle is also the gardener’s friend, says Ian Morton

Flying between extremes

A booming bittern and a colossal crane make it a memorable return to the Norfolk Broads for John Lewis-Stempel

Blessed among plants

It may be named after the Virgin Mary, but, warns Ian Morton, there is a hint of the profane about lady’s mantle

Native herbs

John Wright reveals how the pretty, but unpalatable ground ivy found its true calling as an ingredient in the brewing of ale

Design: Brahminy House Tour, Byron Bay, Australia

The Local Project (April 23, 2024): Deeply connected to place, Brahminy House by Harley Graham Architects is located in Wategos Beach, Byron Bay, Australia. Tucked back into the land, the beachside house creates a feeling of connectedness to its surrounds while also offering the owners a home filled with tranquility.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Waterfront House 01:05 – Designing with Intention 01:21 – A Walkthrough of the House 02:53 – Framing the Landscape 03:21 – A Robust and Sturdy Material Palette 04:30 – Proud Moments

Looking at the external form, the architect thought of creating a house as a sculpture within the landscape and wanted to be sure that every curve, material and element was intentional. Following the house tour, a casual entry is revealed. Placed under a concrete form with plants cascading out of it, the entry also holds an outdoor shower made from local basalt stone. Used for washing the surfboard or oneself after a swim, the casual entrance sets the tone for the home’s laid-back character. As the house tour continues up the Italian terracotta tiled stairs and through to the side entry and pool, the beach house reveals its sculptural forms, curves and charm.

Additionally, due to being built into the hill and jungle, the beach house is complemented by greenery that cascades over the shapes of the exterior architecture. Once inside, the communal spaces such as the kitchen, living and dining areas encourage the owners to pursue a deeper connection not just to the landscape but to each other. For open-plan spaces, Harley Graham Architects tries to differentiate the areas by introducing varying floor or roof heights. As such, Brahminy House’s living area has been given a pop-up ceiling that infuses a different atmosphere to the other areas.

Design Tours: A Remote Cabin In New Zealand

The Local Project (April 19, 2024) – Creating a place for people to reconnect with each other and nature, Patterson Associates built a cabin that sits upon the New Zealand landscape with advantageous coastal views. Located on a working sheep and cattle farm on the Banks Peninsula, Scrubby Bay is extremely remote.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Remote Cabin 01:16 – The History of the Landscape 02:13 – An Insight into the Design Inspiration 03:02 – The Layout of the Cabin 03:57 – Approaching the Bay 05:02 – The Respectful Construction Process 05:30 – A Robust Material Palette 06:31 – The Functionalities of the Cabin 07:23 – A Sustainable Approach to the Build

The cabin home is architectural in its design and faces straight into the sub-Antarctic weather that comes in from the bay and down the mountains. Moreso, due to the home’s location, there is a wide variety of wildlife, including an array of birds, dolphins and whales. Faced with the decision of what to design and how to design it, the architect was drawn to building a residence that responded to the site. Moreover, seen in the house tour of the cabin is the bay, which tends to be covered in driftwood.

This helped influence the architect on choosing the unique materials and timber for the project. Designed to age and get better with time, Scrubby Bay is laid out as two simple gabled barn forms that are slotted together. Specifically arranged for families or large groups renting off Airbnb, the house can accommodate up to 16 people and encourages them to come together and experience the natural landscape. Three main bedrooms have been created for the adults and spread throughout the gabled form of the home. Additionally, seen in the house tour, at each side of the home are two gathering areas, one being an entertainment deck facing the ocean and the other is a pool facing the rear mountains.

Previews: Country Life Magazine – April 17, 2024

Country Life Magazine – April 16, 2024: The latest issue features:

Where the wild things are

Archibald Thorburn’s talent for capturing the essence and atmosphere of Nature set him apart from his contemporaries, as Charles Harris discovers

A (crab) apple a day

The mainstay of jam and jelly may have been the fruit that tempted Adam and Eve, suggests Ian Morton

The sound of centuries past

From theorbo to the viola da gamba, ancient musical instruments hold a fascination for a growing number of today’s players, finds Henrietta Bredin

Smart Thinking

James Alexander-Sinclair visits a home near Godalming, Surrey, where a blank canvas has been transformed into a beautiful, functional garden

