Designed around a central core - a nine metric high atrium and stair - this compact dwelling achieves a lot on a very small site squeezed in between victorian cottages up a laneway in melbourne’s albert park, the box-like building reveals dynamic internal spaces and fascinating juxtapositions of materials over three levels.

THE ATRIUM AND STAIR FORMING THE CORE of the building have been designed to provide the main visual focus and also so serve as a spatial demarcation between the two upstairs living zones. The moment one steps into the downstairs entrance foyer, the atrium reveals itself to be a dynamic structural element which sets the pace for the rest of the house.

Architect Ian Browne collaborated with client Tom Ormonde to design a dwelling that would play out energetic rhythms of colour, texture, light and space over three levels. Tom initially drew his own rough floor plan, incorporating the bedrooms and bathroom downstairs, open living on the first level and a terrace up on the roof, positioned to take full advantage of sweeping city skyline views. Ian broadly adhered to this concept, and set about designing the house in detail.

While Tom had initially envisaged the stair section as a square, Ian proposed a far more dramatic and angular resolution — a wedge, capped by a raked glass roof, driven boldly between the building’s two wings — which the client accepted with enthusiasm. It meant sacrificing some floor space, but the resulting sense of drama and space was deemed well worth it. In view of the secluded laneway location, the local council had agreed to relax some of the restrictions pertaining to this heritage conservation precinct — an invitation to creativity neither the client nor architect could resist.

With its raw cement-rendered walls, steel construction and steel mesh landings, the stair has been designed to convey an industrial feel. Downstairs, a polished concrete floor — ground hack to create a speckled black and white terrazzo effect — and stainless steel bathroom surfaces continue the industrial theme. This mood evolves into a warmer, more homely environment on the upper floor where bagged brick off-white walls, timber floors, and Victorian ash veneer cabinets combine with contemporary furnishings to create two distinct living areas.

The external finishes assert the building’s status as a local landmark, rising above a cluster of century-old weather board cottages, rear fences and sheds. The combination of raw cement render, bagged brickwork painted off-white, and anodised aluminium cladding is repeated inside, where most of the internal wails have been matched identically to their corresponding exterior wall. The front entrance is emblematic of the building’s dialectic between edgy industrialism and a relaxed Japanese-inspired aesthetic: here, a brushed aluminium door contrasts with the fish pond lapping gently at the edge of the door, flanked by a bridge of timber slats. The presence of water sets the scene for the Zen-like calm which pervades the entire house.

The two faces of this inner sydney dwelling are divided by one metre and one century. Victorian lacework to the right, funky hardwood battens and corrugated steel to the left. And behind it all? relaxed contemporary living orchestrated by Lahz Nimmo architects.
IN ITS ORIGINAL CONDITION THIS VICTORIAN terrace had sound front rooms, with unremarkable rear add-ons and a cluster of sheds at the side. The sheds and add-ons were demolished, leaving architects Annabel Lahz and Andrew Nimmo an unusually generous amount of free space in which to transform the dwelling.
Usually, old terraces sit cheek-by-jowl with their identical neighbours. But in this case, the removed sheds left valuable metres on the southern side — and the client responded positively to the architects’ ideas for expanding sideways. The front entrance, still in the original terrace, now leads into a hallway with the original rooms to the right, retained as living rooms on the ground floor and bedrooms upstairs, and the new section to the left.
Standing at the foot of the new stair, the dividing line becomes apparent. The wall to the right of the stair is actually the exterior wall of the original dwelling, painted greyish blue and now a feature in its own right. The stairway itself forms a spine, either side of which the new and old are anchored. It is also a light well: clerestory windows, in the north wall under the skillion roof to the extension, cast light back into the new upper story studio and down the stairs into the kitchen and living area. The bathroom, clad externally in aluminium sheeting, straddles the old and new halves of the building at the top of the stairs.
In the extension — about as far away from the darkened interior of the Victorian era as one can get — the kitchen elements are set flush against the south wall. This leaves plenty of open space for furniture and traffic flow: this is a zone designed as much for passing through as living in. Front and back, the outdoors is embraced via sliding glass doors inside steel-framed timber-clad vertical lift doors. Facing the street, a masonry wall creates a private courtyard and presents an anonymous facade to the street, while at the rear the doors open out to a raised timber deck.
On the upper level, the studio is similarly an essay in light and colour with windows opening at either end, and vertical timber columns creating a series of internal openings parallel with the stair. The light from the clerestory windows illuminates the yellow feature walls opposite.
Both upstairs and downstairs, the front and rear windows are protected by screens of timber battens, softening the intense light coming from the east and west, and providing privacy facing the street.
At the rear, the removal of existing additions left space enough for an enclosed outdoor area designed by landscape architect Kristen Martin. Square pavers form a path to the shed and workspace (the client is a designer and has had this space fitted out with three data outlets and three-phase power) and the rest is predominantly a ground cover of white pebbles softened by bamboo, moss and lilly pillies.
Behind its chalk-and-cheese exterior, this dwelling is all about harmony — between indoors and outdoors, and within living zones. It’s also about creating a liveable environment in a built-up urban area, hidden from the outside world — yet in constant contact with it.

