A Modern Retro House Build with Escea Gas Fireplace
With inner city property markets at an all-time high, this family of four decided to think outside the box when it came to finding their dream home. They bought a piece of land an hour out of the central city and built their home from scratch.
With a growing family space was important, so with the help of design-and-build company Haven they designed a double story structure that hugs the ridgeline of their sloping property. The result was two modern barn-style boxes which stack, and sit at right angles to each other. Entry to the house is gained through an internal garage on the top floor, with the bed and bathrooms flowing out from it. Down a winding staircase on the bottom level, the open plan living area spills out onto the garden.
Floor to ceiling windows play a big part in the design of the home, which despite the living areas being on the lower level makes the house light-filled and spacious. A polished concrete floor on the lower level gives the house a clean modern look, but is kept from feeling to clinical by the warm and colourful décor.
The theme for the interior design was “modern retro”, and was put together with the owners’ huge collection of mid-century furniture in mind. Working closely with interior designer Tina Stephens of Roomie, they compiled a look that’s predominantly black and white, with pops of colour in unexpected nooks. The warmth from their honey coloured vintage furniture gives the home an easy comfort, a perfect blend of old and new.
Generally an afterthought in most home builds, lighting was a pivotal part of the interior plan. Not wanting a cookie cutter lighting setup, the owners worked with a lighting designer to create a considered plan for both the indoor and outdoor lighting. Small copper pendants hang above the kitchen bench and create a visual divide between the living and kitchen areas, and in the dining area an oversized bell light makes a statement over the dinner table. All over the house lamps are placed strategically, some to light the area, but many to simple create a sense of ambience. An Escea gas fireplace makes an impact in the lounge, and fills the room with a warm glow in the evenings.
When looking for fireplace ideas they selected a minimal Bevelled Lite fireplace surround to fit with the clean lines of the architecture, with a bed of White Coals which glow when lit. Needing a gas fireplace not only for ambience but also for warmth, the owners chose the powerful Escea DX1000 gas fireplace. The highly efficient fireplace uses Escea’s unique Heat Ducting Technology, Multiroom, to move heat all over the house via ceiling and floor ducts and warm every room for those cooler nights.
Teamed with brightly coloured couches and a bold patterned turquoise rug, the effect in the lounge is warm and inviting. Just what the owners wanted from their dream home.
