An extraordinary renovation of a Queenslander in Chelmer, Brisbane, has retained its quintessential charm, while the interiors were completely overhauled, expanded and levelled up with Laminex Blackbutt TrueScale™ and an elevated collection of textures and materials.
There’s a lot to like about Riverton, Alexandra Buchanan Architecture’s reinvented Queenslander. Of course, there’s the friendly and familiar vernacular of the exterior, where a light touch has been applied to hint at the changes beyond the threshold. The recognisable lines have informed datum lines throughout, but there are subtle details - batons, glass-bricks and render – that give the home a chance to share its layered palette of tones and textures with the outside.
Just one step is all it takes. The double height entry is grand and voluminous yet avoids any feelings of being over-wrought or unnecessarily over the top, with a staircase that nods to great Modernist interiors, evident in the timber and soft white contrasts with minimal embellishment. It’s the sense of occasion a home of this scale needs to deliver, and the initial expansion of the anteroom provides the feeling of anticipation before the drama of what happens next.
The design language and materiality of the entire house have been deftly woven into the entry. We see the timber at the doorway, and you may have noticed the lush, rich red carpet on the timber stairs. We couldn’t miss the Laminex Blackbutt Truescale™ overhead, the Patagonia stone in the alcove, or the statement that has been made with curves and a meticulously constructed archway, but if stepping through compresses, the reveal of the house proper releases.
Endemic to these parts of Australia, Blackbutt and it’s characteristic red-brown tones have been used to great effect throughout Riverton. It is everywhere, from the extensive cabinetry – all Laminex TrueScale® - to the floors from Tongue & Groove, stained to match the Laminex Blackbutt Truescale™. Stretching from foyer to outdoor entertaining area, only stopping for the sunken lounge, they finally meet the timber frames of the doors and windows, also stained to match. Everything appeals to the idiosyncratic warmth of Blackbutt, the Patagonia pink stone of the island and benchtops feel natural and organic, an extension of the connection to the local landscape. Something the iron bronze tap-wear from Astra Walker is only too happy to join.
“Something that's important to me - how I design I guess - whether nostalgia or familiarity, is a home should just feel like a home,” explains Shane Willmett, Architect and Director of the Melbourne studio, adding “it should be really easily understood, if it feels foreign or if you have to ask where the toilet is instead of having an idea where it is, then it’s not; these things are super important.”
Wending your way around Riverton, a clear hierarchy is unmistakeable and Willmett’s determination to make a ‘home a home’ can be found in his nostalgic inclusions. It’s retro, as a Queenslander should be, without the pastiche or kitsch. There’s the sunken lounge, the archways and glass bricks, and deeper inside the interior render speaks to his youth and the homes of the era. “I call it Spanish lace… and I was leaning into the fact that this was a common texture decades ago,” (The official name for the irregular texture is Tipped-off Stucco) but nothing is out of place or creates an imbalance.
“So, the Laminex was the foundation to all the other colour selections,” remembers Willmett.
Everywhere you see vertical woodgrain is Laminex Blackbutt Truescale™ AbsoluteGrain®. Fitting seamlessly into the timbers, Willmett has given the cabinetry a subtle shaker profile, something he explains is “super common internationally and a little bit more decorative, but you don't often see Blackbutt or Australian timbers used this way.” It remains understated and restrained, respectful to the ascetic reference, but gently shows the possibilities of Laminex Woodgrains through this quiet feature. The only time AbsoluteGrain® wasn’t used was where there was a need for curves – the archway – or in the case of the powder-room benchtop, unable to be a pre-finished board.
Upstairs, large living spaces – five bedrooms – let the floorboards and Laminex Blackbutt Truescale™ joinery continue to flow through, connecting, complementing and harmonising with what has already come. If downstairs was already a getaway, then the main bedroom is an oasis, if that oasis was inside a slow-moving cloud. A white timber ceiling over a dusty-rose-coloured rug abuts the enormous bedhead and room divider in Laminex Blackbutt Truescale™ AbsoluteGrain®. From here the ceiling-height, sheer curtains dance with the breeze, letting dappled light through along with a sense of romance and charm.
Riverton is unapologetically Australian, speaking the local language, responding to the regional aesthetic and history with a modern sensibility. Just as a Queenslander has always done, air circulates and cools, bringing with it the tropical aromas and an edict to relax. Laminex can be so many things, but in this context, within such a restrained palette we see how a singular material can be used to create such dynamic and interesting results.
This is a grand house, but it is also welcoming, gentle and with just the right amount of fun. This is a home built to last, not because it’s stronger or bigger than others, but because, in time, Riverton will add to its story, and the ebb and flow of life will write new chapters and entries within these wonderfully crafted walls, and who doesn’t want that to linger?
Learn more about the project and explore Alexandra Buchanan's portfolio on their website.
Credits:
Architecture & Design: Alexandra Buchanan
Builder: BBH Projects
Styling: Tory Waller & Blok Design Co
Cabinetry: Weston Kitchens and Bathrooms
Photography: Cieran Murphy
Banner image features the expansive kitchen and living area within Riverton.
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