Unley House

Extending a generous family home, Unley House needed to facilitate the dynamism of family life through a contemporary lens. With a growing family of energic young children, an imbedded robustness and endurance was needed in the recrafting of the rear open portion, to both encourage an outward connection and to endow a sense of composure to daily life. By creating a contrasting balance between open and closed, and the fixed and more adaptable elements within the space, the kitchen is reshaped as the heart of the home, supporting everyday functions, and being a place to conjure and entertain.

Establishing a sense of separation within the open volume was key, while still allowing for visual lines to remain. A careful reshaping of the spaces, using subtle partitions and furniture to anchor functionality, without affecting the overall openness and scale of the proportions within. Replacing an existing addition, the focus was to overlay a contemporary and slightly masculine approach that could remain as the base for the anticipated changes over the years to come. Key furniture pieces were designed and crafted by local makers, ensuring a connection to place and time was ingrained into the home, capturing this chapter, while each finish and material was selected for its performance and innovation, requiring minimal maintenance over time.