John Cocking’s clients ran a mini competition before choosing his design for the revamp of their 50s property. His seductively simple concept is essentially a sleeve and over the back of the original house.
A SIMPLE FORM - A BOX - IS THE BASIS of this striking renovation in one of Sydney’s beach-side suburbs. Placed as a ’sleeve’, which has been slipped over the rear of the existing house, the box has been used to define the new space, frame the views across Manly Beach and frame out the neighbouring buildings. The box form is also evident in the way materials, textures and finishes have been used inside and outside the building.
The three-storey extension integrates well with the existing house and provides the accommodation necessary for a family with changing needs. Architect John Cockings spent a lot of time with his clients considering the internal arrangement of spaces, the inter-relationships between the family members and the needs of their growing children.
The design gives the parents their own private space on the upper level with the living areas and children’s bedrooms located on the street level. Below this, at the level of the garden, are a large playroom and guest accommodation.
A few steps mark the transition from the pre-existing part of the house to the new, while the new stairwell is the central spatial link which allows the differing floor and ceiling levels of the old and new to happily coexist.
The rear and centre sections are light and bright with walls of glazed panels to the south and slot glazing running across the north elevation at the top junction of the ’sleeve’. More light to the centre of the house also spills in from the stairwell.
The internal spaces are open plan with strong visual connections at each level as well as between levels. This has been aided by the thoughtful design and placement of fixed storage units on each level which define different usage areas without enclosing them.
Colours and textures play an important part in the execution of this project. Materials were chosen to reflect the beach-side location so they are easy care and practical yet with a warmth and softness appropriate to the nurturing environment of the family home. The choice of flooring and treads to the stair, for example, combine the natural warmth of timber with the texture of sisal, while the perforated stainless steel balustrade to the stairs is another textural experience — visually interesting, it softens divisions and links adjoining spaces.
The colour palette was also carefully chosen. It is practical yet playful, with warm earthy colours used for internal feature walls, repeated in the furnishings and again in the colourful panels of the rear elevation.
While this extension is based on a humble box, there is certainly nothing humble about the design of this project or the family’s ongoing enjoyment of their new home.

