Tag Archives: Modern Homes

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Architecture Tour: Emily House In Sydney, Australia

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Working together, Aldini and Isaac Group have turned an abandoned warehouse into a modern dream home. Sitting on a small plot of land, the warehouse was in dire need of a contemporary lift – therefore the employment of organic shapes, elements and materials became the key focus for both interior designer and builder.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Modern Dream Home 00:25 – The Location of Emily House 00:38 – A Walkthrough of the Modern Dream Home 01:10 – Maximising the Previous Small Space 01:29 – The Builder 01:51 – Relationships and Working as a Team 02:14 – Utilising Natural Elements and Organic Shapes 03:10 – Elements of Softness and Curves 03:34 – Harnessing the Natural Light 04:02 – Favourite Parts of the Modern Dream Home 04:29 – Proud Moments

With a brief that only required the cathedral ceilings to be kept, the interior architecture was imbued with soft curves, natural shapes and materials, and a flood of natural light. In the end, the client’s home was turned into a modern dream home that would become a hub for connection, light and simple opulence.

Located in the inner west of Sydney, Emily House strikes an unassuming appearance with dark tones, leafy greens and a timber batten façade that hints at what is inside the modern dream home. Following the house tour inside, the front of the home contains the master bedroom and ensuite before offering a glimpse of the opulent kitchen – which is designed to be the hub for connection.

While using marble, granite and terrazzo throughout the modern dream home to add an opulence, the elements of curved bamboo, which is seen in the bathrooms and on the kitchen island bench, is used to soften the hardness of these materials. In the downstairs spaces, large steel windows, bi-fold doors and skylights have been installed to help bring more natural light inside while also adding to the sense of space inside.

Following the kitchen’s marble bench top and dark palette cabinetry, the dining and living room reference the same colours through the furnishings and marble that has been employed on the shelving and fireplace. To combat the hard lines of the steel and marble, the softening of elements has been encouraged throughout the interior design, which is seen in the soft curving of the Venetian plaster wall above the fireplace.

After the doors are opened, the courtyard helps to expand upon the liveable space and, with its terrazzo floor, curved seating arrangement and green wall the space, the downstairs living areas extend upon the client’s wish of creating a hub for connection. Upstairs, the inclusion of two more bedrooms and a bathroom further employs the use of stone, light and a natural colour palette.

Infused with natural light, the bedrooms offer guests an opulent stay that is reminiscent of five star hotels. Working together, the interior designer and builder established the modern dream home to become a space where the client could entertain. Additionally, the house is filled with a sense of softness – to which the client can find reprieve in the moments when it is needed.

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Tours: Waiheke House In Auckland, New Zealand

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The Local Project – Through natural material selections, Cheshire Architects has unveiled Waiheke House, a home that embraces its surrounds to become the best modern house in the world. Operating under the rule that grandeur does not need to be shown through scale but rather quality, Waiheke House is a place of respite for its owners with only one and a half bedrooms and a focus on entertaining areas.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to the Best Modern House in the World 00:45 – An Island Location 01:05 – The Aspect of the House 01:35 – Tasked with Entertaining 02:01 – The House Plan and its Materials 03:39 – Hidden Openings and Passages 04:22 – Bathing Rituals 05:27 – The Goal Behind the Home 05:43 – Creating a Centred Feeling 06:09 – Becoming One with the Environment 06:33 – A Vessel for Experience 06:53 – A Home Made with Real Materials 07:20 – A Love for the Layered Experience

While the views of Waiheke House are only part of what establishes it as the best modern house in the world, it is how the structure inserts itself into the landscape that is awe-inspiring. Focused on evoking the numerous meanings of ‘shelter,’ Waiheke House acts as a platform that can open or close for the watching of the weather as it changes. Comprised of two pavilions, which are slightly offset from one another,

Cheshire Architects have separated the living spaces to designate a place of reprieve and a place to entertain. The larger of the two pavilions, known as the seaward pavilion, is framed by landscaping. Shaped by the stone wall that curves around and holds the home, the idea of anchoring the seaward pavilion is seen through the home’s distinct architectural theme. To make the best modern house in the world feel warm and comfortable, the use of stone, wood and brass help the house insert itself into the surrounding nature. Created for entertaining, the seaward pavilion is intentionally designed to be small, with only a kitchen, large dining section and lounge.

Framed by glass on three sides, doors butterfly open so that the living areas can connect seamlessly with the lawn. Conceptually thought of as a canopy atop a mouth of a cave, Cheshire Architects has formed the best modern house in the world to navigate a spatial dialect that speaks to both broad ocean views and small, contained spaces. Throughout the house tour, it is evident that the selected surfaces and materials are chosen to act as a vessel for experience – an idea that Cheshire Architects hopes will still be embodied in 100 years as the home ages in place.

