Barkly House
Beginning with a classic Edwardian masonry home, this sympathetic yet contemporary extension by Ha Architecture provides for the spatial needs of a modern family while also reflecting their heritage and personalities.
Designed for the son of a bricklayer and his family, the new building extends the masonry palette of the existing home, with its position behind the original structure making it discreet from the street. Entry is via a sheltered walkway that cuts between the two buildings, accessing a central connecting corridor. A glazed wall on one side of this external entry courtyard injects ample daylight into the centre of the home, while the opposite brick wall is trained with planting. Lined with potted ferns, the courtyard thus appears like a glasshouse from within, adding lush verdant tones to the living space.
With the existing building converted into children’s and guest’s bedrooms and a bathroom, the addition forms the family hub, containing living, dining and kitchen spaces opening onto the garden and pool, with a master bedroom suite and additional guest room above. Central to the living area is a sunken lounge with a true ‘cool factor’. Contained by a solid external wall that helps to focus attention inwards, the lounge features sumptuous, velvety teal couches framed in timber. These are matched with a rich carpet underfoot, with Tasmanian oak cabinetry allowing for the display of records, books and clay pieces for a true retro look.
On either side, the kitchen and dining open to the outside with large, symmetrical sliding doors that bring light and airflow while also framing views of the garden and city skyline beyond. The kitchen island and splashback are adorned in grey and white Cicala stone with bold, patchy patterning, the tones of which add depth to the blues in the sunken lounge and also pair cohesively with the polished concrete floor. Warm Tasmanian oak cabinetry is consistent across the living space and is also used for the hardwood ceiling lining. Lighting in these spaces, including above the Andy Ward-designed hardwood dining table, add to the retro styling, which is accentuated by the ever-present terracotta tones of the masonry external walls.
The kitchen island and splashback are adorned in grey and white Cicala stone with bold, patchy patterning, the tones of which add depth to the blues in the sunken lounge and also pair cohesively with the polished concrete floor.
Bathrooms are wrapped in a dappled Venetian plaster with a dark, masculine palette of stone gracing the wet areas, while brass detailing provides a rich shine. A mezzanine above the living area provides workspace for the homeowners, with green carpeting underfoot and a cathedral roofline above. From here, the view over the original building’s slate and terracotta roof adds another texture to the engaging visual palette of these interior spaces.
Outside, landscaping by Pop Plant provides an easy-care, yet ambient environment from which to enjoy the pool and surrounds, with a lush lawn and leafy ferns and shrubs positioned around the periphery. Throughout the home, the outside environment calls for attention and merges with the interior spaces, creating a sense of flow between the two that is conducive to modern family life and helps to make this addition a resounding success.
Architecture and interior design by Ha Architecture. Build by Frame Works. Landscape design by Pop Plant. Engineering by RI Brown. Surveying by Floreancig Smith.
