The owners of this home approached co-directors of Sans-Arc Studio, Sam Cooper and Matiya Marovich, with a wish to combine their love of Art-Deco with a space to display their extensive collection of Italian and Czech glassware and German pottery. Not your everyday client brief!
Sam and Matiya explain that they wanted the interior of the home to ‘fully embrace’ the aesthetics of the owners, and celebrate their eclectic and vibrant collections. The bold objects required storage and display, and the architects responded by ‘splicing’ the existing two bedroom cottage. This reconfiguration opens out the existing dining room to the new 35 sqm addition, and the spaces are joined by a long, pink terrazzo topped dining table/bench.
The Sans-Arc Studio team have delineated different zones of the cottage through clever use of colour and form, to create subtle zoning. The rear of the home now opens out into a tropically-inspired backyard, while a reading nook in the living area offers comfort, and bar stools in the kitchen create a convivial entertaining atmosphere.
Matiya and Sam celebrate the generosity and confidence of the client, who gave the architects ‘relatively free rein.’ They explain ‘it is not often that people are willing to be that bold and “out there” with their home space, and we feel that the results are unique.’
While this home is fun and experimental, the success of the property is underpinned by Sam and Matiya’s expertise, guided by considered design principles. Located in an austere suburb and surrounded by cream and brown brick homes, this property ‘forms its own identity through the use of plaster and arches; playing off the larges trees and greenery in the backyard.’ In less confident hands, this could have been a tropical disaster zone, but the architects combine colour, class and consideration in this fully resolved home.