Home to an Art Collector – Art House by K.P.D.O.

Within the existing established footprint, Art House is transformed into an expanded and considered family home that bridges the realms of both gallery and residential vernaculars. K.P.D.O. takes influence from the clients’ passion for art, proposing a series of spaces that beautifully embrace light, balance and proportion.

In the same way as our connections to our collected objects and artworks reflect an inner curiosity, our homes have the power to act as an extension and an expression of self. Home to an art collector and their family, the aptly named Art House combines the essence of a gallery methodology in terms of spacing and an engagement with light together with the familiar comforts of the home. K.P.D.O. forms a muted base from which all of the introduced art, furniture and objects are able to be showcased through their own careful curation, within each space.

The team combine elements of the unexpected with refined and well-honed joinery insertions to support the space and allow amenity to be concealed.

Built by Krongold and with landscape design by Paul Bangay, Art House is a celebration of the original home and its detail, while also emphasising the handmade. Originally endowed with an ill-fitting 1980s extension, the Victorian home was in need of a significant overhaul. Both in the crafting of the space and of the objects that layer a richness internally, the deliberateness with which every element comes together creates a unique identity, expressing its owners. Balancing a sense of calm with moments of high-spirited animation, the approach of softly encasing the home with lightly stained timber floors and a grey and neutral-based palette creates a heightened contrast with the feature pieces throughout.

As a place intended to accommodate both small intimate gatherings and larger groups, the Victorian-era home and its revised extension needed an ability to expand and contract. Interpreted through a concise and cohesive lens, the resulting home speaks to both a fresh and contemporary appeal, and most notably, is an expression of its owners. K.P.D.O combines elements of the unexpected with refined and well-honed joinery insertions to support the space and allow amenity to be concealed. Throughout, there is a focus on longevity and an endurance of the spaces, the architecture and each object within. Delicately veined stone sits comfortably against polished metals and textural timber, while intense colour creates a hierarchy.

Balancing a sense of calm with moments of high-spirited animation, the approach of softly encasing the home with lightly stained timber floors and a grey and neutral-based palette creates a heightened contrast with the feature pieces throughout.

Art House imbues its own intense personality and character, balanced by its calming and neutral base. K.P.D.O. realigned the home, embracing its original ornate Victorian charm while interposing a contemporary refinement.