PHOENIX NEST OF TABLES $649, Allure, 499 Beaufort St, Highgate, (08) 9228 9122; GEOFFREY DENMAN CUP, $35, SUGAR BOWL, $80, TEA POT, $170, Form, 357 Murray St, Perth, (08) 9226 2161; LASER CUT LUCITE FLOOR LAMP, $595, Domain Furniture, 448 Beaufort St, Highgate, (08) 9228 3855.

HOUSES

Homes Need to select colours for your new kitchen and bathroom?

From a renovated cottage and an old world-style innercity apartment to a bush retreat, we bring you 40 pages of inspirational abodes.

Imagine a place with your favourite brands under one roof. A place where you can get professional, hassle-free colour advice for your kitchen and bathroom that’s absolutely free. Join us at The Laminex® Group showroom at 488 Scarborough Beach Road, Osborne Park. Creating the perfect kitchen and bathroom has never been easier. Our showroom has product displays and real kitchen and bathroom settings. There’s also a full selection of sample chips for the entire Laminex® and Formica® ranges. And our friendly staff can give you professional colour advice for your new home or renovation.

Insite winter 2007 99

HOUSE

Urban turnaround It took a creative – and keen – eye to create a contemporary family home from this turn-of-the-century former school tuckshop.

QUBUS MULTICOLOUR DOTS 15-PIECE TEA SET, $750, Test Tube, shop 6/595 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, (08) 9228 1118; ASPEN COFFEE TABLE 1200 x 1200, $639 from At Home Furniture, 450 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley (08) 9228 1699; 1960s STUDIO ART VASE, $320 from Hunter Adams, 242 Stirling Hwy, Claremont, (08) 9384 7991; PHOENIX NEST OF TABLES $649, Allure, 499 Beaufort St, Highgate, (08) 9228 9122; LASER-CUT LUCITE FLOOR LAMP, $595, Domain Furniture, 448 Beaufort St, Highgate, (08) 9228 3855; TSAR ACROPOLIS TAUPE WOOL-VISCOSE RUG, $3890, SACHA OTTO TWOSEATER SOFA 1800mm x 920mm, $4755, TSAR SAKI RED 100% WOOL RUG , $2605, SACHA OTTOMAN IN DIVINA MELANGE, 1700mm x 600mm, $2470 from Majool, 399 Hay St, Subiaco, (08) 9 380 6822; CHINDI SHAGGY LIME CUSHIONS, $49 each from At Home Furniture; BRENDAN SCOTT FRENCH VASE, $649, EDOLS ELLIOT RED LEAF VASE, $3750, Form, 357 Murray St, Perth, (08) 9226 2161; Model wears Melaleuca Endeavour red floral dress, $330, Lolla Palooza long leather jacket (on sofa), $1270, Sana, (08) 9384 1220.

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OPPOSITE: The north facing living area is bathed in natural light all year. ABOVE: Assorted picture frames and a salvaged metal bedstead add character to the master bedroom.

Insite winter 2007 101

HOUSE RACO DECO ALMOND KETTLE, $129, Raco almond toaster, $134.95, Kitchen Warehouse, shop 10, 381 Scarborough Beach Rd, Osborne Park, (08) 9444 7244; M2 BY MY MAISON CUP AND SAUCER SET, $15, EASTERN SUN OVAL BOWLS, $45 each, At Home Furniture, 450 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, (08) 9228 1699.

“I believe in keeping old houses and just being clever in adapting their use for today’s way of living.”

I

Veneer panels cleverly disguise a bank of deep storage space and a secret door leading to the laundry.

n 2002 it was almost derelict but, in architect Meaghan White’s mind, this Leederville house had the potential to become her perfect family home. As you walk down the street, what you see first appears to be just a well-restored early 20th century cottage. But when you draw level with the recessed entry, you sense edgy creativity in the air. The gate is the clue. Meaghan’s husband Deon, a town planner, found a historic street map of the area in the Battye Library, blew up the image and imprinted it on a steel slab through which the street number is crisply punched in words. “That’s ours,” says Meaghan, tapping an outlined oblong. “As you can see, the blocks on this side of the road were all tiny – ours is only 240sqm.” The house served as a tuckshop for the adjacent school before becoming a long-term, low-cost rental. When Meaghan found it, white ants had sabotaged the verandah posts and nicotine stains veiled the internal walls. With just four rooms and a lean-to, it was clearly too small for a contemporary family. “Many people would have knocked it down because it’s easier to build from scratch, but I like the character of an old house,” says Meaghan. “I believe in keeping old houses and just being clever in adapting their use for today’s way of living.” She decided to reconfigure the interior and extend the back. The result is a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home, which seems miraculous when you realise the building’s footprint is only 120sqm and total floor space 180sqm. “We lived in Melbourne in an apartment in a converted heritage warehouse for two years, which taught me a lot about how to use a small space,” says Meaghan. “I knew I could get in everything we needed and the space would be plenty for us.” The couple’s daughters, two-and-a-half-year-old Aurelia and Zara, six months, now occupy the existing bedrooms to the left of the central passage, which Meaghan covered in textured wallpaper. “The motivation was to add drama to the entry by using a traditional material with a bold, contemporary finish because the hall functions as the bridging space between the original and new spaces,” she explains. For the master bedroom – formerly the lounge – Meaghan created an ensuite and walk-in robe by harvesting part of the rear kitchen. An arched fireplace had to be retained for structural reasons but it also adds charm to the ensuite and extra storage in the robe. Insite winter 2007 103

HOUSE

LEFT: A side entrance allows clients to reach Meaghan's design studio without having to pass through the family home. RIGHT: The courtyard wall doubles as a screen for movies from an overhead projector.