Seen in the stacked stone of the wall to the layered floor, Cheshire Architects avoids using crisp whites or laminates and instead imbues the home with richness from natural materials. Throughout the second pavilion, the adaption of narrower halls, lower ceilings and darker tones have been employed to create a dynamic internal contrast. Intended as a retreat for the owners, Waiheke House is a place to align and connect with the natural surroundings. By focusing on simple, high-quality design choices over scale, Cheshire Architects has created the best modern house in the world so that it may amplify what already exists.

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Home & Kitchen Design: Queens Park, Sydney

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Designing a modern house for a young family, Pohio Adams Architect has introduced space, light and robust materials to provide the clients with a home that would last for years.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Introduction to The Modern House 00:29 – The Architects and The Location 00:49 – A 1980s House Renovation 01:10 – The Brief 01:29 – A Walkthrough The House 02:22 – Reinstating The Original Details 02:33 – A Simple Material Palette 03:09 – Creating a Functional Home 03:21 – The Full Suite of Fisher & Paykel Appliances 03:48 – The Design of The Appliances 04:25 – The Park Setting and Views 05:08 – Working in Heritage Areas with Heritage Houses 05:40 – The Transformation of The House

Beginning the house tour from the Centennial Park entrance, the architect has reinvigorated the two formal living rooms with coffered ceilings and, where needed, has replicated the missing cornices throughout the interior architecture. Alongside this, the master bedroom has been imbued with privacy and given a luxuriously proportioned ensuite. Throughout Queens Park House, the architect has continued to infuse a fundamental connection to the gardens while also introducing a wealth of light. Responding to the client’s desire to connect to the surroundings, Pohio Adams Architects has opened the rear of the house with a series of French doors. Established to create a visual connection, the French doors enhance the modernisation of the interior while also connecting to the backyard and pool. By positioning the key living areas at the rear – the kitchen, dining and living spaces – the architect has introduced open plan living for the family’s dream home. Additionally, when designing a modern house, the architect has implemented an extra powder room and scullery laundry that sits just off the kitchen. Throughout designing a modern house, the architect has chosen black timber floors to showcase a continuity from the old parts of the home into the new. Simple oak joinery has also been employed through the main living spaces to provide a robustness and comfort to the living areas, while aged brass is used for detailing and hardware. Emphasising the home’s modern renovations, handmade Moroccan tiles have been placed in the bathrooms and kitchen. Offering comfort and warmth, the interior design connects to the exterior through material and architectural choices made by the architects when designing a modern house. To complement the interior when designing a modern house, Pohio Adams Architects has used a full suite of Fisher & Paykel appliances – including an integrated French door fridge and a kitchen island, which includes a cool drawer and full stack dishwasher, a gas cooktop, ovens and extractor hood. Following a long-standing working relationship with Fisher & Paykel, the architect has employed the brand’s appliances throughout the home to directly respond to the client’s desire to enhance the way they live for years to come.

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Architectural Remodels: North Adelaide House

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With calming detail and considered materiality, Williams Burton Leopardi transforms the heritage listed North Adelaide Residence into a modern home. Through the new expansions, different moods are evoked from room to room, seeing the modern home uplifted into a refined contemporary context.

Video timeline: 00:00 – Subscribe to The Local Projects Print Publication 00:13 – Introduction to North Adelaide Residence 00:38 – Single Fronted Cottages 01:07 – Bringing Grandness into A Workers Cottage 01:38 – Working with An Unusual Brief 02:13 – Creating Different Moods Throughout The Home 02:46 – The Separation of Old and New 03:17 – The Impact of A Narrow Site 04:00 – The Handmade Aspect to A Heritage Home 04:33 – The Materials Palette 05:18 – Subtle but Beautiful Details 06:02 – The Architects Favourite Aspects of The Home 06:49 – The Local Projects Print Publication

The infusion of muted natural light demarks the old from the new whilst material choices reference the original worker’s cottage. Inspired by a desire for simplicity and quality detail, the redesign of the modern home mirrors the original fabric of the residence. The choice to remove the third bedroom allows for an extra living area, whilst elongating the structure into the garden ensures the home aligns with the lifestyle of its occupants. The residence provides a visual experience with increased access to sunlight through integrated skylights and the introduction of natural materials.

The use of oak wood references the heritage sandstone exterior and grounds the modern home. Further echoing the outdoors is joinery toned to match the washed oak flooring and the Turco Argento limestone kitchen benchtops. By establishing an indoor-outdoor connection, a natural flow between the garden and the modern home is seamlessly achieved. Through folded doors and a large picture window, the inviting garden helps to enhance the liveability of North Adelaide Residence – where an intentional quality resonates through each material choice.