A group of friends commissioned perth architect stephen hoffman to design the perfect antidote to hectic city living. The result is a series of linked pavilions that meander among the treetops taking in glorious coastal views. It’s a tonic for body and soul.
AS A SITE FOR A COUNTRY RETREAT it had all the essential elements: a canopy of banksia and peppermint trees, a sweeping 270 degree view of the coast, proximity to Perth, and all the seclusion a laded city dweller could desire.
The clients, a trio of executives looking for a place to share, asked architect Stephen Hoffman for a dwelling that would sit lightly on the natural terrain and relate sensitively with the surrounding vegetation, while making the most of the north easterly views. They required separate sleeping quarters and an accommodating, flexible living space where they could socialise.
Stephen has arranged the house as a series of three separate pavilions, or “pods”, linked via elevated bridges and walkways. “These open bridges, stairs and walkways are to give the owners a chance to interact with the natural bushland, feel the breezes, and occasionally get wet!” says Stephen. “It is good for the soul, an opportunity to break from the artificial environment of the city.”
The curved driveway leads directly to the middle pavilion, comprising the garage with shared living/dining and kitchen space upstairs. Out from the living area, a curved balcony hovers out among the tree canopy and enjoys views of the coast. Off to one side, a walkway rakes one for an amble among the treetops to one of the sleeping pods - two bedrooms (one up, one down) and a store underneath. From the garage, a walkway leads to the other sleeping pod, where two bedrooms (both with sitting areas) are linked via a deck and shared bathroom.
Externally, random rubble limestone walls with timber cladding and Colorbond roofing are the perfect combination for a project that needed to be sensitively related to its environment. The construction method — a steel frame connected to limestone walls and brickwork boxes — enabled Stephen to get the best of the views, and to ensure that the tall, narrow pods were braced against windloads. Tiny windows facing west give the stone exterior an impressive fortress or lighthouse quality, while banks of sun-protected louvres to the east and north provide cross ventilation.
The views are the main visual element in each room, switching focus from distant ocean vistas to close-up bushland scenes as one moves up and down stairs through the three pavilions. Generous room dimensions, especially in the bedrooms, combine with lofty raked or curved ceilings to create a soothingly spacious mood throughout.
In the sleeping quarters the colours are subtle and neutral, the furnishings are contemporary, and accessories are minimal. Tones are bolder and earthier in the living areas, where the dramatic corrugated ceiling, vibrant feature walls and paprika scatter cushions lend a sense of fun to this shared zone.
Affectionately known as the Tree House, this secluded abode has broken away from the restrictive parameters of the suburbs. Here adventurous journeys link a series of individual spaces.

Situated below the ridge line of a massive dune on stradbroke Island, This house enjoys a rara and beautiful panorama. Architect Stephen Coffey angled the walls and fanned out the rooms to embrace the ocean, the nearby reef and moreton Island.

WITH A GRADIENT OF ONE IN FOUR and a glorious oceanfacing northeasterly aspect, the site really demanded a dwelling that would double as a lookout. And with such a dramatic incline, a raised split level double storey structure — with decks and glass doors along the entire facade — was the most effective solution.

Architect Stephen Coffey conceived the dwelling as two fan shaped towers linked together, where the front tower is embedded in the rear tower and is vertically separated from it by half a level. Stephen used the symmetrical layout to define the private and shared living zones: the sleeping quarters are in the rear tower, and the living spaces are at the front. In their brief, the clients requested the separation of these zones and the provision of demarcated living zones for themselves and adult guests, and their young children and friends. It was also important that the children’s bedrooms be close to the main bedroom.
To achieve this, Stephen used the back tower to arrange the bedrooms in a two-up two-down formation, each room with its own deck facing the ocean. For privacy the building is rotated 10 degrees towards the north, subtly but effectively obscuring the decks from the neighbours’ outlook. The bathrooms and utility spaces form a service core in the centre of the tower.
The front tower is an elevated open plan two storey structure with the children’s space below and the adults’ area above. The glazed front wall of this tower features a track system that allows the glazed doors to be stacked at the sides for maximum views and ventilation. This wall has no structural function in terms of the rigidity of the building: it simply hangs from the portal frame like a curtain. When the wall is pushed aside, the fan shaped decks on each level can be read as an integral part of the living space. On the upper level, an outdoor dining setting becomes an extension of the lounge area — and its proximity to the kitchen ensures the deck works as a convenient outdoor room.
Viewed from the street, the arrangement of towers and staggered levels creates a series of planes that help break down the visual mass of the building. The poles supporting the decks and overhangs form the vertical elements in a grid where the slightly-curved roofs and balustrades comprise the horizontal lines. The exterior colours have been selected in response to the natural surrounds — grey green and subdued blue treated timber — and a cluster of tall gums creates a leafy backdrop that further softens the visual impact of the building itself.
Internally, the wall colours and upholstery are much bolder, recalling the vibrant tones of the tropics. A special feature is the kitchen bench: formed glass on top of a layer of polished coloured glass chips embedded in a highly durable resin compound.
While the obvious point of focus here is the inspirational view, the house itself is an object that invites the gaze. Down at street level there are the converging horizontal and vertical lines of the facade to admire, while from the decks one looks back into an interior that glows with fresh, vital colours. And the clever, versatile layout of rooms — on a steep, difficult site — has ensured the house not only looks the part, but does the job it was designed to do.

