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This project began with a simple request from the clients: to update the charming facade of their 1930s tudor-revival style residence in Adelaide.
‘But that conversation quickly expanded into something much richer,’ Archaea director Sally Wilson says.
‘As we uncovered during the process, much of the cladding was asbestos. Ultimately, this presented an incredible opportunity — not only to preserve its heritage character, but to completely refurbish and reimagine it inside and out.’
At 280 square metres, the home wasn’t short on space. It just needed better functionality and flow, in addition to a cosmetic refresh that could better reflect the owners’ personality.
‘Our clients wanted colour and playfulness woven through the interiors. That balance between heritage and vibrancy became the guiding vision for the design,’ Sally adds.
Working within the existing footprint, the key transformations came in reconfiguring the living, dining, and kitchen zone.
A series of intrusive timber columns were removed, and a bay window was replaced with a cantilevered daybed overlooking the garden. A new curved deck and sliding glass doors also maximised the connection with the outdoors, bringing in natural light to what was originally a dark central hub, complete with dated timber accents and tiled floors.
Instead, striking pops of pastel yellow and forest green now feature alongside fresh white ceilings, while the front lounge is colour drenched in the same deep green tone.
The colour selections were inspired not only by the original facade, but as a counterpart for the family’s personal collection of art.
‘As an Indigenous Noongar man, storytelling is a key part our client’s relationship with meaning. The artwork throughout the home reflects this, each piece holding the stories of their family’s journey,’ Sally says.
Similarly, the name Clinker House also had a double meaning: speaking to the client’s love of the clinker brickwork, and a playful nod to clinker lollies and their pastel tones of green, pink, and yellow — which now feature across the interiors.
This energy is perhaps captured best in the upstairs bathroom, where terrazzo, terracotta and travertine add to the project’s new, whimsical colour story.
Colour and art have become part of the family’s everyday rituals — with something different to admire in every corner of the house!
