The Parents Retreat is creating a new sense of home luxury, it is not all about luxe materials but it is all about escape and retreat. A place to get away from the kids and relax. Spend time with a partner or be indulgent and be all by yourself.
Description of the House, its local & occupants
Situated in an affluent lower north shore suburb of Willoughby, this 1970s timber weatherboard cottage home housing three teenage daughters and Mum & Dad needed a bit more space; a space for Mum and Dad to run to! So this disused Attic conversion was about to get areal make over…..
The Brief
With small footprint house and 3 teenage daughters coming of age, the client decided to extend and build onto the unused attic and make it a habitual space to retreat & unwind from their busy professional lives, the space needed to tie together sleeping, wardrobe (walk in preferred) bathing and study. With a small foot print to work with the designer was really challenged to deliver.
CLIENT REQUIREMENTS:
New timber floor
A lot of shoes & clothes storage
Comfy reading lounge chair and foot rest
Bookshelf
Dark grey & walnut palette
Full length mirror for dressing
Good use of light both natural and artificial
A Parents Retreat!!!!!!
CONSTRAINTS: -
Tight workspace, big brief
Lots of clothes & shoes
Wanted sitting and reading area in bedroom
The bed is purchased and on its way, you have to work with it!
Design Statement - How the requirements of the client brief were achieved & problems solved
The client approached the designer to rework the architectural floor plan that had been approved by council, the space was all-wrong and did take into consideration he needs of the home owner.
My first challenge was to get a space that could function well; applying to the bed as the first thing that was visible on entry and the tall elements are placed on the Northern side of the building to offer some protection & relief from the hot summers days.
The decision was clear that the wardrobe required dual access so it could function better for two busy people in the rush period, recess full height sliders where installed for those days when early flights where the order of the day, reducing acoustic and light transfer.
The client had a love affair with the Eames Recliner so I selected the white on walnut (stunning) to be at the end of the bed; there was a real need for texture and warmth. So the Mafifloor system was selected to run thru the bedroom, study, wardrobe & bathroom…yes the bathroom. To complement this I decided to create a slated wall behind the bed and the sitting area to offer a small amount of depth to the walls.
The LARGE bed mad the room unbalanced and I really needed something to tie the room together, the string light was just the element, it connected to three wall and gave the space a real juxtof position…just what I was after.
With the bedroom sorted I moved to the bathroom; with the bathroom being visible form all areas it was paramount to create a little bit of privacy. By applying a 2pac gradient paint finish to the shower screen I had privacy to the toilet and most parts of the shower.
The bathroom housed twin basins and the miles of storage the client so desperately wanted; recessed wall cabinet that lift up was a master stroke as the client had easy access to all the personal effect san daily items
Overall the spaces are connected, the client has never spent so much time away from the kids and fondly talks about lazy Sundays where he falls asleep in “his” chair whilst reading.
The Parents Retreat, a place to escape and relax away form the family.
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