Perched on top of Eaglemont, this house, designed by Christopher Elliott Design, overlooks the Melbourne cityscape.
The house has a surprisingly compact footprint.
But it is not short on space; sprawling over four levels.
However, with that came challenges.
In particular; how to treat the double height void above the main living space.
This was overcome by cladding the walls in timber and accentuating the fireplace and joinery design.
Christopher Elliott Design’s client wanted a luxurious house design that suited their active, modern lifestyle, but they didn’t want it to be a clinical white box.
They responded well to monolithic forms and materials that convey texture and quality.
Christopher Elliott Design derived their concepts from the architecture, and how the spaces relate to each other as well as the exterior landscape.
The client wanted the most from the available site.
Therefore, the architecture required multiple levels to work with the steep gradient of the land.
That placed constraints on the internal layout, as the house sprawls over four levels.
So some spaces didn’t have ideal proportions.
From the onset, the Christopher Elliott Design team identified that there needed to be some revisions to the internal layout to accommodate the client’s requests.
Those revisions included the reconfiguration of the master bedroom wing and the main living space.
The footprint of the main living space was compact.
But by taking advantage of the double height void above, the space felt generous.
This worked by emphasising the height, in designing a fireplace and joinery unit that extended up both levels.
The kitchen/dining space adjacent to this area has a reduced ceiling height.
To balance the sense of compression felt there, the design team clad the main wall in the same timber used on the feature fireplace wall.
This resolve also concealed doors to the butler’s kitchen, study nook, and cellar; and in doing so made the kitchen joinery and island bench the focal point.
Christopher Elliott Design created the colour palette in response to the clients brief.
They wanted a timeless approach with bold elements. Using contrasting timber finishes in conjunction with natural stone.
So the base palette was enlivened with pops of claret, pink, and navy to add interest.
Project Details
Project Size- 564 m2
Site Area – 692 m2
Completion Date – 2016
Building Levels – 4
Project Details
Architecture
Christopher Elliott Design
Christopher Elliott Design is adept at working with heritage buildings, having previously worked with Victorian and Edwardian architecture across the residential and educational sectors.
They love working with old buildings full of character, especially when their clients allow us to take a progressive approach.
www.christopherelliottdesign.com.au
Styling
Bree Leech
Bree Leech is a Melbourne based creative studio specialising in creating visual content.
She uses her unique combination of interior design and industry skills to create visually stunning projects, from private interiors to creative marketing campaigns for leading Australian brands.
Photography
Jack Lovel
Jack Lovel is an architectural photographer based in Melbourne, Australia. With ten years worth of experience, Jack has worked with some of the leading architects and design practices in the field including Splinter Society, Carr Design, Christopher Elliott and Biasol. His editorial work has featured in global publications like Dwell, Elle Decoration, Houses and Habitus.
Alongside his freelance practice, Jack has spent three years documenting Iwan Iwannoff’s architectural legacy in Western Australia, culminating in a 2019 exhibition entitled The Architecture of Iwan Iwanoff – Through the lens of Jack Lovel at Perth’s There Is Studio.
This body of work was initially inspired by the Iwanoff-designed Jordanoff house that Jack grew up in, and is a testament to his long fascination with – and passion for – contemporary architecture.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2021 Christopher Elliott Design. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2021 Jack Lovel. All Rights Reserved.
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