Using pinking shears, cut the sheet to 48×52 inches. Center the board on the fabric’s wrong side. Wrap the fabric to the back of the board. (For smaller projects, be sure to allow several inches of fabric to wrap back.) Starting at the center of one side and working out, staple the fabric every inch. Next, wrap and staple the opposite side, pulling fabric taut. Finish remaining sides. Fold corners smooth, trimming excess fabric.

Cut two 38-inch pieces of 1/2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon and two 42inch pieces for the border. Wrap short ribbons around short ends and staple to back. Add long ribbons. Dot fabric glue between ribbon and sheet.

Matters of taste. Pillowcases, scraps left from other projects, or flawed sheets from the bargain bin offer up enough yardage for fabric-covered mat boards. Small prints work best for this project.

Purchase a precut mat board or have one custom-cut to fit your photos and frames. Cut the fabric pieces 1 inch larger than the mat board. Using a foam brush, apply a light coat of white crafts glue on the front side of the mat. Center the fabric over the mat and smooth it in place. For the photo window, cut the opening I inch smaller on each side than the actual mat opening. Cut diagonally into each corner. Pull the center fabric to the back and glue it in place. Place the mat under a heavy book or other weight and let it dry.

Because of its tight weave, sheet fabric frays very little. Even so, it’s a good ideo to add a tiny dot of glue to the inside corners (below) to prevent any stray threads from popping out.

After the mat dries, attach your photograph to the mat back with tape. Add a solid piece of mat board the same size as the first for backing and place both in the frame.

If you choose not to use glass, be aware that your photograph is unprotected. Consider framing a copy of the original instead. With original heirloom photographs, use only archival-quality tapes and glues.

Dressy drawers. Help an unfinished or worse-for-wear dresser get with the decorating program by covering the drawers in fabric that matches the bedding. A twin-size sheet will cover a three-drawer dresser. When cutting out the fabric, check pattern matches and repeats so the overall design is pleasing.

Cut fabric 72 inch wider on all sides than the drawer fronts. Mix equal parts of water and white crafts glue, and paint one drawer front with the solution. Working quickly, center the fabric on the drawer front and gently press it into place with a small rolling pin or credit card. Work from the center out, pushing air bubbles out the edges. Wrap the 2-inch fabric flaps to the drawer sides or back, and glue into place with full-strength glue. Add a row of hidden staples for holding power. Finish the rest of the drawers, then slide them into a dresser that’s been painted with two coats of matching paint.

Curtains for this one. WIder is better when it comes to drapery fabric-less piecing is needed. And sheets will fit almost any window size. Select a sheet that is 1 1/2 to 3 times wider than your window. If the sides are already hemmed (most are not), skip to the rod pocket step in the next paragraph. If the sides are selvage edges, turn the edge under 4 inch, then 3/4 inch, and topstitch.

Determine the proper length for the curtain and add 2 inches for the rod pocket. For a balloon bottom like the one shown here, add 6 to 8 inches. (You won’t need extra inches for the hem, since the sheet bottom already is hemmed.) Cut the sheet to the proper length. Turn the top edge under 4 inch, then 1 3/4 inches to form the rod pocket. Topstitch.

Flat-front drawers work best because the fabric is glued to the front, then wrapped around the edges and glued and stapled in place. For beveled drawers, apply the fabric to the flat surface only. Paint the bevel a contrasting color.

When adding rickrack, you don’t hav to sew back and forth along the trim-a straight stitch will hold it in place just fine. Align the rickrack so the bottom of the V meets The edge of the hem, then sew straight through the trim. After laundering, the rickrack may curl slightly. Steam ironing will Haen the trim to its original shape.

