North Bondi House is an alterations and additions to a semi-detached house built in the 1980’s, within walking distance of Bondi Beach.
The interiors are restrained, elegant and robust, creating the perfect backdrop to the lives of a professional couple with three kids and two enthusiastic dogs.
Josephine Hurley Architecture’s clients purchased a 1980s semi-detached house within walking distance of Bondi Beach.
It was all about the location as they knew they could work with an architect to remodel their house to make it the perfect home.
The client’s brief focused heavily on practicality and comfort.
The brief called for elegant and robust interiors.
The professional couple with three kids and two enthusiastic dogs wanted to create a beautiful family home that would endure the test of time.
The clients wanted a home that would facilitate everyday living without being controlling.
They wanted to maximise the tight building footprint and create a greater connection with the garden that was on a lower level.
The brief called for more natural light and improved natural ventilation.
Increased storage throughout the home was important.
The couple wanted everything to have a home so that clutter could be minimised.
They spend a lot of time at home with their young family and they ultimately wanted a home that felt calm and relaxed.
The Josephine Hurley Architecture team acquired a deep understanding of how the client’s live and the demands on space ensures that everything from wine storage to dog food has a designated space.
The home is an expression of the client.
It is elegant yet robust and the perfect backdrop for family life.
The connection with the outdoors is heightened with retractable glass doors and timber bleacher steps overlooking the garden, allowing the free flow of children and dogs.
The elevated kitchen and dining room allows for full visibility and a strong connection with the outdoors.
The house was gutted, rear balconies enclosed and the interiors reimagined to utilise every available space in what is quite a compact floor plan.
The renovation did not result in an increased building footprint.
Natural light was harnessed and sea breezes brought into the home.
The interiors are responsive to the natural environment and the client’s lifestyle.
The first floor hallway was imagined as a ‘walk in robe,’ something the client had always wanted but something the space did not afford.
A restrained, elegant and robust material palette was selected to create a sense of timelessness and calm in a home that is often overrun with young children and dogs.
The textural and tactile qualities of terrazzo in soft grey, oak and v-groove joinery are exploited to create a sense of warmth and enduring character.
Spaces are controlled yet comfortable, designed to a human scale where small or large family gatherings can take place.
What is the relationship of the built form to the context of the project?
The project forms one half of a semi-detached dwelling in an area that has highly restrictive planning controls.
The project focused on reinventing the interiors of the 1980s dwelling, modification of the rear building form and cosmetic touches the street facade.
The home is located within walking distance of the beach.
Robust and low-maintenance building materials were selected as a direct response to the corrosive environment.
A bay window to the first floor kid’s bedroom offers glimpses of Bondi Beach beyond and a cheeky stage to entertain guests in the garden below.
The connection with the outdoors is heightened with full retractable glass doors and timber bleacher steps overlooking the garden.
Key Products Used
The investment made in quality fixtures and finishes, with a consideration for ongoing maintenance, set the family up for the long term.
Robust and beautiful natural materials were chosen for their timelessness, elegance, and sophistication.
The 1980s external brickwork was bagged in an off-white sand and cement mix that will not require on-going painting.
The material palette was kept deliberately minimal to allow for scale in economy whilst also creating a calm and elegant backdrop to family life.
Project Details
Project Size – 221 m2
Site Area – 239 m2
Completion Date – 2019
Building Levels – 2
Project Team
Architecture
Josephine Hurley Architecture
Josephine Hurley Architecture (JHA) is a Sydney based practice offering architectural and interior design services.
JHA has extensive experience on numerous award-winning houses, apartments, retail outlets, installations, and competitions.
Construction
Hispec Constructions
Hispec a qualified team specialising in building and renovating residential homes across Sydney.
Joinery
Leading Edge Kitchens
Leading Edge Kitchens specialise in custom joinery for your domestic, commercial, school or architectural project.
Landscape Design
Formed Gardens
Formed Gardens is a residential landscape design and construction company based on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.
Editorial Stylist
Holly Irvine
Holly is a Sydney based stylist, specialising in editorial and residential interior photographic styling.
Over a decade of working within the creative industry, including interiors, lifestyle, food, wardrobe and events, Holly has developed a refined style, creating spaces and images through the elimination of the unnecessary.
In early 2019, Holly Irvine Studio was established, making her mark in the industry with work published in leading interior and architectural publications.
Photography
Tom Ferguson
Tom is a Sydney-based commercial photographer who is regularly commissioned by leading architects, developers, and major brands within Australia and internationally.
Photo Gallery
Click on a thumbnail image to enlarge.
Design © 2021 Josephine Hurley Architecture. All Rights Reserved.| Images © 2021 Tom Ferguson. All Rights Reserved.
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