Houzz Tour: Shapely Cedar Ceiling Spreads Wings Over Family's New Home
A Melbourne family enjoys relaxed and stylish living under a stunning timber ceiling that soars, dips and undulates
Janet Dunn
13 June 2015
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former NZ House&Garden writer and stylist, and avid interior design enthusiast. Ex-restaurateur and caterer, with a Professional Certificate in Gastronomy, University of Adelaide.
Houzz Australia Contributor. Former NZ House&Garden writer and stylist, and avid... More
Behind a neat painted paling fence and a semi-secluded walled courtyard, ‘Fairfield Hacienda’ sits in a suburban Melbourne street of established Victorian villas and Californian bungalows, unobtrusive and sympathetic to the streetscape despite its contemporary lines and recent construction. Antony Martin of MRTN Architects designed the new low-profile dwelling. From its streetfront, it unfolds into a home with welcoming spaces and easy flow, from outside to in, throughout the living areas, to the bedrooms that wrap around an interior courtyard. Pivotal to the relaxed appeal of this house is the raked cedar ceiling that spans the kitchen, dining and lounge spaces, swooping and diving from level to level, like a large timber bird.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tamara and Ben McKenzie, and their children, Max, 9, Ella, 8, and Lucy, 4
Location: Fairfield, Melbourne
Size: Total site is 640 square metres; built floor area is 202 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
Budget: $700,000
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Tamara and Ben McKenzie, and their children, Max, 9, Ella, 8, and Lucy, 4
Location: Fairfield, Melbourne
Size: Total site is 640 square metres; built floor area is 202 square metres; 4 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
Budget: $700,000
The recently completed home of Tamara and Ben McKenzie and their three young children is a bit of a chameleon. On one hand, its hipped and gabled roof, echoing the rooflines of older neighbouring properties, blends about as completely as a modern house can into the traditional streetscape. On the other, a second look at tantalising glimpses of the house, through the gateway and apertures in the concrete block wall, invites closer inspection.
To satisfy this curiosity, walk up a sandy garden path, cross a paved courtyard and step inside. The surprise of burnished concrete floors and block walls, honed to a polished patina, is eclipsed by a striking cedar ceiling that folds and spreads sheltering wings over the living spaces that extend the width of the house. “The folded planes of the ceiling float above, not appearing connected to the solid base below,” Martin says. “A clear juxtaposition of material and form is created between the two parts.”
Honed masonry block in Nickel: Austral; Green Tag platinum-rated western red cedar ceiling timber: Cedar Sales
Honed masonry block in Nickel: Austral; Green Tag platinum-rated western red cedar ceiling timber: Cedar Sales
To allow the ceiling’s beautiful textures and tones an uninterrupted presence over this part of the house, Martin bypassed the ubiquitous down-lighting that so often punctuates modern rooms. “All lighting is created by way of LED strips hidden within a pelmet to the top of the block walls – it’s warm and energy-efficient,” he says.
The ceiling is visible from the house’s street front and has after-dark drama when uplit. “At night it appears to hover over the masonry walls below,” says Martin. The drama is enhanced, both at night and in daylight, by a framework of black powder-coated aluminium around doors and windows.
The full effect of the folds and planes of the ceiling can be seen from the dining area which flows to the kitchen. It dips and dives from 2.7 metres to 4.5 metres at its highest point.
Copper tray: Ross Gardam
Copper tray: Ross Gardam
An uncluttered approach to interior decor is key in spaces of such textural and structural richness. Tamara and Ben have embraced a streamlined classic mid-century Scandinavian style in the few but functional pieces they’ve chosen for the living areas.
Farstrup Model 210 dining chairs: Angelucci
Farstrup Model 210 dining chairs: Angelucci
The brass wall light on a pivoting arm that illuminates the timber dining table was custom-designed by MRTN Architects.
