A Double Feature with Scott Weston - Existing Conditions, Concepts and Ideas
Today we continue our journey with Scott Weston through the Point Piper Apartment and the Rozelle House. We take a look at what these spaces were like when Scott and Gregory first stepped into the scene, and Scott explains their grand plans for both renovations. As an added bonus, there is also a hilarious photo of Tintin in a wig! - Jenny
Point Piper Apartment - original condition and SWAD's proposal
Bathroom and bedroom existing condition. Why hello there, that appears to be Scott Weston in the mirror!
Point Piper Apartment
Now back to Point Piper where we find a gracious 1920's apartment with 'Great Bones' - however there's no laundry, no gas, the plumbing is shot and the electrics are all cloth wired with bakelite fittings. Did we mention that the balcony is about to drop off?
BUT we have a great bathroom that needs gutting however - a clue (*lightbulb moment) to referencing Art Deco with a modern twist!
Some of the original joinery by Paul Kafka in the Point Piper Apartment
The joinery items throughout are sadly looking a bit neglected like 'Miss Havisham', however to our surprise they're designed and manufactured by Paul Kafka. Google his name and you will see why we all respect this joiner as it's all about the 'attention to detail.'
Most joinery now is all 'façadism' with little thought given to the inner carcasses, yet here we have great examples that have lasted many years, teaching us about great craftsmanship.
Samples and furniture / joinery reference for Point Piper apartment
So armed with the history of the apartment and these visual clues, we now set about overlaying what is required both functionally and aesthetically in our client's brief, whilst respecting the original style of the space.
The technical drawings for the new bathrooms- love the pink and yellow!
A pink coral bathroom with bevelled black dado and floor is decided upon for the main bathroom. A mustard yellow with the same dado and floor detail is planned for the ensuite. (You'll have to wait until Friday to see the results!)
Designing a child's bedroom that is compact, can cope with sleepovers and be future-proofed for a teenager, while tipping our hat to Deco, is the concept we are about to explore.
Child's bedroom, Point Piper apartment
Rozelle House
In it's original state, the Rozelle house is your typical worker's cottage with skillion roof add-ons that bear no co-relation to how a modern family wish to live work and function. The aim is to knock it down, maintain the existing metal roof and build an addition along the southern boundary to utilise the Northern orientation. Everything apart from the rainwater tank can be dumped, including the Client's furniture. It goes from 3 bedroom one bathroom to four bedrooms, two bathrooms, study and glamour living.
Rozelle House - original condition and plans to expand!
Unaccustomed as we are to using colour, we again raise the idea of building colour into the home as a foil or backdrop to an otherwise clean white box. A simple orange or cobalt blue element is now starting to appeal....
Colour inspiration for the Rozelle House
Rozelle House colour samples and finishes
What can we say the existing house.... 'has a face like a saucepan, totally featureless'. So it's now up to the Architects to introduce a design discipline that borrows on the client's heritage without being too literal!
Rozelle House - original condition ('face like a saucepan') !!
More colour reference for the Rozelle House, inspired in part by the client's Indian heritage
We start to explore and demonstrate ways of combining and contrasting colour so the client does not feel overwhelmed. We want them to be comfortable with the direction in which we are heading. Our idea is to use bold contrasting colours as the major design component in the kitchen and corridor.
The ground floor joinery object as visual backdrop, functional kitchen, secret pantry (with lilac interior), corridor wall, bathroom and laundry have now been resolve using this brave colour scheme.
I wonder if they will be receptive to a wardrobe door that takes them into a secret ensuite?
- Scott
