Family History – The Way House by Darryl Way Architect

Steeped in family history, The Way House has become multigenerational home. Originally designed by Perth architect Darryl Way in the 1970s, the newly renovated dwelling draws upon its architectural heritage in a designed embrace of its future.

Settled in close proximity to Perth’s Freshwater Bay, The Way House represents a significant family legacy. Built in 1975 by the client’s father – an established architect – the home stands as a labour of love, expressing at a foundational level a sincere devotion to the closeness of family. Inheriting the residence, the client, Mischa Way, decided to honour the architectural narrative by renovating the building with the assistance of vittinoAshe; re-imagining the kitchen and the bathrooms and adding a laundry, separate studio and guest room in order to prepare the home for generations to come. The design intent centred on providing more space whilst retaining the family-oriented character and unique symmetry of the original dwelling.

Internally, The Way House effortlessly coheres old and new architectural elements. Comprised of reject bricks, jarrah, steel and glass, the extended home borrows visual space from the outdoors, merging interior and exterior environments. Similarly, the main bathroom is decorated in a neutral colour palette and adorned with a large mirrored wall in order to accentuate its proportions. Additionally, a laundry space is incorporated and lightened with a dado render to balance the darker quality of the exposed brickwork palette in the staircase void. The new studio pays homage to the original house through the replication of clean lines, materiality and finishes, with both structures featuring a steel staircase. Whilst the original house is supported by a jarrah timber frame, the new studio utilises a steel structure to suggest a New York loft experience.

Working with Artedomus, the client selected Artetech Ombra Carbone large format porcelain panels in the house and studio kitchens for their simple seamless aesthetic, strength and eco-friendly, all-natural finish. Beautifully detailed by the architects, the stream-lined black kitchen provides a striking contrast to the textural, saturated red brickwork. In the bathroom, the compact size of the Agape Normal Bathtub proposes a luxury experience in an aesthetically modest fashion. Le Corbusier Beton Blanc wraps the bathroom just above the line of the bathtub, using the design language of minimalism to foster a sense of intimacy in the bathing space. Artedomus specially crafted the surface material in homage to the buildings designed by pioneering modernist Le Corbusier. As such, Beton Blanc presents a soothing and neutral tone reminiscent of exposed concrete.

The Way House also features Artedomus’ INAX Yuki Border and INAX Yohen Border tiles in the main and ensuite bathrooms. Adopting a restrained visual approach, the bathrooms include calming white variations of both tiles that lighten and expand the relatively modest proportions of each space. Designed and crafted by the expert Japanese ceramic artisans at INAX Japan, the INAX Yohen Border tiles nod towards the earthy tones of traditional Japanese pottery and features a glazed finish, while the gently curved white Yuki Border tiles have been designed to represent falling snow. The Artedomus products throughout the Way House have been selected for their timeless and elegant qualities and employed to complement, rather than compete with, the pre-existing work and textural detail of the original architecture.

The Way House articulates the important role that architecture plays in family life. In its renovation – that cherishes its history but also delights in the new – an inviting, unique dwelling designed for the next generation has emerged.

Working with Artedomus, the client and vittinoAshe Architects emphasises the built character of the home.