Curves in all the right places

Renovation by Rob Nerlich & Kate McMahon, McMahon and Nerlich

From the architects: 

Design points

• The defining feature of this modest house by the bay is a curved glass courtyard corner which is gently repeated in the opposing curved white wall within, and a circular skylight to the outdoor kitchen. Curves also feature in bathroom and laundry, where the small format vertical finger tiles contribute to an atmospheric rendering of light and spatial form.
• The curve feature came about in response to a heritage element of the original front rooms of the home and detail of the heritage coved corners.
• The retired owners were downsizing from a substantial property, and had an unusual brief from the outset; despite the proximity of the dwelling to Middle Park beach and bayside views, they eschewed the normative 2-storey renovation and sought single-level living with an ageing-in-place approach. This was for both economic and ethical reasons – a way to control costs and improve sustainability by minimising the footprint and volume of new construction.

• Their brief was exacting, however, and they also sought a light and bright house, with an outdoor kitchen for extensive extended-family cooking, an indoor-outdoor lifestyle where the homeowner could paddle board in the bay and easily come home, store equipment and rinse off in ease and privacy.
• With 3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms and laundry, open-plan living, kitchen and dining, zoned to suit entertaining, as well as outdoor areas and a carport, on the relatively compact site of 233m², we knew spaces needed to be of exact size and fit together seamlessly.
• The house resonates with calm and meditative white spatial materiality cocooned between Blackbutt timber floor and ceiling and celebrating the curved corners, enveloping the senses.
• The new interior layout mimics the glass courtyard curved wall with an opposing curved white wall, allowing nuance to the unusually diagonally dispersed spatial relationship of living and kitchen/dining areas – reflecting spatial clarity and rigorous reductive detailing.
• White walls, joinery and doors provide clarity and spatial expansion while light grey stone to the kitchen adds richness and reinforces the spatially meditative atmosphere.
• Furniture with curved or radius elements is selected in timber or colours to complement the blue-green courtyard landscape hues, with locally designed sofa and occasional tables, rugs and other soft furnishings that create a light warm feel and encourage the flow of space.
• Lamps and pendant lights are circular, and dimmable recessed light fittings are visually subtle and provide controlled lighting.

• The generous ceiling height is maintained in the new areas and interior and exterior are integrated by high levels of natural light, large slide-away glazed doors and continuity of materials.
• Finger tiled curved corners provide intimacy to bathrooms and laundry, and curved-corner skylight-reveals envelop bathers in natural light.
• Timber floor and ceiling bookend the white interior and light floods in throughout the day from the 2 courtyards and feature bathroom skylights – plus the house is full of beautiful furniture with a curved theme.
• The heritage rendered façade has been restored to the original mix of brickwork and roughcast stucco that is the characteristic of the neighbourhood.
• Sustainable design is fully integrated with the spatial and experiential design.
• New and existing construction is highly insulated and double glazing is inserted into existing timber windows and high-performance aluminium framed double glazing are utilised for new windows and doors.
• The new roof area is fully utilised for solar panels, and highly efficient heating and cooling systems are provided, with low dust hydronic heating.

Designed by: Rob Nerlich & Kate McMahon, McMahon and Nerlich

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Shannon McGrath