Outside in

There's nothing quite like a tropical resort vacation to help you unwind and relax. So it's probably not surprising to see homeowners looking to recapture that feeling back home.

For the architect and owner of this house, the architectural inspiration came from family travels in Bali. The way many Indonesian houses are designed as pavilions that open up to the outdoors was a key influence, says David Hertz.

"Blurring the line between indoors and out effectively increases the living space and creates a very recreational feel," he says.

It's a concept Hertz has applied throughout the house, and it is particularly noticeable in the guest kitchen and living area that opens to the pool. Designed as both an entertaining area and guest quarters, the space is fully open to the pool landscaping. Large glass doors on minimal stainless steel tracks slide back to provide a seamless link between inside and out. Framed with 6cm mahogany, the doors are virtually invisible against the wall when open.

In keeping with the streamlined, open-air look, the kitchen is designed to retreat into the background. Appliances are all integrated into a bank of mahogany cabinetry along one side wall.

"The cabinetry reads as a storage wall, rather than a kitchen," says Hertz. "Cooking and heating have also been minimised by limiting the facilities to a single induction cooktop on the island."

Using exterior materials indoors was another way to visually link the two spaces. The benchtop is sculpted from charcoal-coloured Syndecrete a lightweight concrete made from recycled fly ash, carpet fibre and cement. A precast Syndecrete sink is positioned in one corner and designed to look as though is it moulded from the concrete wall.

Walls feature pre-cast, raw concrete panels. These have a smooth, highly polished finish, resulting from the use of a shiny Formica mould.

Concrete also directly links the inside to the outdoors. A low, concrete bench seat outdoors extends through a glass wall to become a shelf inside, further blurring the definition between the spaces.

Horizontal elements provide another connection. Fins at the top of the cabinets echo the design of the exterior louvres.

The extensive glazing in the room includes high windows above the sink, which help to lighten a potentially dark corner. The glazing also allows the owners to glimpse a flowering jacaranda tree, which is illuminated at night.

Story by: Trendsideas

Photography by: Tim Maloney Outside in guest kitchen living space that merges seamlessly