Interiors

A Builder’s Warrandyte Family Home, Over Eight Years In The Making!

In a world where houses are often seen as investments rather than personalised places to live, it’s refreshing to hear of a home being slowly constructed to a family’s specific needs.

Over eight years, builder and director of Sanctum Homes Hamish White, and ecologist and landscape designer at Platylobium Lucinda Gow, turned this falling down Warrandyte, Melbourne into their dream family home.

The completed property clad with silvertop ash feels like a piece of the surrounding bush landscape that draws the outdoors in.

Written
by
Amelia Barnes

The family home of Hamish White, director of Sanctum Homes, and ecologist Lucinda Gow in Warrandyte, Melbourne. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

As finances allowed, the owners worked with Maxa Design, Hearth Studio, and Hannah E. Holmen over eight years to transform the house from its ‘falling apart’ state. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

The interiors are clean and contemporary to draw the eye out to the maturing landscape. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Tundra grey marble and American oak veneer joinery draw the outdoors into the interior. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

The house is home to Hamish, Lucinda, their two children and dog. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Sustainable features are integrated throughout, from structurally insulated panels (SIPS) in the extension, to all-electric appliances, a 7kW solar system, and under and slab edge insulation. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

‘We didn’t want spaces in the house that were just ticks on a real estate checklist,’ says Hamish. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Monochrome hallway interiors. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

 An addition of an en suite to the main bedroom and an earlier small extension made way for a new, larger main bathroom. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

The functional and sleek laundry. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Colour is introduced via the bathroom tiles. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

A feature timber wall in the bedroom reflects the bush landscape outdoors. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Silvertop ash shiplap cladding from Radial Timber Sales features on the facade. Photography – Marnie Hawson. Styling – Belle Hemming

Writer
Amelia Barnes
17th of October 2022

The creation of Hamish White, director of Sanctum Homes, and ecologist Lucinda Gow’s family home in Warrandyte, Melbourne has been an ongoing project over the past eight years. 

As finances allowed, they’ve worked with Maxa Design, Hearth Studio, and Hannah E. Holmen to transform the house from its ‘falling apart’ state to be high performing and sympathetic to the landscape. These elements were naturally important to both Hamish and his partner Lucinda, who work as a passive house builder and landscape designer respectively.

‘We didn’t want spaces in the house that were just ticks on a real estate checklist,’ says Hamish. ‘The material selections and design needed to be in line with our values as a company and as individuals. The project needed to “fit in” and “settle” into the block.’

Silvertop ash cladding achieves this effect, complemented by tundra grey marble and American oak veneer joinery within. 

The renovated interior spaces are clean and contemporary to draw the eye out to the maturing landscape designed with Esjay Landscapes + Pools and Platylobium.

This connection to the garden, particularly from the dining area that opens on three sides to the outdoors, is Hamish’s favourite element of the project.

Sustainable features are integrated throughout, from structurally insulated panels (SIPS) in the extension, to all-electric appliances, a 7kW solar system, and under and slab edge insulation. 

Sticking to their initial goals, Hamish and Lucinda have created a heartwarming home that prioritises form and function over size.

See more of Sanctum Homes’ work here. 

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