Modern Habitat
A contemporary Bicton home showcases Urbane Projects’ knack for blending function and form with beautiful results.
DESIGN + BUILD Urbane Projects • FURNISHING Loam • PHOTOGRAPHY D-Max Photography • STORY Elizabeth Clarke
A leafy street in a Bicton neighbourhood is home to the Pastel Project, a warm, contemporary haven that makes its mark through bold design and a robust material selection.
“The owners wanted an architectural-looking house that provides a unique streetscape not typical to the suburb,” says Steve Gliosca, managing director of Urbane Projects. “The site is large, and the home is single-storey, which allows the family to live and flow through its spaces with ease. It’s a home that is all about how the architecture, garden and indoor-outdoor living relate to each other.”
A collaboration between Urbane Projects’ design team and Loam, the home extends its functionality in a way that will grow with its young family while providing contemporary living spaces.
“We approached the project playing with volumes and separating the bedrooms so the master and guest suites are at the front and kids’ at the back, so when the little boys are older they will have their own privacy and space,” he says.
Sculptural concrete curves intersect with strict lines and cladded surfaces featuring Vulcan Hector black timber from Austim.
Statement-making furnishings are given room to breathe, imbuing calm and serenity into the floor plan. All furniture is from Loam, including the Wendelbo Pontone Sofa, Root Coffee Table, Fogia Bollo Easy Chair, grazia&co. Reeno bench and Piazza Modica rug by Halcyon Lake. The artwork Becoming One is by artist Melissa Sandy from Linton & Kay Galleries.
A shared palette of finishes integrates indoors and out, starting at the front door where black timber cladding wraps the entrance, conceals the garage, and flows all the way to the rear of the house. A floating concrete roof traces the same path, culminating in organic curves in the rear al fresco space.
The home revolves around an open floorplan consisting of a kitchen, living and dining space that provides the family flexibility and togetherness. Its strong horizontal focus embraces spatial cues, such as carefully curated furniture arrangements, providing subtle separation between different activities.
The kitchen is streamlined with a clean sweep of pre-fabricated timber-like laminate that enhances the flow of the space and serves as a powerful unifier. It gently meshes with a splashback of simple grid-like tiles and a curved, panelled island bench that gently separates the space from the dining area. “We kept the colour scheme very simple deliberately with textural tiles, curves and minimal hardware for interest,” says interior designer Samantha Tatulli.
Loam’s Sika Dining Table and Lumi chairs by Tide Design run parallel to the kitchen island bench. The Polytec Ravine Natural Oak cabinetry is by Salt Kitchen and Bathroom. The artwork in the corridor is Heron by Kate Dolan, and the second piece, Sneaky Pete, is by Andy Quilty. Both are from Linton & Kay Galleries.
Polytec Ravine Natural Oak cabinetry by Salt Kitchen and Bathroom and a splashback in ARQ Avorio mosaics from Tiles Expo wrap the kitchen space. The Momo Kimberley Timber Pulls are from Entry Point. The island bench features Quantum Quartz Naturale Concrete and is clad in Steccawood Natural Oak panelling by Polytec that juxtaposes with its curved form. The tapware is from the Phoenix range at Reece and the Dita stools by grazia&co. are from Loam.
The space’s pared-down aesthetic provides a backdrop for the dining and living spaces and the residents’ collection of low, light and beautifully formed furnishings. Curated by Loam, they combine nature and modernity, which characterises the house, and together strike the right balance between cosy and contemporary.
“It’s a large space which allowed us to oversize certain aspects like the sofas and floor rug,” Samantha says. “It also allowed us to bring the sofas forward so you can move around the space with ease.”
The bedrooms and bathrooms are similarly neutral, soft and textural, and the same material finishes as the living areas have also been applied here. “We used the grid-like tiles again as they play off the curves of the architecture,” says Samantha. “The owners didn’t want lots of blingy materials, just beautiful, textured finishes.”
The bedroom is quietly elegant with Folio’s Skagen bed dressed in linens from Loam as its focal point. The Folio Organic Bedside tables are also from Loam. The wall sconces are from Beacon Lighting, the carpet is Sante Park from Victoria Carpets, and the oil painting Wild Weeds and Wattle C is by Jo Darvall at Linton & Kay Galleries.
The size and positioning of windows and skylights throughout have a direct effect on the amount of natural light the space receives. Most effective are the banks of narrow rectangular skylights that frame the open-plan living area and the expanse of glass doors that blend inside and out, providing views of the garden and swimming pool area.
“When the doors are open, the whole house opens to the garden,” says Steve. “There is zero threshold, so it is a seamless transition.”
The living space spills into the al fresco area where modern furnishings are grouped, creating spaces to lounge, along with a bar area and barbecue that access the kitchen inside.
The home, Steve says, functions exactly the way its owners live. “Our approach to every project is always collaborative and creative,” he says. “It’s about listening to the client and managing expectations in a way that suits their lifestyle and budget, and the Pastel Project provides its family with the perfect backdrop to life’s moments."
An expanse of lush grass, a swimming pool and a generous outdoor living area encourage outdoor living all year round.
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