Behind its opaque facade hide living spaces rich in varieties of Italian marble Home In VictoriaAustralia, conceived by designer David Hicks.
Woodend House is located in the Macedon Ranges, a region of Victoria characterized by vast forests and rolling hills.
However, inspiration for the home’s design comes from European vernacular architecture, particularly villas seen in the French, Tuscan and Puglian countryside.
“I was inspired by European villas because they have a very simple architectural style, with French doors and are decorated just enough to make them beautiful,” david hicks told Dezeen. “Neither ultra-minimalist nor overly rustic, Woodend achieves a harmonious balance of nostalgic architectural references and quiet grandeur, complementing the home’s rural setting.”
The one-story house belongs to an older couple, smaller than their previous property designed by Hicks, which also had a windowless facade.
Hicks explained, “In many of my architectural projects I have chosen to have no windows on the facade. I like this style of anonymity, not knowing what lies beyond, it creates intrigue.”
“As I design from the inside out, I like to space the rooms away from the front; this provides privacy and allows you to experience the house as soon as you enter, not before.”
Since Woodend also has no door to the front, entry is through a wrought-iron arched gate on the side of the house. After this there is a verandah, which leads to the entrance vestibule.
Like the rest of the house, the walls here have been prepared with micro cement and then washed with lime to give it a “stone-like calmness”. An old chandelier made of bent pieces of Murano glass hangs from a circular recess in the ceiling.
The vestibule connects to a long corridor from which all the other rooms open.
It includes a cozy study-cum-sitting area that the studio refers to as “the retreat”. It features an Eames lounge chair, a multi-armed light created by French designer Serge Mouille, and a fireplace with a Sappho marble surround.
The same marble has been used to make cabinets in two arched display niches built into the wall.
A set of double doors connect the master bedroom, which is outfitted with plush décor pieces, including a velvet rug, a satin headboard, and fluted glass wall sconces.
Storage, meanwhile, is hidden behind white lacquer panels.
It also has an en-suite bathroom, whose surfaces are finished in light Calacatta marble.
Huge sliding glazed doors are installed at the rear of the space, providing views of a small brick courtyard with a miniature maple tree at its centre.
In the larger, more formal living room, a few white chairs are paired with a curved baby pink sofa. Sheer linen curtains curtain the French doors opening to the garden.
The kitchen occupies the rear of this space, featuring simple white cabinetry and a Calacatta marble breakfast island.
In the home’s powder room, the studio has re-used Seppo marble, applying attractive patterned stones to the walls, floors and sinks.
There are many other Australian homes that have attractive facades. Recent examples include architect Peter Beasley’s Birdwood House, which Sits behind a perforated screen of terracotta brick and metal mesh,
There is also Bungalow Road House by Son Studio, which is In front is a wall of wooden louvresReferencing the aesthetic of traditional wooden beach huts.
photography is by shannon mcgrath,
