Periscope House draws light into a young family’s home, adding thoughtful solutions and flexible spaces to 1950s Art Deco foundations. Our clients engaged us to undertake a considered extension to their character-rich home in Malvern East. They wanted to celebrate their home’s history while adapting it to the needs of their family, and future-proofing it for decades to come. The extension’s form meets with and continues the existing roofline, politely emerging at the rear of the house. The tones of the original white render and red brick are reflected in the extension, informing its white Colorbond exterior and selective pops of red throughout. Inside, the original home’s layout has been reimagined to better suit a growing family. Once closed-in formal dining and lounge rooms were converted into children’s bedrooms, supplementing the main bedroom and a versatile fourth room. Grouping these rooms together has created a subtle definition of zones: private spaces are nestled to the front, while the rear extension opens up to shared living areas. A tailored response to the site, the extension’s ground floor addresses the western back garden, and first floor (AKA the periscope) faces the northern sun. Sitting above the open plan living areas, the periscope is a mezzanine that nimbly sidesteps the harsh afternoon light synonymous with a western facing back yard. It features a solid wall to the west and a glass wall to the north, emulating the rotation of a periscope to draw gentle light into the extension. Beneath the mezzanine, the kitchen, dining, living and outdoor spaces effortlessly overlap. Also accessible via an informal back door for friends and family, this generous communal area provides our clients with the functionality, spatial cohesion and connection to the outdoors they were missing. Melding modern and heritage elements, Periscope House honours the history of our clients’ home while creating light-filled shared spaces – all through a periscopic lens that opens the home to the garden.

Photo of a large beach style open concept family room in Geelong with white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

This is an example of a mid-sized contemporary family room in Melbourne with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, beige floor and exposed beam.

Large beach style open concept family room in Sydney with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv, timber and a ribbon fireplace.

Design ideas for a large contemporary family room in Other with white walls, plywood floors, a standard fireplace, a plaster fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

This Croft House Sectional sofa was the stunning piece that this area was built around
Inspiration for a large mediterranean open concept family room in Phoenix with brown walls, slate floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

This contemporary beauty features a 3D porcelain tile wall with the TV and propane fireplace built in. The glass shelves are clear, starfire glass so they appear blue instead of green.

This is an example of a large transitional open concept family room in Sacramento with white walls, a standard fireplace, a stone fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv, wood, dark hardwood floors and black floor.

Photo of a transitional family room in Salt Lake City with beige walls, dark hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

With adjacent neighbors within a fairly dense section of Paradise Valley, Arizona, C.P. Drewett sought to provide a tranquil retreat for a new-to-the-Valley surgeon and his family who were seeking the modernism they loved though had never lived in. With a goal of consuming all possible site lines and views while maintaining autonomy, a portion of the house — including the entry, office, and master bedroom wing — is subterranean. This subterranean nature of the home provides interior grandeur for guests but offers a welcoming and humble approach, fully satisfying the clients requests. While the lot has an east-west orientation, the home was designed to capture mainly north and south light which is more desirable and soothing. The architecture’s interior loftiness is created with overlapping, undulating planes of plaster, glass, and steel. The woven nature of horizontal planes throughout the living spaces provides an uplifting sense, inviting a symphony of light to enter the space. The more voluminous public spaces are comprised of stone-clad massing elements which convert into a desert pavilion embracing the outdoor spaces. Every room opens to exterior spaces providing a dramatic embrace of home to natural environment. Grand Award winner for Best Interior Design of a Custom Home The material palette began with a rich, tonal, large-format Quartzite stone cladding. The stone’s tones gaveforth the rest of the material palette including a champagne-colored metal fascia, a tonal stucco system, and ceilings clad with hemlock, a tight-grained but softer wood that was tonally perfect with the rest of the materials. The interior case goods and wood-wrapped openings further contribute to the tonal harmony of architecture and materials. Grand Award Winner for Best Indoor Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home This award-winning project was recognized at the 2020 Gold Nugget Awards with two Grand Awards, one for Best Indoor/Outdoor Lifestyle for a Home, and another for Best Interior Design of a One of a Kind or Custom Home. At the 2020 Design Excellence Awards and Gala presented by ASID AZ North, Ownby Design received five awards for Tonal Harmony. The project was recognized for 1st place – Bathroom; 3rd place – Furniture; 1st place – Kitchen; 1st place – Outdoor Living; and 2nd place – Residence over 6,000 square ft. Congratulations to Claire Ownby, Kalysha Manzo, and the entire Ownby Design team. Tonal Harmony was also featured on the cover of the July/August 2020 issue of Luxe Interiors + Design and received a 14-page editorial feature entitled “A Place in the Sun” within the magazine.

Design ideas for a large beach style open concept family room in Miami with grey walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, a wall-mounted tv and beige floor.

White Cloud sectional with Industrial metal bookcase and vintage farmhouse accents
This is an example of a large country open concept family room in Orange County with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

This family room was totally redesigned with new shelving and all new furniture. The blue grasscloth added texture and interest. The fabrics are all kid friendly and the rug is an indoor/outdoor rug by Stark. Photo by: Melodie Hayes

QPH Photo
Photo of a traditional family room in Richmond with beige walls, medium hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wood fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Photo of a large contemporary open concept family room in Dallas with white walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a wall-mounted tv, beige floor and a plaster fireplace surround.

Giovanni Photography
This is an example of a large transitional open concept family room in Miami with grey walls, dark hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a metal fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Overall view of a recently styled family room complete with stone fireplace and wood mantel, medium wood custom built-ins, sofa and chairs, black console table with white table lamps, traverse rod window treatments and exposed beams in Charlotte, NC.

Large transitional open concept family room in Orlando with white walls, medium hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and brown floor.

Country open concept family room in Other with white walls, light hardwood floors, a wall-mounted tv, beige floor and vaulted.