(Be sure to prewash the trim before using-it may shrink slightly.)

Lay rickrack along the side hem on the curtain’s wrong side. The lower point of the V shape should align with the edge. Sew through rickrack in a straight line. Tack in place at each end and finish with fray-checking liquid.

Sheets not only make the bed, but make the room as well. Fabulous patterns, wide widths, and high-quality fabrics make sheets a perfect tool for decorating. Fabric glues, fusible tapes, and short-cut sewing techniques make the projects more achievable.

Give it the slip. Update almost any headboard with a slipcover made of sheets. You’ll need one flat sheet that’s the same size as the bed-twin, double, queen, or king.

Make a pattern by taping paper onto your headboard and tracing around it. The pattern should extend to the bed rails. Add 1 inch all the way around (12 inch for seam allowances, 1/2 inch for ease of fitting), then cut out two pieces. Baste piping to the right side of one piece along the seam line. Sew the pieces together, right sides facing.

Clip any curves and layer the seam allowances. Narrowly hem the bottom edge. Slide the slipcover over the headboard.

For rail-type headboards that have expanses of open space, you’ll need fabric with a bit of stiffness. Choose sheets with a high thread count. For extra stiffness, iron fusible interfacing or fusible fleece to the wrong side of the fabric before sewing the pieces together.

Seamless coverup. Tablecloths cut from standard yard goods require a seam or two because of the fabric’s narrow width. Sheets come wide enough to eliminate the seam, letting the cloth lay smooth and flat. Generally, sheets are made in the following standard sizes, so use these measurements as a guideline for choosing the proper sheet for your project: twin, 71xl10 inches; full, 87×110 inches; queen, 95×118 inches; king, 108×120 inches.

Cut the fabric 2 inches longer and 2 inches wider than the desired size. Turn under all edges 4 inch, then 3/4 inch, and hem by machine or with fusible hemming tape. Iron on a border of 1 2-inch-wide grosgrain ribbon, aligning the edge of the ribbon with the edge of the hem. If fusible hemming tape isn’t available in the width of your ribbon, combine two narrow strips or cut strips from yardage of paper-backed fusible webbing. Corners can butt, lap, or miterwhichever works best for your ribbon weight and pattern.

Bulletin.. no boredom. Perk up one of your home’s more mundane necessities-the bulletin board. Sound board (you’ll find it at home improvement centers) covered with sheeting and trimmed with ribbon provides a colorful background. For this 32×36-inch board, use one twin sheet. For smaller types, use a pillowcase or crib sheet.

Everyone knows that at the beach normal rules don’t apply. Especially when it comes to decorating. For this jewel-box beach cottage in Del Mar, California, interior designer Jeffrey Alan Marks happily brokeor at least bent-many of the rules, opting for high style without sacrificing fun or function. Want to make waves of your own? Read on.

A dreary color scheme clearly dated the 1925 cottage’s last redecorating when Jeffrey Marks took it over from his parents several years ago. "Everything was dark and much of it was faced in redwood with ’70s earth-tone touches," he says. He envisioned a breezy update with a lively attitude, a place where he and associate Robin Eisman could meet with clients or relax with friends. "I wanted it to look like an old ’40s beach towel," he says, "faded yet colorful."

The first law to go was Rule No. 1: Paint the walls white to make small rooms look bigger Jeffrey picked a warmer palette of saturated colors that energize and envelop rather than expand the pint-size spaces. While sacrificing a greater sense of spaciousness, he gained intimacy and a bit of drama. He even played up the house’s inherent coziness by making each room a different color, thereby breaking Rule No. 2: Stick to a single wall color to create visual flow.

Rule No. 3: Small rooms shouldn’t wear big checks. In the kitchen and dining nook, a 1970s-era remodel had left its curse in the form of really bad linoleum. Rather than replace it, Jeffrey painted right over it with a bold checkerboard design, turning the squares on the bias so the pattern actually makes the room look larger. He found that concrete paint-the kind used on garage floors-adhered best to the old flooring. The oil-based paint was thinned with mineral spirits so it would streak when applied. A coat of clear polyurethane makes the surface durable. On the kitchen walls, bright yellow paint gives the room a sunny disposition, even on cloudy days.

