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SEE IN STORE FOR DETAILS Call us for your FREE MEAUSURE & QUOTE 40 bmag.com.au I Read Brisbane’s Best Built-in furniture is practical and versatile 1800 016 016 bliving Home D is for Design icon This home is recognised as an Australian icon in a new book. Story by Margaret de Silva Light and space are vital to any home but these elements became crucial to the design of an iconic home hidden away on a small block in New Farm. Known as the “D House”, the property designed by Donovan Hill director Timothy Hill is tucked away on a modest 310 square metre subdivision and is the only Brisbane home selected in a new book celebrating innovative Australian design, 70/80/90 Iconic Australian Homes: Three decades of domestic architecture by Karen McCartney. In the book Hill says that it is only now, 12 years after completion, that the house has evolved to a point where its maturity meets their original intention through the weathering of materials and the changing nature of the landscaping. By Hill’s own admission, the New Farm block was a “dud site” compared to the other projects showcased in the book. “Most of the other sites have got latent spectacle and making a building that relies on the spectacle of the site or the fantastic characteristics of the site does turn out to *Retail customers only. Applies to Dulux 250ml Sample Pot (white base only). Valid 31/1/12 Inspirations Bribie Island Cnr Coolgarra Ave & Goodwin Drv Ph: 3408 3733 Inspirations Caboolture 9 Henzell Rd - Ph: 5432 3805 Inspirations Capalaba 133 Redland Bay Rd - Ph: 3245 5211 Inspirations Kedron 271 Gympie Rd - Ph: 3350 4666 Inspirations Kippa-Ring 186 Anzac Ave - Ph: 3283 1233 Inspirations Newmarket Cnr Enoggera Rd & Newmarket Rd Ph: 3352 5466 www.inspirationsPaint.com.au be a very different type of project than working on a site where there’s no view, it faces north-west and it’s pretty small,” he explains. The challenge saw him turn to traditions from other cultures for inspiration. Much like Australia itself, these influences are a mix from different corners of the globe, with Middle Eastern and Japanese traditions particularly well-suited to Brisbane’s hot climate and the need to maximise space within the building. Some of the methods used include creating an elongated entry sequence between a garden wall and the façade of the house, through a small grove of trees; light-reflecting courtyards; mixing large and small elements throughout the home to help spaces seem more generous than they actually are; and creating a versatile series of rooms rather than one open-plan living area which is favoured by many modern designers. The mix of small and large is evident throughout the home. Some of the doors, for example, are smaller and the building itself appears small from Inspirations Waterford 954 Kingston Rd Ph: 3805 6526 7 GREAT LOCATIONS SDP0089_225
the street, but one very large window helps the space seem larger. There are very few cupboards in the home but there is a large storeroom and what Hill describes as a “massively oversized laundry” to compensate. This means the house does not rely on cupboards for decoration which gives it a timeless style. The home is divided into three areas – the living area; the kitchen, positioned behind a masonry wall; and the private area consisting of two bedrooms, a large bathroom and the spacious laundry/storage room. The Middle Eastern tradition is evident in the blurring of outdoor and indoor living space, while Japanese influence can be seen with the two bedrooms that can be independently The influence of Japan is evident in the serenity of the fish pond The pond separates the private bedrooms from the more public living area accessed through sliding wooden doors that lead to a serene fish pond. “It’s got a miniature hill and a miniature lake, it’s straight out of Japan,” he says. “They are very well practised at making houses in tight spaces.” Separating the bedrooms allows for versatility, as these rooms could be used for consulting rooms or offices. The separation of the kitchen from the living and dining area also allows for a “sense of occasion” and the main room becomes more flexible. Although it seems like a contradiction of terms, Hill says the house is also versatile due to the use of built-in furniture. For example, the bench-style seat in the living area can double as a bed, play bench, project spot or any other use required. “You can build it into all sorts of other formations that you could never do with sofas,” he says. The garden is the principle space of the home – a very different idea to the classic Queenslander where the focus is on the building’s beauty. “This building has two enclosed gardens with a bit of occupation between them and the focus is really on those gardens,” Hill explains. Light reflects off the courtyard walls, allowing for gentle light and less glare in the interior. The book’s author Karen McCartney praises the D House for being “exceptional because it overtly engages with its urban context in a way that no other house represented in the book does.” Hill likes the description and is flattered that even though the building is residential, it is occasionally mistaken for something else thanks to its design and urban location. “People offer to buy the furniture because they mistake it for a shop, which is very sweet and I take as a great compliment,” he says. 70/80/90 Iconic Australian Homes: Three decades of domestic architecture by Karen McCartney, is published by Murdoch Books, RRP$79.99. Read Brisbane’s Best I bmag.com.au 41 Photography by Michael Wee
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