Wall paint in ‘Antique White USA’: Dulux
Wall paint in ‘Antique White USA’: Dulux
Kitchen cabinetry in American oak veneer continues the timber theme of the ceiling. The open space is grounded by an island bench in heavily-veined marble that wraps to the floor. Its rosy tones artfully insinuate the ceiling’s western red cedar pinks into the space. A subtle contrast to the warmth of the marble and timber comes in the stainless steel cooking bench and the cool translucence of green splashback tiles, rescued from decade-long storage in the back of a warehouse.
Marble island bench in Rosa Aurora: Peraway Marble
Marble island bench in Rosa Aurora: Peraway Marble
The refinement and craftsmanship that characterises the finishes throughout the living section continue in the high-end Miele appliances and the Danish-designed brass tap in the island’s bar sink.
Vola tap in Natural Brass: Dedece
Vola tap in Natural Brass: Dedece
The kitchen wall containing cabinetry and cooking appliances forms the wall of the adjacent family living area. It is backed by honed masonry blockwork and faces the opposite blockwork wall with its over-size black-framed window that floods the room with light, or which can be screened with motorised blinds.
Clearview Sun Control blinds: Protek; Tailored Tray coffee tables: Ross Gardam
Clearview Sun Control blinds: Protek; Tailored Tray coffee tables: Ross Gardam
Any concerns that concrete floors and walls may be visually cold is dispelled by the brightness of multi-striped kilims from Loom, touches of orange, comfortable Danish-style furniture, and overhead, that mellow-toned ceiling. Light enters from several directions to enhance a space that is both child-friendly and adult-stylish.
Martin comments, “The blockwork walls have a high thermal mass and, in conjunction with the concrete floor, reduce the heating and cooling energy requirements.”
Martin comments, “The blockwork walls have a high thermal mass and, in conjunction with the concrete floor, reduce the heating and cooling energy requirements.”
This view from the family room shows how it is connected to the street and will have increased privacy from it as the plantings in the front courtyard grow.
Sofa: Jardan; Limelight floor lamp in White: Giffen Design
Sofa: Jardan; Limelight floor lamp in White: Giffen Design
The front living spaces transition to the bedrooms and bathrooms at the back of the house through two corridors, as illustrated in the floor plan. “The rear of the house is divided into a parent’s wing and a children’s wing,” says Martin. “Due to width limitations, these wings are wrapped around a central courtyard, physically separating them, but maintaining visual connection.”
There is a shift in both mood and material between the living areas and the bedroom wings in the rear section of the house. Polished concrete floors give way to timber floors – there is a short length of tiles between the two materials, marking the change from living to private areas. Walls change from honed concrete blockwork to lightweight timber frames clad in FSC-certified plywood painted in Dulux ‘Antique White USA’.
Smack in the heart of the home, the glass-walled and louvred 3 metre by 3 metre courtyard performs several functions. The plantings provide a green oasis and will eventually screen between the bedroom wings. Martin says of the thermal effect of this courtyard: “It acts like a ‘lung’ in the centre of the house. It allows natural light in and a high degree of ventilation control by drawing air from the front or back of the plan as required.”
The master bedroom carpet is a rosy retro pink, in keeping with the general mid-century feel of joinery and furniture in the living spaces throughout the home.
Escape wool carpet in Marilyn: Supertuft; curtains in de Ploeg Minx: Svenska KJ
Escape wool carpet in Marilyn: Supertuft; curtains in de Ploeg Minx: Svenska KJ
The luxurious plush pink tones continue through Ben and Tamara’s walk-in robe into the spacious adjacent study.
The master ensuite exudes grown-up sophistication, from the elegance of the dark grey brick-laid tiles that subtly reference the blockwork masonry in the front sections of the house …
Ceramica Vogue tiles in Ferro: Classic Ceramics
Ceramica Vogue tiles in Ferro: Classic Ceramics
… to the custom-crafted glazed basin from Valley Plains Pottery and striking white-veined marble vanity.