METRO JEWEL PEPPER AND SALT THREE-STEP ADJUSTING GRINDERS, $75.95 each, WMF KORB LOUNGE BASKET, $99.95, Kitchen Warehouse, shop 10, 381 Scarborough Beach Rd, Osborne Park, (08) 9444 7244.

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TSAR SAKI RED 100% WOOL RUG , $2605, Majool, 399 Hay St, Subiaco, (08) 9380 6822; CHINDI SHAGGY LIME CUSHIONS, $49 each, At Home Furniture, 450 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, (08) 9228 1699; BRENDAN SCOTT FRENCH VASE, $649, EDOLS ELLIOT RED LEAF VASE, $3750, Form, 357 Murray St, Perth, (08) 9226 2161; ARTEMIDE NESSINO LAMP, $345, Test Tube; MIRANO SWIRL GLASS VESSEL, $210, SPANISH DINING CHAIR WITH ANTIQUE GOLD AND SILVER FINISH, $1800, Hunter Adams, 242 Stirling Hwy, Claremont, (08) 9384 7991.

“If you have a landscaped setting, having lots of white accentuates the volume and colour of what’s outside... the sky and the large established gums are brilliant against the white backdrop.” What remained of the kitchen is now the main bathroom. It’s compact – the vanity is less than 300mm but Meaghan knows this is enough, and she even managed to fit in a little bath. Mirrors and full-width floor to ceiling windows create the illusion of more space. The extension comprises a two-storey gallery space filled with natural light, which seeps back into the passage and adjoining rooms. The contrasting personality between old and new is marked. “It’s a good counterbalance,” says Deon. “You want a light, open living area, and in the mornings when you walk out here you feel illuminated by it. But at night it’s nice to retreat to the cosier rooms of the original house.” One fully glazed wall faces north so winter sunlight floods in, warming the concrete floor and floating benches against the back wall of both living space and courtyard. At midday in summer, the sun barely intrudes 104 Insite winter 2007

due to its higher angle. Meaghan made much use of white on kitchen cabinetry and the resin floor. “If you have a landscaped setting, having a lot of white accentuates the volume and colour of what’s outside. The sky and the large established gums and Moreton Bay figs are brilliant against the white backdrop,” she says. Major furniture items are on wheels. Couches can easily be turned for watching movies indoors or out – an overhead projector is swivelled to throw images onto either an interior pull-down screen or the white courtyard wall. The large dining table stays partially tucked under an island bench while it’s needed just for family meals, but for dinner parties it can be rolled – by one person – into other parts of the living area or courtyard.

DESIGN

HOUSE

GERRY REILLY ORB FIRE VESSEL, $495, DAVID HAY OPACOYCLARO VASE, $295, CHRISTINE CHOLEWA BOWL WITH CUT OUTS, $275, Form, 357 Murray St, Perth, (08) 9226 2161.

ABOVE: FUTURA – LE VELE 80 CM ARMCHAIR WITH SWIVEL BASE, $3845, Majool; PHOENIX SIDE TABLE, $149, Allure, 499 Beaufort St, Highgate, (08) 9228 9122; GLO GLASS TABLE LAMP, $195, Domain, 448 Beaufort St, Highgate, (08) 9228 3855; BEBOP VILLA NOVA FABRIC CURTAIN, $176pm from Hunter Adams. BELOW RIGHT: MYRICA DESIGN ORANGE BARBARA BOWL, $165, Test Tube, Shop 6/595 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley (08) 9228 1118; MONTEITH BATH TOWELS, $69.95 each, ANTIQUE ORANGE AND BLACK VASES, $270 a pair, Empire, 381 Scarborough Beach Rd, Osborne Park, (08) 9443 9779; DINOSAUR DESIGN NECKLACES, $200 each from Form.

Both the en suite (left) and the family bathroom (right) are superb examples of compact design.

106 Insite winter 2007

Veneer panels clad two walls, with the corner softened by a broad curve. You gasp in amazement when Meaghan presses the curve and a small but practical laundry comes into view. “You would never know the door was here!” she laughs. In fact, the whole sidewall is a bank for audio-visual equipment, wine and life’s other necessities but the use of touch-spring catches negate any need for handles, so individual doors are hard to spot unless you know of their existence. The same system on white doors in the kitchen enables the pantry, fridge, freezer and dishwasher to be concealed. Up on the mezzanine, summer breezes permeating automated louvres cool Meaghan’s studio and circulate throughout the extension, so air-conditioning is rarely used. At this level there’s one last surprise – a guest studio snugly fitted into the roof space. The tiny entry passage is sunken – achieved by dropping the ceilings in the walk-in robe and bathrooms downstairs – so the bed sits like a nest on a raised platform. The renovated and extended house successfully defies the compact site and the challenges of retaining a heritage dwelling. Meaghan has created a light, airy, functional contemporary home, which respects and celebrates both its immediate heritage and the richness of the neighbourhood.