The house has a humble history: Formerly the manager’s quarters for a nearby hotel, the 900-square-foot cottage is smaller "than most of my clients’ entry halls," Jeffrey says. But he’s learned one important rule worth keeping: It’s not how much room you have but what you do with it. "Even though the house is small, all my friends gravitate here," he says. "It’s a very happy house."

Custom crown moldings were added to the cabinetry to create a formal look. A pair of storage towers (left) flanks the toiler and is bridged by a large cabinet and an open display shelf.

Them’s room for everyone when The grandchildren and their parents visit. Kids get a vanity all to themseves while slill being able to keep an eye on the adults.

Hinged doors would have been clumsy in this cad bath, so pocket doors were used instead.

If you like the idea behind Jack-and-Jill bath layouts but can’t quite figure out how you’ll make one work in your home, take a look at these floor plans. You may be able to modify one of them to fit your needs.

Elbow

When a bathroom needs to fit in a corner or has to bend around a closet tl, an elbow plan will often work best. The jog in the elbow configuration can also be used to skirt low ceilings when you’re building a Jack-and-Jill bath in a second story and want to avoid the dead space under the eave (right.

Rectangular

Rectangular layouts are ideal for installing Jack-and-Jill baths in a small space. Use these layouts when you want to put a bathroom between two bedrooms located on the some side of a hallway (left, or when you have a pair of bedrooms in a lofted space, such as a half story or finished attic (right).

Square

Square Jack-and-Jill configurations are particularly versatile. They can be built in corners like elbow plans (left), or between two bedrooms (right). Square plans often offer a little more space, so it’s easier to add a separate tub and shower, or a separate compartment for the toilet.

Some bathrooms are designed to help keep the calm in households where the kids have to share. Builders call them Jack-andJill baths. Located between two bedrooms, these layouts offer access from both sides and also feature separate vanities that can be closed off from toilet and bathing facilities.

If there’s no room in the house or budget for the children to have private bathrooms, use these examples as a starting point for planning a Jack-and-Jill bath of your own. Our numerous sample floor plans will help you find a layout that fits.

Peacekeeper Disagreements are bound to break out when a teenage brother and preteen sister have to share a single bathroom. To keep arguments to a minimum, Mandy and Jim Truesdale remodeled so their kids could enjoy a Jack-and-Jill layout. Both kids have their own vanity alcoves with doors at each end. Depending on which doors are opened or closed, the alcoves can serve as extensions of their bedrooms or as extensions of the bath.

Unlike most Jack-and-Jill configurations, this one has a third door, which gives guests access from the outdoor deck without forcing them to tromp through one of the kids’ bedrooms. Visitors Welcome Jack-and-Jill baths aren’t just for kids, they’re good for guests, too. That’s why Atlantabased builder, Beverly McAfee, put one in her own home. The bath lies between a guest room and a room set aside for her granddaughter, Madison, who comes for frequent overnight visits.

Entrances from two bedrooms and a sundeck out back can make for a busy bathroom. To keep privacy a priority, the toilet was given its own separate compartment. A pedestal sink next to the tub was provided for the convenience of guests.

This large Jackand-Jill bath has a separate tub and showeran amenity that’s usually reserved for the master suite.

A niche in the file lub surround (above) provides ample room for shampoo bottles, while a sliding wire rock holds other bath necessities. A handheld shower makes bathing more convenient.

Vanity akoves were decorated in the same scheme as the rest of the bathroom; the navy blue tile treatment hat frames the micor (li is also used to bond the file that surrounds the tub (above) and shower (far left).

This conventional layout features three compact sections. To make the space feel larger, Beverly used 9-foot ceilings. These high ceilings made room for transom windows above the sliding doors, so daylight can still reach the bath’s core when the doors are closed.

Elegant wood details and brass accents give the bath a formal feel, but decorative tile treatments on the floor and shower walls help lighten the mood to keep the space feeling kid friendly.