RAM Yeva mixer tap in Chrome: Reece Plumbing; Pietra Grey marble vanity: De Fazio Tiles and Stone
RAM Yeva mixer tap in Chrome: Reece Plumbing; Pietra Grey marble vanity: De Fazio Tiles and Stone
The children’s zone contains three bedrooms, separated by a bathroom. Furnishing, like this zingy yellow bunk bed from Snooze, is sturdy, colourful and practical for Max, Ella and Lucy.
Escape carpet in Thrill: Supertuft
Escape carpet in Thrill: Supertuft
Textural details in the children’s bathroom include random placing of gloss and matt subway tiles.
Ceramica Vogue tiles in Ferro and White: Classic Ceramics; RAM Luka mixer tap in Chrome: Reece Plumbing; vanity in Pine Green Marble: Peraway Marble
Ceramica Vogue tiles in Ferro and White: Classic Ceramics; RAM Luka mixer tap in Chrome: Reece Plumbing; vanity in Pine Green Marble: Peraway Marble
The rearmost of the three children’s bedrooms opens onto the backyard through large black-framed sliders.
Pitagora Sari Silk in Fluoro (as rugs): Loom
Pitagora Sari Silk in Fluoro (as rugs): Loom
The butterfly lines of the dips and angles of the gables at the front of the house translate to a rear face with two similarly-structured ‘wings’ that fold around the children’s play area.
Timber cladding is Carter Holt Harvey Shadowclad in Dulux ‘Stepney’ and roofing is corrugated and uncorrugated Stramit Speed Deck in Colorbond ‘Monument’.
Timber cladding is Carter Holt Harvey Shadowclad in Dulux ‘Stepney’ and roofing is corrugated and uncorrugated Stramit Speed Deck in Colorbond ‘Monument’.
This view shows how the ‘wings’ form a protective cover over the timber beam steps to the backyard. The steps have been cleverly tapered to repeat the wing form.
So why has this home been called the Fairfield ‘Hacienda’? The word evokes the pre-revolutionary mansions of Mexican landowners, the hacendados, with their massive thick walls, sun-baked terracotta roofs and cool interiors. Martin explains, “Hacienda-style architecture is not commonly alluded to in Australian architecture. One of its fundamental features is the indoor or enclosed courtyard, which fits perfectly with a site like this one where the northern aspect is to the street.”
Martin developed his hacienda concept with a deep front garden that sets a roofless concrete blockwork structure back in line with the facades of the neighbouring homes. This structure, which forms a semi-private courtyard, creates much interest from the street and gives the home a brilliant outdoor living space in the sunniest area of the block.
A bird’s-eye view of the house shows the front courtyard aligned with adjacent frontages, one reason, says Martin, that the home sits so comfortably, from an architectural perspective, within its local context.
The front garden is planted with drought-tolerant vegetation in impervious compacted sand. Here, Tamara and Lucy harvest some of the vegetables they have planted there.
Rainwater is collected in a tank for landscape irrigation and toilet flushing.
Rainwater is collected in a tank for landscape irrigation and toilet flushing.
Welcome to the McKenzie’s suburban hacienda courtyard, with its soothing palette of natural tones and textures. Crazy paving is sand-coloured Eco Outdoor Abyss split stone, benches are timber and bright red chairs make a vivid splash of colour.
Red outdoor chairs: Angelucci
Red outdoor chairs: Angelucci
The space, which enjoys abundant northern light through the open roof and large glassless apertures, is used by the family for dining, socialising and as a spacious play area for the children. It is also a contact point from where they can interact with passing local residents.
Not surprisingly, this enclosed yet street-connected courtyard has become one of the family’s most loved and used spaces in their hacienda.
The Chinese elm Ben and Tamara planted will eventually shade the courtyard, and vines and creepers will ramble and trail over the exposed concrete masonry. The family will remain connected to the street, while they enjoy their cool green courtyard and the beautiful, simple home beyond.
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Great use of LED lighting to be hidden at the top of the walls. Very striking.
Love the cinder block throughout the interior and exterior of the house, and the spin off of the Eichler design.