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When looking to design and build his own family home, there was no doubting who Jon McKimm would turn to.
The director of InForm wholeheartedly believes in his family business’ pioneering homes model, which sees the company manage both the build and design side of client projects, in collaboration with architects Pleysier Perkins.
Each project results from a rigorous collaboration between the two firms, with the design outcome always considered and tailored to the clients’ tastes and requirements.
A dedicated project manager provides certainty and clarity to clients throughout the often complex home building journey, which encompasses architecture, interior design, landscaping, and construction.
‘We have developed trusted relationships for over three decades, relentlessly refining our processes to ensure cost and time efficiencies and superior build quality for our clients,’ says Jon.
The brief for Jon’s family home, nicknamed Littlewood, was to create a refined two-storey home with the detailing and warmth of an established property in bayside Melbourne.
‘We wanted the home to be full of light with a strong connection to the outdoors by views to the garden from wherever possible and maximisation of indoor-outdoor living,’ he says.
The material palette comprises raw metal finishes including galvanised steel and anodised windows for the facade. Bagged brickwork, and concrete poured in-situ inside Oregon-lined formwork, embed the home with texture and a grounding energy.
The floor plan is both family and entertaining-friendly, positioning communal spaces on the ground floor embracing a north-facing outdoor area, and all four bedrooms on the quiet level upstairs.
Meanwhile, the interior was led by Jon’s wife Alicia, a prominent Melbourne interior designer, who balanced dramatic elements — including a deep red marble kitchen island, and a powder room layered with light pink stone, waxed plaster, and Moroccan tiles — with natural materials that impart a calming ambience.
Given Littlewood’s position among Hampton’s established streetscape, developing the landscape and choosing an appropriate facade colour was important for the home.
Jon says, ‘The house, while it looks white, is actually a grey, which ensures it isn’t highly reflective and doesn’t stand out too much in an established streetscape.
‘To get this look right, my wife and I hand painted nine different greys on the facade of the home one weekend during construction.’
As a result, Jon says, ‘People often comment, in a positive way, that the home doesn’t look brand new… The external materials are all well textured and timeless.’
Jon’s team delivered the home ahead of schedule, and within budget, allowing his family (who had a baby due early the following year), to move in by Christmas.
‘This was possible as InForm go to site with everything selected and fully ordered, allowing our construction team to achieve huge momentum,’ he says.
‘We were able to rely on InForm’s team of estimators to ensure the price was fixed before the project started.’
Littlewood is a home that typifies InForm’s design philosophy.
The firm has produced numerous homes in all manner of architectural styles, including mid-century modern, contemporary Australian, Scandi, barn-style, and coastal homes.
Recent InForm projects range from a passive timber house that embraces a sloping site on the Mornington Peninsula, a mid-century inspired new build that looks the real deal, a luxurious contemporary house featuring stucco walls juxtaposed with fine black metal elements, and a modern family home with a holiday-feel that seamlessly connects to nature.
