Unlike some of its Toorak neighbours, the SLD Residence isn’t a flashy house. This sleek, understated yet luxurious home doesn’t make big design statements, but seeks to simply enrich the lives of its family residents.
The project is remarkable for its restraint, shown in the refined material palette, control of natural light and views, and integration of built-in forms that require minimal additional furniture. ‘Limiting our palette of materials helps us focus on form, space making and the expression of details,’ says Robert Davidov, director of Davidov Architects, who designed the home.
The client’s number one request was for the home to provide physical and visual shelter from its busy street entrance. A monolithic facade paying tribute to the architecture of the 1968 Leslie Perrott ‘Troon’ apartments, located diagonally opposite the home, was devised for this purpose. In contrast, the interiors are light and breezy, but feature similar materials, to form a cohesive overall aesthetic hinging on durability and timelessness. ‘I do like to explore the relationship between inside and outside – the blurring and the contrasting of these conditions,’ says Robert Davidov. ‘Using the same materials – sometimes with different textures and treatments – allows for these transitions to blur, but also for the effects of time and the elements to be expressed slowly over time.’
Inside, the integration of shelving and recesses into the structural interior design minimises the need for freestanding furniture. Robert explains, ‘For me, the built-in plinths, bars, benches and shelves are intended to add scale and legibility to the very simple spaces’.
While this entire home’s design is underpinned by practical concerns, Davidov’s serene design response is nevertheless, exceptionally beautiful – and certainly destined to stand the test of time.