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New Zealand Home Tour: Mahuika – Waiheke Island

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Blending into the black of the bush, Mahuika is a private island house that embraces the external environment. Faced with a challenging site, Daniel Marshall Architects (DMA) uses the unique building context to infuse Mahuika with a sense of legend and soul, crafting a secluded home with a fiery past.

Video Timeline: 00:00 – An Introduction to the Private Island House 00:32 – Mahuika – Fire and Renewal 01:09 – Utilising Natural Light 01:35 – Remote and Private 01:55 – The Pool 02:24 – The Kitchen Appliances 03:12 – Bathrooms and Bedrooms 03:55 – Challenges of the Build 04:18 – The Materials 04:43 – What the Architect is Most Proud Of

A private island house, Mahuika is located on Waiheke Island in the Hauraki Gulf of New Zealand. After a shocking incident that saw the project burnt just weeks before it was initially due to be completed, DMA named the home after the Māori Goddess of Fire. The timber-framed structure is designed so that the living room occupies the architectural cantilever, shading the pool below whilst bedrooms spread across different levels of the home.

In both surrounding context and brief, Mahuika presented DMA with obstacles to overcome. The changeable nature of the Auckland climate meant that the interior design and architecture of the private island house had to complement flitting natural light and striking external scenes. In addition, the design of the house had to be conducive to minimal visits to the shops during the week.

DMA convincingly responds to the difficulties proposed by the project, finding beauty within innovative solutions. The practice embraces the environment as part of the reality of living in a private island house, applying floor-to-ceiling glazing to the architecture of Mahuika in promotion of an authentic lifestyle.

In the kitchen, a generous whole foods storage system meets the requirements of the home whilst the sleek surface of Fisher & Paykel appliances reflects the view of the bush and sea. In Mahuika, the Auckland climate has the ideal subject. DMA designs the private island house to gracefully accept the ever-changing natural elements and vistas, welcoming them as defining features and reflecting them back out as parts of itself.

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Architectural Tours: Malvern House – 100-Year Old ‘Modern’ In Australia

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Malvern House sees Lande Architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a modern home with a minimal addition. Traditionally, when architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a refreshed dwelling, they take care to preserve the heritage features of the property – Malvern House was no different.

Video Timeline: 00:00 – Blueland 00:09 – Introduction to the 100 Year Old House 00:45 – Modernising a Weatherboard Victorian Cottage 01:23 – The Client Brief 02:08 – Green Motif Throughout the House 03:30 – Utilising Natural Light 04:10 – Outdoor Areas 04:25 – Working Together with the Clients 04:58 – Blueland Home Cleaning Products 06:24 – Final Look at the Converted House

Lande Architects retains the original, decorative front of the Victorian weatherboard cottage, maintaining a connection to the defining architecture of the location. Lande Architects reconfigures the extension of Malvern House – located to the rear of the structure and comprising of the kitchen, living and dining spaces – to propose a larger footprint. Seven internal courtyards are added in adherence to the brief, which stipulated that the pockets of green space should feature within the interior design.

Softly defined by functional glazing, the courtyards form an important part of the overall scheme as Lande Architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a modern home. The design of Malvern House champions efficiency. Lande Architects insulates the home with double brick walls and a large concrete slab positioned to the north orientation, with the slab absorbing heat during the day and radiating the heat back into the house overnight.

Cross-flow ventilation is provided via the seven courtyards. Such mastery over the internal environment of Malvern House sees Lande Architects convert a one-hundred-year-old house into a home that can meet 21st century standards of liveability. Whilst the heritage front of Malvern House remains purposefully untouched, the rear extension is changed for the better. Lande Architects converts a one-hundred-year-old-house into a residence with a rich and evolving narrative.

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Design: A Modern Home In Australia Is ‘Split In Two’

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Located in Manly, this modern house emphasises casual beachside living through a strong connection to the external environment. Sitting in one of the suburb’s leafiest streets, the modern house enjoys optimal views to the surrounding areas, maximising the cross-flow of natural breezes from its elevated position.

The modern house’s material palette draws inspiration from the history of the surrounding area, whilst raw materials provide a contemporary architectural form, blurring the lines between casual and formal life. A long horizontal concrete form with chamfered edges is clad in breeze-admitting passive timber shading devices and bands of glazing that invite views of the carefully curated greenery. Responding to its coastal location, this modern house is defined by a timber-lined ceiling extending to the soffit and polished concrete floors, creating a series of seamless spaces flowing onto each other, from open to closed, informal to formal, refined and robust all at the same time.

Open-plan living spaces spill out to the outdoor living and pool areas on the ground floor, blurring the line between outside and inside, emphasising the garden outlook, natural light-filled spaces and the modern house’s connection to its environment. A large oversized island bench is the meeting point of the modern home, with streamlined kitchen and living room joinery connecting the living spaces. Ancillary spaces are tucked away into the core of the building, allowing maximum natural light to the living spaces.

