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The Esplanade by Prince Design and Cosentino
A repository for elegant surfaces, The Esplanade sits neatly in an established riverside setting in Perth’s Mount Pleasant, exemplifying the stunning ultra-compact surfaces of Cosentino.
Informed by an elongated site opposite Perth’s Swan River, The Esplanade is an exercise in contextual awareness and formal restraint. As one approaches from the street, the home’s language of horizontality becomes evident – expansive living zones rest atop sleeping quarters and spaces of utility. Akin to vast slabs of quarried stone, the floor and roof of the upper level provide a stage for the movements of the family who reside within. This is a home designed with longevity at its core, uplifted by the elegant ultra-compact porcelain surfaces of Cosentino.
Positioned to frame the ever-changing vistas of the light-dappled river, the dwelling covertly minimises thresholds between inside and out. This continuity called for surfaces to be resilient, yet visually soft and tactile. “The flexibility of Dekton and its low-maintenance attributes were the perfect fit for this project,” explains interior designer Tamlin Prince, director of Prince Design. Imbuing the organic characteristics of natural stone, large-format Dekton slabs take centre stage as sculptural islands, dining surfaces and vertical backdrops to the kitchen and pizza oven. Prince’s interior is a thoughtful assembly of monolithic planes, celebrated through the exquisite craftsmanship of seamless mitred junctions and smooth polished edges.
Partnering with Cosentino, a retreat-like quality imbues the realms of cooking, dining and living. Embracing the natural landscape, these ultra-compact porcelain surfaces hold steadfast in Western Australia’s changeable coastal climate. Surfaces are free to get wet, dry out, cool down and bake in the summer sun – all the while resisting stains and abrasions. Design interventions are boldly robust in form and detail, composed to withstand the impacts of boisterous family life.
The tonal palette is layered, texturally diverse and sympathetic to the riverbank location. Large-format floor tiles impart a matte lustre underfoot, interspersed by ashy-grey area rugs and amber velvet hues. The rich ochre veining of Dekton Laurent imbues warm undertones throughout the living space, contrasted by marbled stone upstands and gunmetal fixtures. Similarly, the soft concrete tones of Dekton Albarium become the centrepiece for meals, backgrounded by hazel timber panelling and burnished plaster walls.
Dekton Laurent also features in Prince’s favourite space of the home. “The central island in the courtyard was designed to be a multi-directional entertaining zone,” she says. “It features a high bar section clad in Laurent to one side and a large low bench which can be used for additional seating or as a daybed for lounging. A firepit was also built in to the end for heating during cooler months and toasting marshmallows with the family.”
Through a minimalist design sensibility, the dwelling resolves itself around a series of intersecting planes. Each is integral to the family’s daily rituals, expressed through a distilled material palette that reflects the natural outlook beyond. Cosentino’s UV-stable, carbon-neutral surfaces – which are also scratch-, stain- and water-resistant – are at the heart of the architecture both internally and externally, exemplifying resounding robustness, visual richness and sustainability.
Interior design by Prince Design. Build by MVG Construction.