The legacy

Sir John Soane’s acrimonious fall out with his favourite sons was their loss and the nation’s gain, declares Agnes Stamp

A hungry heart

Holly Black examines the stellar career of Wassily Kandinsky, who pioneered two major artistic movements in turbulent times

Arts & antiques

Carla Passino meets ‘ice queen’ Polly Townsend, who spent five fascinating weeks as an artist-in-residence in Antarctica

Christopher Price’s favourite painting

The Rare Breeds Survival Trust CEO selects a magical work that celebrates food production as well as the wonder of nature

From royal favourite to stranger’s heir

John Goodall charts the rise of Stansted Park, West Sussex, from medieval hunting lodge to spectacular country house

Too divine

A quartet of actresses take the plaudits from Michael Billington in leading roles ranging from Charlotte Brontë to Sarah Siddons

Previews: Country Life Magazine – April 3, 2024

Country Life Magazine – April 3, 2024: The latest issue features:

Spring fever

The reawakening of Nature has inspired artists from Botticelli to David Hockney and beyond. Michael Prodger revels in the artistic beauty of the season

Prepare to be a-maze-d

Few can match the twists and turns of Adrian Fisher’s stellar career. Deborah Nicholls-Lee meets the maze designer behind the chilling climax of Saltburn

London Life

  • Tianna Williams visits a Scottish corner of the capital
  • Need to Know has all the latest happenings
  • William Sitwell welcomes back the big business lunch
  • Richard MacKichan joins the Noisenights crowd

The icing on Nature’s cake

Poet Laureate Simon Armitage celebrates an annual explosion of pink and white blossom with excerpts from his new book

The legacy

Kate Green on how Sir Joseph Banks sowed the seeds of Kew

Leading by example

In the second of two articles, John Goodall puts the spotlight on the superb school buildings of Lancing College, West Sussex

Little April showers

Discover why a thunderous start to the month suggests a good harvest as Lia Leendertz delves into the weather lore of spring

Interiors

Green is the natural choice for a kitchen, as Amelia Thorpe and Arabella Youens discover

A garden from scratch

Caroline Donald marvels at the rapid transformation of the charming seven-acre garden at Charlton Farm in Wiltshire

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson puts British asparagus — a verdant harbinger of spring — back on the menu

Travel

  • Camilla Hewitt raises a glass to Cognac
  • Richard MacKichan explores the Alps in summer
  • Hetty Lintell falls in love with Mallorca
  • Pamela Goodman is in awe of the Alhambra

Gen Sir James Everard’s favourite painting

The president of the Army Bene-volent Fund chooses a wonderful depiction of the Battle of Waterloo

Déjà vu all over again

Carla Carlisle attempts to sort the tragedy from the farce in the baffling world of modern politics

Get the London look

Matthew Dennison charts the rise and fall of fashion label Biba

The good stuff

Mesmerising opals are having a moment — Hetty Lintell dives in

The Arts

150 years of the Impressionists

Previews: Country Life Magazine – March 27, 2024

Image

Country Life Magazine – March 27, 2024: The latest issue features:

A prickly subject

Marianne Taylor examines how we can help to halt the worrying decline of the humble hedgehog, Britain’s favourite mammal

Country Life International

  • John Lewis-Stempel reflects on an old way of life in rural France
  • Russell Higham visits Mozart’s Italian muse
  • Arabella Youens hails Mondrian’s De Stijl movement
  • Tom Parker Bowles celebrates Greek cuisine
  • Holly Kirkwood selects the best Iberian properties for sale
  • Eileen Reid explores love and logic in Paris

Bold and beautiful

Charles Quest-Ritson is wowed by the woodland garden created during the past two decades at Broughton Grange, Oxfordshire

Home is where the art is

Iron-man Sir Antony Gormley is taking over Houghton Hall in Norfolk with 100 life-size figures, as Charlotte Mullins discovers

The Very Reverend Dr David Hoyle’s favourite painting

The Dean of Westminster picks a striking work that is all about looking — and then looking again

A silent witness

In the first of two articles, John Goodall visits Lancing College Chapel, West Sussex, a masterpiece 154 years in the making

The legacy: Roy Plomley

Kate Green tunes in for Roy Plomley’s Desert Island Discs

A real nest egg

John Lewis-Stempel marvels at one of the smallest, yet mightiest miracles in the natural world

Room with a pew

Your seat in church once told a lot about your status in the parish, reveals Andrew Green

Once more into the abyss

It’s a dirty job, but someone’s got to do it: John Lewis-Stempel hauls an errant heifer from a ditch

The Editor’s Easter quiz

Spring has sprung — how many native wildflowers can you name?