As a modern house, the concrete stair is a sculptural presence that sweeps upwards, binding the living spaces to the bedrooms and bathrooms on level one, where the external timber screens add ventilation and ever-changing shadows within. In the basement, a wine cellar, laundry, utility and theatre room provide technical support to the rest of the modern house.

Architecture and Interior Design by DKO Architecture. Development by Adjani. Photography by Tom Ferguson and Toby Peet. Filmed and Edited by Cheer Squad Film Co. Production by The Local Project.

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Home Views: ‘Windsor House’ – Paddington, Australia (Video Tour)

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Sydney architects Tom Mark Henry adapted this terrace house in the inner-city suburb of Paddington to cater to the modern lives of a family of five. Dubbed Windsor House, the terrace house was built in the 1970s and had existing features the architects wanted to preserve, including a unique street presence, a central staircase and an open floor plan.

Aside from creating physical connections between this split-level terrace house, the stair also brings light into its centre. Tom Mark Henry restructured the basement to create space for a steam room, powder room, laundry and entertainment suite and extended the stair to connect to this new level.

The kitchen was then moved from one side of the house to the other to create an easy entertaining area that connects to the rear courtyard through 3m-high steel framed doors and also connects to the new lower level. The kitchen is at the heart of this terrace house and features a full suite of Fisher & Paykel appliances, chosen for their ease of use and streamlined aesthetic. The interior design is contemporary but in keeping with the original style of the exterior architecture, with a material palette that includes rendered walls, v-groove ceilings, timber joinery, limestone flooring, and ribbed glass to visually connect spaces.

The homeowners wanted to be able to live comfortably in the house and the furniture chosen is both contemporary and cosy. Windsor House is a modern terrace house that is family friendly and stylish.

Interior Architecture by Tom Mark Henry. Kitchen Appliances by Fisher & Paykel. Photography by Pablo Veiga. Styling by Atelier Lab. Build by CBD Remedial Construction. Kitchen Joinery by Original Kitchens. Soft Furnishings by Simple Studio. Filmed and Edited by Cheer Squad Film Co. Production by The Local Project.

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Top Architectural Tours: ‘Shelter Island, New York’

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91 Ram Island Drive is the culmination of twenty years of work by internationally renowned architect William Pedersen. A triumph of contemporary design and expertly crafted by Wright and Company Construction, the house sits on almost 3 acres of rolling native meadow that gently slopes onto over 220 feet of pristine beach, with Gardiners Bay beyond.

Based on a multi-axis linear framework and emphasizing the contrasting textures of the primary building materials of concrete, wood, copper and bluestone, the structure is at once both awe-inspiring and effortlessly comfortable. Set at the convergence of three distinct landmarks – the lighthouse in Gardiners Bay, Gardiners Island and the entrance to Coecles Harbor – an unparalleled 360-degree panoramic view unfolds in front of the property.

The house itself seems to rise like an island from the water, as was the conceptual inspiration for the design. Clad in stone and sheets of standing seam copper, the 3-bedroom residence offers an open flow between the public spaces at the heart of the home, the expansive outdoor entertaining areas that define the summer lifestyle and the long passageway of the private bedroom wing. Singular in design and function, 91 Ram Island Drive is, in every sense, a habitable work of art.

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NYC Penthouse Video: 40th Floor, 3-Story Modern Design Near Central Park

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This modern glass-wrapped triplex penthouse was masterfully designed for both grand scale entertaining and comfortable family living. With entertaining in mind, this home features a stunning corner great room with 25’+/- ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, a fireplace, and direct access to a 41’ long terrace with wide open Hudson River and city views.

Additionally, the home features two dramatic sculptural floating staircases, an owner’s kitchen, a separate catering kitchen, and a wet bar with a fully equipped beverage center. Guests will enjoy light-flooded views by day, gorgeous river-view sunsets in the evening, and dazzling views of all the lights of the Broadway Theater District by night.

The Costas Kondylis designed Platinum Condominium is located in one of Manhattan’s most exciting and vibrant neighborhoods – a short distance to Central Park, and just moments away from all Broadway Theaters, world-class dining, cafes, shops, and public transit hub. The Platinum features a sleek and modern lobby with a soothing Zen-like water feature, and a 26’ long fireplace.

Five-star building amenities include 24-hour concierge and doorman security; residents lounge with pool tables, and a vast landscaped terrace with fireplace; spa lounge with experiential massage showers, sauna, and treatment rooms; state of the art health club with indoor and outdoor yoga studios; state of the art golf simulator; and onsite enclosed parking.

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