RUNNING HEADER

SLIDE BUDDHA LAMP, $138, SLIDE GLOBO SPHERE LAMP, $145, Majool, 399 Hay St, Subiaco, (08) 9380 6822. PRESTON NOVA SOFA, $1685, BEE AUSTRALIA HANGING PANELS, $129, At Home Furniture, 450 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, (08) 9228 1699; LEHELA GREEN CUSHIONS, $53.95 each, RUCHED TEAL GREEN CUSHIONS, $129, Domain, 448 Beaufort St, Highgate, (08) 9228 3855; QUBUS WATERPROOF GUMBOOT VASE, $270, Test Tube, Shop 6/595 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, (08) 9228 1118.

TOP TIPS

n To make the best use of the space, the couple identified what they did and

BARRI’S FINE RUGS

didn’t need. For example, Meaghan loves cooking but, knowing she never simultaneously uses more than two rings, chose a tiny cook-top to maximise space. n For an individualistic and interesting result, the couple sought furniture from diverse sources – a period chandelier was found on eBay, couches came from auctions and Meaghan discovered a 1900s bedstead under a house she once rented.

PERTH’S BEST RANGE OF MODERN AND TRADITIONAL RUGS

ABOVE: Baby Zara's room has recently been redecorated by Meaghan. BELOW: Deon designed the stunning steel slab gate.

CREATIVE FORCE Meaghan and Deon enjoy making the occasional decor item. The courtyard water feature exemplifies Deon’s creativity. To save wasting the old roof timbers or verandah posts he assembled them into random strata, dotted with rusty shards and broken china found on site. Trickles emanate from many points – rather as water might issue from a fissured cliff – giving it a lively, organic, quality. A keen recycler, Meaghan bought period doors from salvage yards and re-used jarrah pickets from the old fence to make privacy screens atop the courtyard walls and around the utilities court. And just five days before giving birth to her first child, Meaghan completed a huge ball-light – now hanging in the living space – which she’d made from one continuous piece of steel wire. n

CONTACTS: ARCHITECT, OWNER-BUILDER: Meaghan White, [email protected]; CONSULTING BUILDER: Trevor Warren, 0418 929 971; SITE SUPERVISOR: Alastair Mackay, [email protected]; CARPENTRY: Paul Davey, 0407 990 133; CABINETRY: Shepherd Craft Furniture, U4/5 Pearson Way, Osborne Park, (08) 9244 9400; WINDOWS AND DOOR FRAMES: Exclusive Aluminium, 41 Hogarth St, Cannington, (08) 9356 2466; DOOR HARDWARE: Architectural Design Hardware, U13/50 Howe St, Osborne Park, (08) 9242 4166; LANDSCAPING: Lisa Shine, 0430 597 903; PLUMBING FIXTURES: Reece Pty Ltd Perth, 199-203 Stirling Hwy, Nedlands, (08) 9228 3477; TILES: Ceramic Tile Supplies, U1/68 Norma Road, Myaree, (08) 9317 4200; WALLPAPER: Heather Levi Interiors, 439 Hay St, Subiaco, (08) 9388 2788; LOCATION: 54 Northwood St, West Leederville; DESIGNED BY Architect Meaghan White; STYLED BY: Shona Gray; PHOTOGRAPHY: Adrian Lambert, of Acorn Photo Agency; MODEL: Jessica Clarke, Chadwick; WARDROBE: Sana, (08) 9384 1220.

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SPEAK TO OUR QUALIFIED INTERIOR DECORATOR FOR PROFESSIONAL ADVICE 500 Marmion Street, Booragoon 6154 Phone 9330 3235 Fax 9330 3275

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Inspiring looks for living.

SLIDE ED TABLE IN POLYETHYLENE WITH OPAQUE GLASS TOP, $3457, SLIDE ZOE CHAIRS, $384 each, SLIDE GIO LUMINOUS POUF, $2662, Majool, 399 Hay St, Subiaco, (08) 9380 6822; NELLIE GOBLETS, $9.95 each, SPACECRAFT PRINTED CUSHIONS, $199 each, LIME RUBBER BRANCHES, $19.95 each (right), Empire, 381 Scarborough Beach Rd, Osborne Park, (08) 9443 9779; DINOSAUR DESIGN ENTRÉE PLATES, $92 each, Form, 357 Murray St, Perth, (08) 9226 2161; CYCLONE BURI GREEN TWIRLS, $49 each, At Home Furniture, 450 Beaufort St, Mt Lawley, (08) 9228 1699; Jessica wears TL Wood lace cotton top, $265, Sabatini antique legging, $115, Sabatini collared jumper, $270, Sana (08) 9384 1220. Shot on location at architect Meaghan White’s home (see page 100 for this feature.) This page styled by Shona Gray.