Merivale 4

A Touch of Class in Merivale

Within walking distance from Merivale’s boutiques and cafes, and with Hagley Park on the doorstep and the vibrant city centre a short stroll away.

Designer:

DD Architects

Sadly, their 100-year-old villa was a casualty of the quakes; but the couple had a clear vision for something altogether different for their new home. Still keen to capture all the warmth and charm of their former abode, the couple say what they really wanted was the all-important ‘wow factor’ that their former home had lacked. By enlisting the talents of DD Architects to design their vision, and DJ Hewitt to bring it to fruition, that’s exactly what they got.

Enlisting DJ Hewitt to undertake their rebuild was a natural choice: the couple had worked with DJ Hewitt before; this was to be the pair’s third home he would build. They felt confident in the abilities of the building team under Foreman Noel, who has a wealth of experience running a building site. Responsible for keeping the momentum on any project, his job involved liaising with Daryl and the building team, the architect, interior designer, and numerous subcontractors, along with the clients, to ensure the project ran smoothly.

The striking exterior uses a mix of natural and manmade materials. Vertical cedar weatherboard cladding was stained black to match the black aluminum panels, giving relief to the stark white concrete panels; while stack-bonded concrete block was used to construct the garage, adding another layer of interest to the monochrome colour palette. Rockcote Integra Lightweight Concrete Panels.

From the flawless exterior joins to the immaculate finish indoor. Quality Stoppers were tasked with all interior plastering. Involving a huge amount of negative detailing, as is common with architectural homes of this calibre. Working in close collaboration with the clients to achieve a harmonious interior décor. Lume brought a creative flair to the project. Offering invaluable guidance on the selection of colours, materials and finishes, each aspect was carefully considered.

Creating a light-filled home that is modern, yet full of warmth, Lume selected natural timbers and richly coloured textiles that add interest to an otherwise neutral palette. The entrance gives guests a striking first impression. Opting for a dark charcoal paint, this choice beautifully offsets the large pendant light and the Aboriginal artwork.

The greatest challenge faced with Lume was how to achieve an intimate feeling within a large, light-filled contemporary home. ‘We set about dressing the windows with soft linens, with either dense floral patterns or with beautiful textures, in conjunction with charcoal and midnight blue on selected walls, to define the different spaces within the all-white, open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas”. Beautiful glass balustrade and stainless steel hand rail is an added gorgeous feature to this home.

The clients of this lovely home commented by saying;

‘What we love most about our new home is the relaxed, warm feeling it has. The light-filled central hub, with its open-plan kitchen, dining and living spaces, caters for groups large and small, young and old, and makes entertaining a real joy.’