When we first found our dream block of land, it was a no brainer to engage the services of my good friend and talented architect Felicity from Studio Esteta. From the outset, I knew we we're on the same page to design a space that was beautiful but really functional for a busy family.
Our inspiration included recent trips to Morocco and Puglia, earthy tones that blend into the landscape and simple forms. We wanted the house to sit inside the landscape, rather than on top of it and to capture as much of the beautiful view as possible. We also wanted the home to be super warm in winter and cool in summer, and to embrace sustainability in every way possible.
To start with, we used Pinterest to build a folder of inspiration and it very quickly became clear what we we're drawn to and how we wanted our own dream home to look. This folder became the foundation for Studio Esteta to build on our ideas and bring them to life.
"The intent for the Facade of the home was for the building to insert seamlessly into the surrounding landscape, nestling into the contours of the sloping site. It's orientation is strategic, ensuring it maximises existing views through to the larger water body and iconic mountain beyond whilst maximising northern light and natural ventilation. The external form is intentionally minimal with sharp clean lines, to create a robust building within the landscape that can withstand the, at times, harsh weather elements. The vision for the façade colour and treatment was drawn directly from the colours and wall treatments that can be found within the architecture and buildings of Morocco. These earthy tones also directly relate to and address the surrounding colours of the landscape." - Studio Esteta.
"The interior harnesses organic forms and materiality, providing for a soft, textural and almost earthy experience, further reflecting the surrounding rural landscape. The materiality within the Kitchen/Living space, whilst it has been paired back in terms of its colour and vibrancy, provides for a timeless yet textural palette, that is almost a blank canvas for the introduction of colour in the form of artwork and the layering of soft furnishings and elements to interject Pip's personality into the space." - Studio Esteta.
"As a studio, we feel that bathroom spaces can provide the opportunity for the interjection of vibrancy and individuality. Whilst we like to maintain a connection between these spaces, should there be multiple within the one home, we feel these areas can all have their own identity and directly relate to the users of the space, whether it be a master ensuite or a kids bathroom. Our approach to the bathroom spaces within this home was to provide them all with their own personality, utilising different colour and material palettes, that, when viewed together, all provided a contrast, however that material contrast between the three spaces still worked in harmony with each other." - Studio Esteta.
