It isn’t often that a client brief is framed in the context of a 20-year friendship! For Pete Kennon, of Kennon Architecture, the Spanish Mission House was an opportunity to work with an old school mate, which provided a ‘deep understanding of the client, their personality, past, and how they like to live.’

This strong connection is evident in the final outcome of the renovated home, where Pete created a space that would provide a quiet environment for the client’s own treasured art collection. The architect explains ‘the works are colourful, busy and portray a thoughtful chaos. When designing the interiors, I purposely reduced the colour in the materials to allow for the paintings to take centre place.’

Pete worked to retain the intricate cornicing, metal detailing and Spanish terrazzo tiles in the entry portico of the original 1926 home, while undertaking a major renovation on the ‘dark and damp small rooms.’ The architect describes how the property was in ‘very poor condition’ when the client purchased it, but that there was a desire to retain the ‘delicate charm’ of the Spanish Mission house style.

Pete highlights ‘the intention with this project was to keep this light-hearted playfulness to it, whilst stripping back the complication of the awkward living arrangements and floor plan.’ Interior walls were removed and new structural elements were introduced to open up the living rooms, all on a tight budget. The end result frames the home around the kitchen and living spaces, and Pete describes ‘the dining table has interestingly become the central element to the house.’