A House to Gather is a house with a lot to pack in. That’s not to say that it’s in a hurry. The only thing busy about this workers cottage renovation in Thornbury is the rate at which a negroni can be on the table. Open the doors, take a seat, there’s a lot to talk about.
For the owners of A House to Gather, there was only one overarching message for their architects to adhere to; this is an entertainer’s house. The relatively modest block and footprint would be massaged, finessed and transformed into the perfect example of an open house, and just the thing they were looking for. Sibling, their architects, demolished about half the old home, added a second story at the rear (while remaining faithful to the surrounding area) and designed a space that would be espouse the values of their clients.
“[A House to Gather] is all about being a place to bring people together… family and friends, and a place for community to come together within a family home,” says Nicholas Braun, Director at Sibling. “The idea of bringing extra natural light into the project was a really big factor, and the clients were big entertainers… and this became a really integral part of the brief.”
From the street, A House to Gather is like any other in the neighbourhood, it’s paint may be fresh, but the colours and palette is pure Federation era and gives just a hint at what lies behind the front door. Once through, the new additions are immediately evident, mainly for the double glass brick wall at the rear of the house that filters and sends light into the kitchen, stairwell and hall. Stepping past the moss green carpet and the typical hall and room layout of terrace homes, a contemporary living space beckons. It begins with a poppy orange staircase, complete with a Sibling signature, steel mesh panelling in a complementary hue.
The kitchen is resplendent in a lush, forest green – Laminex Hushed Pine – specifically chosen to connect with the Australian landscape, but also to the house itself.
“The colour palette we chose downstairs, including the greens and the soft oranges, was all about creating a connection to the Australian landscape. [There’s] a nod to the Victorian heritage, some of the colours we used with the space are a direct reference to the federation colours you see at the front of property, but we deliberately wanted to contrast that and make it feel very contemporary,” explains Braun.
“An important design element for the kitchen was the use of Laminex Hushed Pine. This was chosen specifically [to be] impactful, but also quite adult.”
Which is how A House to Gather is best viewed, fun, adult, theatrical, contemporary and connected. All the things one prioritises when building a home for entertaining, friends and family.
“I think this project reflects Australian residential architecture today in the way it’s a very small house and is a great example of doing a lot with a little… that not all houses need to be, with the current housing crisis, large unsustainable houses. You can get these really beautiful living spaces within a small footprint that offer so much quality of life,” says Braun.
The kitchen is complemented by stainless steel finishes and open and orange shelves in its centre, but a quiet hero of the project is the splashback with custom painted tiles by artist and friend Angus Gardiner.
Hidden behind the distinctive angle of the kitchen is the main bathroom. Its curved orange curtain railing is another reminder of theme and mood consistency. Laminex Aries – a proper neutral greyed white – with a hint of warmth plays off the earthy tiles Sibling chose for bath surround and as for the wall of yet more glass bricks that let natural light wend and wind its way inside.
If the greens of downstairs ground, then upstairs, blues lift. In keeping with the airy feel and mood of the brief, blue has been used as both highlight (bedroom) and as main attraction in the bathroom. Evoking the tranquillity and calming effects of the sky, Laminex Steel Blue, along with some perfectly matched tiles deliver on the fun and adult tones, that by now, has established itself as A House to Gather’s raison d’etre.
Just as the palette offers a connection to nature and context to the home’s architectural history, the way in which the rear of the home presents a seamless indoor-outdoor experience is key to the success of Sibling’s work.
“The space we were working with was quite limited. It was quite a narrow site and typical of a Federation, inner-city block. We really had to think about how we could push as many different functions [as possible] and uses into a single space,” remembers Braun, “this project offers a lot of ideas of how residential architecture can explored into the future.”
“[There are] challenges in creating these smaller spaces, but from [these] challenges we like to see where the opportunities can lead, and in the case of this project, to an unexpected and fantastic outcome.”
Another drink?
Explore Sibling Architecture's work on their website and explore The Local Project feature.
Credits:
Architecture & Design: Sibling Architecture
Landscape Design: Flower Spike
Joiner: Contegrity
Custom Tiles: Angus Gardner
Builder: V Haus
Photographer: Christine Francis
Videography: The Local Project
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