Home Renovation: Multi-Purpose Spaces in Brunswick
Our client approached us with an exciting brief: to create an open, multi-purpose home that was perfect for entertaining. The clients enjoy that classic atmosphere and style but have a fun and quirky side to their personalities that made this project a joy to work on, so this is exactly how we approached the design. The goal was to create a space that fit their needs while bringing out their unique flair in tasteful touches.
During the project, we consulted on materials, finishes and fittings, designs for the kitchen, bathroom and laundry as well as custom joinery throughout, collaborating with our clients on pieces that made their home feel true to their personalities and lifestyles.
Priority number one was to create an organised storage area at the entry. It’s so easy to lose space in the clutter of a family home, so we created a place for the kids (and for parents) to put away their shoes, bags and their scooters before entering the house. A clever cupboard hides and expertly holds the vacuum stick so each cube has a purpose, turning the entry into a functional and friendly mudroom.
The entrance to this home creates so much joy right from the onset. From the happy blue front door to the ample storage and upholstered bench seat. The feel is light and airy, giving a moment to pause before entering the open-plan space in the living room. We deliberately repeated this beautiful blue throughout the home and you can catch glimpses of it in the pool tiles and joinery in the kids' bathroom upstairs. We decided to use blue grout in the kids bathroom as well to continue the playful energy and interest, with an added bonus that the darker-coloured grout is easier to clean.
What was fun about this project was that our clients love both warm and cool colours, so it was our task to balance out the tones to create enough contrast while still creating a harmonious flow from room to room. Colour is so important to the psychology of a home.
Priority number two was the importance of multi-purpose rooms, which many families can relate to needing. The kitchen is such an important part of every home, so it makes sense that it served more than one use. The kitchen bench is clad in whitewash timber lining to give texture and warmth and the extended timber legs from the island bench create that flow from kitchen to dining. The goal here was to entertain, so we made it possible to do so either at the kitchen bench or at the dining table.
The kitchen splashback features Japanese hand-made tiles and we used the detailing of the timber joinery to bring warmth to the space. One of the last-minute decisions - and one of the best decisions, really - was to add a skylight to the kitchen. This allows for more natural light and is a clever solution to a challenge presented by minimal windows on the side of the house. It was also affordable and creates the illusion of more space when the sun shines through.
We specified red recycled brick for the fireplace cladding and used the same bright on the front façade and bench seat used outside for the pool. This added industrial elements to the home which the client loves and also ticked the box which allowed us to source and use environmentally-conscious materials.
There was so much involved in this project that we’ve barely scratched the surface. If you’d like to see more, you can check out the full project or drop a comment below.
Comments (7)
PROEmily Lancuba
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Unused space- Help in renovating lounge/living room?
Comments (7)Thanks big reader we have lived her for 2 years and still not sure! I dry my laundry in it and put my Xmas tree in it for now! Iwill add some photos when I get chance!...See MoreRenovation plans _ Help! Bathroom/Ensuite ideas
Comments (32)I hope you don't mind... seeing the external pics I have a totally different idea! But don't worry I don't expect you to actually use it, and it's just a rough sketch. You don't need to extend the footprint at all in my opinion. based on the picture of the front of house your drawing is a bit out... the entry stair actually sits to the left of the front door I think. so there is a little more room there, but i'm not sure if its wide enough. So maybe there is enough room to put a hallway back in and create a master suite upstairs? The front deck becomes a private retreat and I put the bath out there! It's only accessible from the master and bed 4. If you don't need that many bedrooms maybe even leave the master and bed 4 combined and have a huuuuge master area. there's still the study downstairs that could also be a spare bedroom. I thought as the front deck is so private it could be really luxurious. The old kitchen becomes the walk-through robe and ensuite. The new kitchen goes straight under the old, and the kitchenette becomes the bathroom,accessible from the pool. the downstairs kitchen is connected to the dining and living, but the posts define the areas. The kitchen can have a halfwall with a servery-style opening between the posts, and will still have that connection. I didn't draw it in on the downstairs picture, but the entry needs to be pushed a little forward and then the stairs run up from the left corner and arrive where the original entry was upstairs. The downstairs living is accessed straight from the entry at front and opens onto the front patio, under the back deck becomes the back patio. I feel like you have less new to build and retain more of the original layout. in fact the upstairs bathroom is entirely intact....See MoreOur Collaborative Family Home Renovation
Comments (2)The island bench is definitely a show stopper - WOW! I would love to have that kitchen. Looks perfect for a family home....See MoreSmall house renovation ideas
Comments (11)regardless of what we might want there is not enough space for a vanity in a room less than 1200mm - 1500 deep.. assuming standing space of about 900 x 900 and a vanity about 450 deep ...the only way i can see to make enough space for a vanity would be to push out the wall and make a bay window alcove but you may not have enough space outside the wall before you reach the boundary and would probably also need Council approval to change an external wall my suggestion for the moveable island (eg IKEA has big kitchen trolleys and storage tables that might suit) and that can be moved to allow for the dining table to be rotated or extended into the kitchen for more comfortable space for an occasional crowd .. small walking spaces are tolerable occasionally but fixed narrow walkways less than 1m on all four sides of the island will side defeat the goal of making the rooms feel more spacious and i would also be careful about adding extra storage that is hard to reach and would need walk around the island to wipe the whole surface...much more than 90cm deep is too far for most arms to reach ..there are many other options for extra storage eg by adding tall wall cabinets and maximizing the basement storage for seasonal supplies and a proper cold cellar and use the moveable island trolley for most often used supplies and you can improve the corner cabinets by making them 1050x 1050 (ie with double bifold 45cm wide doors) instead of the standard 90x 90 corner cabinets with 30cm wide doors.... BUT i had another look at my first suggestions from last year and i still think that a more generous ensuite stolen out of the basement space would make the most comfortable master suite, moving the bedroom door allows much better location for both the new stairs and plenty of space for wardrobes, king bed and a bedroom chair instead of the tiny master suite and don't forget the low storage wall in the dining room for dinnerware, glasses etc...See More
bigreader
3 years ago
Jamie