Luxury

Hetty Lintell explores exquisite gilets, bespoke tailoring and sparkling aquamarine jewellery

Interiors

Giles Kime is armed with a crystal ball for his latest building project

Kitchen garden cook

Melanie Johnson on spinach

Don’t mock them

Plant a Philadelphus, says John Hoyland, and enjoy an explosion of blooms and scent this summer

And much more

Design Tours: A Courtyard Home, Victoria, Australia

The Local Project (March 26, 2024) – Located in Box Hill, Victoria, Naples Street House is a tiny brick home. One of the owners is a keen dancer and consequently, the home sets the scene for a harmonious performance with rooms and outward connections to the landscape.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Tiny Brick Home 00:32 – The Location and The Brief 01:29 – A Walkthrough of the Home 02:52 – Creating A Sanctuary 03:45 – The Conceptualisation Process 04:10 – A Focus on the Kitchen 05:17 – The Material Palette 05:59 – Exciting Aspects

The house tour illustrates how this tiny brick home occupies a small footprint on its site, embracing an intimate relationship with the landscape. In a suburb where interwar-era houses are slowly disappearing, the home, which sits alongside narrow townhouses, provides the street with an unconventional visual intervention – an outcome driven by the clients’ aspirations. For architect Kim Bridgland, director of Edition Office, this tiny brick home offers sanctuary. “The house is located within a dense suburban street and is designed to focus inwards, around an inner courtyard garden room,” he explains.

The courtyard house typology stemmed from the brief for a multigenerational home. Exploring the type of design, decor and floor plan suitable for such occupancy led the team to a design that separates the home’s spaces in a way that allows them to remain visually connected through an inner garden room yet hidden from public sight, as depicted in the house tour. An axial hallway connects sightlines from the front entry to the rear garden and splits the living areas from the bedrooms and bathrooms while leading to a north-facing living, kitchen and dining space. Further into the dwelling is the central garden room and a secluded lounge with fully glazed walls that open to the landscape.

Design Tour: Carwoola Residence In Queensland

The Local Project (March 24, 2024) – Located in Mooloolaba on the Sunshine Coast, Carwoola Residence by Reitsma is a super house surrounded by white beaches and deep water access. Delivering a brief to Reitsma, who were in partnership with Clipsal, the clients listed their essential needs for their super house, which included maximum privacy as well as a place to celebrate their interests of boating and automobiles.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction To The Super House 00:25 – The Waterfront Location 00:36 – Client’s intention 00:53 – Walkthrough Of The Super House 01:47 – Electrical Design With Clipsal 02:16 – Designed For Comfort 02:53 – Exploring The Upper Level 03:41 – Features Of The Saturn Zen Range 04:18 – The Moon Circle 04:36 – A Car Enthusiast’s Basement 05:01 – Materials And Highlights Of The Project

As such, the super house has been built and designed with the intention to allow the owners to store multiple cars, entertain and have access to the rear canal system. The angled shroud of the facade adds a depth to the characteristics of the exterior design and architecture. Upon entry, the house tour leads under a concrete portal, which is used to compress the space before opening up into an expansive void that gives views up to the sky. From here, the oversized pivot front door blurs where the inside and outside of the super house meet. Further inside, the house tour reveals another full-height void that tapers to a frameless window that looks out onto the pool and Mooloolaba wharf.

The interior design brings the essence of water right to the front door and immediately ignites the desire to explore what lies beyond. The privacy walls running north and south of the home are used as a buffer to shield the neighbours’ views and give the owners utmost privacy. However, these walls end at the rear of the home where they then open up to the views of the Mooloolaba wharf. In the outdoor living area, the architect has created a cascading effect where the entertaining areas waterfall towards the wharf to create a beach-like element to the super house. This is also done to create more viewing opportunities from inside.