IT WAS THE HEIGHT OF THE COVID LOCKDOWNS, AND THE YOUNG COUPLE HAD PURCHASED THIS AS THEIR FIRST HOME IN READINESS TO BEGIN A FAMILY. NESTING AND PRACTICALITY WERE A PRIORITY, BUT FLEXIBILITY OF LAYOUT AND BUDGET WAS AT A MINIMUM.

KIM KNEIPP STUDIO WORKED WITHIN THE EXISTING FOOTPRINT, REMOVING INTERNAL WALLS TO OPTIMISE THE FLOW AND FUNCTIONALITY OF THE HARD-WORKING WET ZONES, INTRODUCING WARM MATERIALS AND GENTLE CURVES TO CREATE SOFTNESS AND CONNECTION BETWEEN THE KITCHEN, LAUNDRY AND BATHROOM.

A LOVE FOR DECO STYLE AND SENSIBILITY IS CLEARLY ARTICULATED IN THE USE OF GRACEFUL CURVES, ELONGATED ASYMMETRIC JOINERY AND TWO-TONED GEOMETRIC TILING. THE HORIZONTAL LINES OF THIS AESTHETIC MOVEMENT WERE SAID TO SYMBOLISE ROBUSTNESS, QUIET DIGNITY, AND ENDURANCE - FITTING ATTRIBUTES TO BUILD INTO THE DEMANDS OF FAMILY LIFE.

A THREE-BEDROOM HOME WITHOUT THE LUXURY OF AN ENSUITE PROMPTED CLEVER DESIGN SOLUTIONS. THE TIERED LEVELS OF THE RECYCLED HARDWOOD TIMBER BATHROOM VANITY FUTURE-PROOF THE BATHROOM FOR FAMILY LIFE - PROVIDING A STEP FOR SMALL CHILDREN TO REACH THE BASIN AND A LOW SEAT FOR PARENTS TO PERCH ON DURING BATH TIME; THE OFFSET VANITY CAN BE EASILY REACHED FROM THE STEP AND ALLOWS FOR SHARED USE OF THE MIRROR AT THE BUSY BOOKENDS OF THE DAY.

THE REARRANGEMENT AND WIDENING OF THE LAUNDRY ALLOW FOR A SMALL MUDROOM SPACE, WITH DIRECT ACCESS TO THE GARAGE; RELOCATING THE TOILET OFF THE LAUNDRY CREATES PRIVACY WHILST ALLOWING FOR SIMULTANEOUS USE OF THE BATHROOM AND LAUNDRY WITHOUT THE DREADED WAIT TIMES THAT ARE PERVASIVE TO FAMILY LIFE. THE LAUNDRY SINK SERVICES THE NEEDS OF THE LAUNDRY AND THE TOILET - DOUBLING ITS EFFICIENCY.

THE STUDIO’S APPROACH FOR GROUNDED LUXURY SAW THE INTRODUCTION OF UNDER FLOOR HEATING TO ENSURE THE VISUAL SENSE OF WARMTH IS MATCHED BY A TACTILE REALITY. IN THESE COMPACT SPACES SO VISIBLE TO THE REST OF THE HOUSE, JOINERY WAS BOLD AND ELEGANT, DESIGNED TO CONTAIN SOME OF THE MESS OF DAILY LIFE, WITH LINEN SHELVES ABLE TO FOLD AWAY, INTEGRATED LAUNDRY EQUIPMENT AND EVEN A SECRET DOOR FOR THE COUPLE’S TWO CATS TO USE THEIR LITTER BOXES.

THE UPGRADE TO THE KITCHEN WAS MORE SUBTLE, BUT NO LESS EFFECTIVE. BY KEEPING THE EXISTING LOWER CABINETS, BENCHTOP, STOVETOP AND SINK, THE STUDIO INSTEAD FOCUSSED ON UPDATING THE BACK LINE JOINERY, SPLASHBACK, TAPWARE, AND HARDWARE. TASMANIAN OAK CONTOURED TIMBER MOULDING AROUND THE FACE OF THE KITCHEN ISLAND BROUGHT A NATURAL SOFTNESS TO THE SPACE.

THE RESULT IS A WARM HOME THAT FEELS ROBUST, EXTREMELY FUNCTIONAL, AND QUIETLY ROMANTIC, OFFERING A CALM BACKDROP FOR THE CLIENT’S BUSY FAMILY LIFE AHEAD.