Queens Park House by Arent&Pyke
Providing a young family with a relaxed and spacious home flooded with natural light and filled with art and playful sculptural forms, Queens Park House achieves a new form of mindful material luxury.
Sensitive to its century-old history, this back-to- shell renovation and extension of a Federation bungalow delights in rich materiality, and delivers a relaxed contemporary ambience. The seamless integration of old and new built elements contributes to the timeless quality of heritage features combined with contemporary liveliness.
In collaboration with the architects, Vitale Design, every opportunity to introduce softly diffused natural light is embraced across the home’s communal and private spaces. The arched doorways in the kitchen introduce an overriding sense of gossamer-like airiness. The house transitions easily from formal and historic at the front to relaxed and contemporary at the back. Tranquillity is achieved throughout, thanks to the slow progression and interplay of eucalyptus greys and greens which serve as the backdrop throughout the home’s various spaces, in combination with a palette of tallowwood and marble.
Close attention is given to the elements which represent the meeting point of the built form and the human body. The luxurious timbers, generous use of stone and marble, and tactile upholstery, all serve to delight the touch. Herringbone parquetry seamlessly transitions from living to kitchen, and upstairs timber flooring continues from the master suite through both the walk-in- robe and master en-suite, adding warmth and flow.
As a keen cook the owner placed a lot of importance on the kitchen design. A particular wish was to have a large, robust bench space that could double as a secondary dining table. Lightness is achieved with the slimline island bench in contrast with the moodier eucalyptus grey cabinetry. The rich grey veining of Arabescato Vagli marble splashback and bench tops evokes the movement and shadows of the towering gum tree in the front garden. These tonal chameleon colours are soft and serene, and harmoniously combine with the herringbone parquetry in solid tallowwood, which is a unifying element across the entire kitchen, living and dining area.
The interior design is inextricably linked to the decorative brief – a decorative modernism that responds emotionally to the home’s history and family’s needs. Artworks, objects and special commissions have been factored in to the richly layered palette and materiality, as has the connection between the indoors and the garden.
• Portrait of Arent & Pyke, photographed by Julie Adams
Interior Architecture and Decoration: @arentpykestudio
Architecture: @vitaledesign
Photography: @smartanson
Photo Styling: @clairedelmar
