Double Bay House I

The Double Bay House has an intentionally simplistic interior palette of finishes. This allows for the interior design elements to be generated from the architecture. It also allows the interior elements to blend with and complement the exterior architectural finishes and features. Light timber veneer is used extensively throughout the main spaces as a juxtaposition to the darker timber species used externally. Bookcases and other storage elements float on the walls and are sculpturally designed so the negative spaces created by the joinery are as important as the storage spaces themselves. The kitchen sits comfortably below a large, curved feature skylight which not only allows natural light deep into the floor plate but also creates a backdrop for the dining room. An earlier house in Double Bay was re-designed turning the original planning on its head by lifting the living spaces to the first level, capturing the stunning light and harbour views. Bedrooms and private spaces were shifted to the ground level. Sliding timber doors wrap around the harbour-facing rooms and on the upper level, opening to a continuous timber balcony. To ensure the rooms did not feel constricted, a skylight element on the upper level was designed to flood the kitchen with natural light flowing down the curved ceiling onto the timber joinery below. Photography: Tyrone Branigan