Lovingly called the ‘white house’, this stunning Queenslander was given a contemporary makeover with oak floors, custom joinery and modern furniture and artwork. Creative detailing and unique finish selections reference the period details of a traditional home, while bringing it into modern times.

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.

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.

The lounge & TV area in our showroom houses a bespoke built-in TV unit with shelving & storage surround. Across the way is our custom-made sofa & cushions, with fabric wall-panelling behind.

Inspiration for a transitional family room in Louisville with a library, grey walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and a built-in media wall.

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

Expansive transitional open concept family room in DC Metro with grey walls, light hardwood floors, a ribbon fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, brown floor, coffered and decorative wall panelling.

Inspiration for a large transitional loft-style family room in Atlanta with a library, white walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a tile fireplace surround, a wall-mounted tv and black floor.

This home is a bachelor’s dream, but it didn’t start that way. It began with a young man purchasing his first single-family home in Westlake Village. The house was dated from the late 1980s, dark, and closed off. In other words, it felt like a man cave — not a home. It needed a masculine makeover. He turned to his friend, who spoke highly of their experience with us. We had remodeled and designed their home, now known as the “Oak Park Soiree.” The result of this home’s new, open floorplan assured him we could provide the same flow and functionality to his own home. He put his trust in our hands, and the construction began. The entry of our client’s original home had no “wow factor.” As you walked in, you noticed a staircase enclosed by a wall, making the space feel bulky and uninviting. Our team elevated the entry by designing a new modern staircase with a see-through railing. We even took advantage of the area under the stairs by building a wine cellar underneath it… because wine not? Down the hall, the kitchen and family room used to be separated by a wall. The kitchen lacked countertop and storage space, and the family room had a high ceiling open to the second floor. This floorplan didn’t function well with our client’s lifestyle. He wanted one large space that allowed him to entertain family and friends while at the same time, not having to worry about noise traveling upstairs. Our architects crafted a new floorplan to make the kitchen, breakfast nook, and family room flow together as a great room. We removed the obstructing wall and enclosed the high ceiling above the family room by building a new loft space above. The kitchen area of the great room is now the heart of the home! Our client and his guests have plenty of space to gather around the oversized island with additional seating. The walls are surrounded by custom Crystal cabinetry, and the countertops glisten with Vadara quartz, providing ample cooking and storage space. To top it all off, we installed several new appliances, including a built-in fridge and coffee machine, a Miele 48-inch range, and a beautifully designed boxed ventilation hood with brass strapping and contrasting color. There is now an effortless transition from the kitchen to the family room, where your eyes are drawn to the newly centered, linear fireplace surrounded by floating shelves. Its backlighting spotlights the purposefully placed symmetrical décor inside it. Next to this focal point lies a LaCantina bi-fold door leading to the backyard’s sparkling new pool and additional outdoor living space. Not only does the wide door create a seamless transition to the outside, but it also brings an abundance of natural light into the home. Once in need of a masculine makeover, this home’s sexy black and gold finishes paired with additional space for wine and guests to have a good time make it a bachelor’s dream. Photographer: Andrew Orozco

A full, custom remodel turned a once-dated great room into a spacious modern farmhouse with crisp black and white contrast, warm accents, custom black fireplace and plenty of space to entertain.

Designer: Honeycomb Home Design Photographer: Marcel Alain This new home features open beam ceilings and a ranch style feel with contemporary elements.

Family Room
This is an example of a mid-sized modern open concept family room in Miami with beige walls, light hardwood floors, a standard fireplace, a concrete fireplace surround, a built-in media wall and beige floor.

Photo of a beach style family room in Los Angeles with beige walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace and a built-in media wall.

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.

We did this library and screen room project, designed by Linton Architects in 2017. It features lots of bookshelf space, upper storage, a rolling library ladder and a retractable digital projector screen. Of particular note is the use of the space above the windows to house the screen and main speakers, which is enclosed by lift-up doors that have speaker grille cloth panels. I also made a Walnut library table to store the digital projector under a drop leaf.

Photo of a large scandinavian open concept family room in Strasbourg with a library, white walls, light hardwood floors and beige floor.

This is an example of a large eclectic open concept family room with white walls, light hardwood floors, no fireplace, no tv and beige floor.

Design ideas for a traditional family room in Richmond with a library and light hardwood floors.

Inspiration for an expansive contemporary family room in New York with a library, light hardwood floors, white walls and brown floor.