Ben Callery Architects has transformed a double-fronted Edwardian home in Melbourne’s Brunswick East into a contemporary design with large open spaces at the rear and a communal kitchen table for sharing food. In fact, the new design is so light and airy, it’s been dubbed ‘Breeze House’. The project also made the most of reclaimed appliances and materials.
Instead of opting for a large kitchen with the ubiquitous kitchen island, the owners instead asked for a large kitchen table for up to 12 people, creating a space for communal food preparation and sharing meals. “In our initial meeting, an inspiration [for our client] was the idea of a ‘country kitchen,’” explains Ben Callery from Ben Callery Architect.
“This was his way of describing a kitchen without an island bench, but instead with a large table around which people gather to prepare food. We loved this idea: family and friends coming together, sitting and enjoying each other’s company while sharing the love in the process of preparing as well as eating food.”
The back part of the house now has ceilings up to four metres high, creating more access for sunlight and a sense of openness. Bifold doors mean that this part of the house now can be opened completely onto the deck, where light is filtered with a screen of timber battens to one side and on the diagonal above. Here, in-built seating plus outdoor furniture creates a complete outdoor room on sunny days, while inside, the living room features banquette seating along its perimeter.
“On the south side, electrically-operated louvres catch the prevailing cool summer breezes over neighbouring properties from where they are directed down via the ceiling fan. With more louvres on the north highlight and adjacent to the built in seat, and the fully openable rear facade, the house has a cool breezy air,” says Callery.
Ben Callery Architects was also mindful of waste, and opted to reuse appliances and materials from the old house as much as possible, including red brick paving, plus hot water, dishwasher, washing machine and dryer, plus some pendant lights and mirrors.
“In the spirit of recycling, many elements from the existing house were retained and re-used,” says Callery. “Even the claw foot bath was salvaged, retained and reused, and is a beautiful element representing the history of the old in the new bathroom.”
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