PICKET HOUSE

PHOTOGRAPHY TATJANA PLITT

Tying together the old and the new, Picket House engages with its streetscape and surrounding heritage character. Subtle and symbolic material transitions between the existing and the new acknowledges its contextual relationship.

IMAGES Sitting in a suburban context, the house’s corner site provokes a dialogue between its occupants and the surrounding community.

PROJECT CREDITS

Architect FMD Architects Builder Adam Construction Year Completed 2020 The symbolism of the picket fence emphasises the careful consideration of the dwelling’s relationship to its streetscape and heritage through its public facing facades. The western elevation describing a relationship with its boundary threshold whilst the south preserves its past, adding a new layer to the series of gable roofs. Picket House activates a dialogue between the streetscape and its existing heritage context through a response that subtly reflects the conditions of its external boundaries and engages its occupants with the passer-by.

Sitting in a suburban context, the house’s corner site provokes a dialogue between its occupants and the surrounding community through the archetypal Australian picket fence. Offering opportunities for social engagement between the layering of fence, façade, existing and alteration – the rhythm of the pickets establishes moments of exposure and concealment between the street and inner private gardens. The existing entrance and southern façade are retained and expressed internally through the floor surfaces that are then carried throughout the house. New living spaces are positioned to the north, with picket clad canopies both offering shade in summer and allowing sun to penetrate in the winter months – a daybed beneath offers an opportunity to sit and watch the inner workings of the house. Mirrors to both the kitchen and stairwell playfully mimic the geometric forms of the pickets, reflecting light deep into the floorplate of the house.

The addition of two studies to the ground floor enables the occupants to work from home, whilst the first floor offers bedrooms and a space for children. The bathrooms throughout again mimic the angular geometry of the picket fence.

The landscape surrounding the new addition continues the concept of layering, with garden beds embedded between the façade and fence. Roof gardens above extend the landscape vertically, adding insulation to the ground floor, roof and shading to the first floor.

Practical Cabinet Solutions to Maximise Storage

When designing a new or renovated kitchen space, it’s important to consider the storage and functionality requirements of the customer in order to unlock the full potential of the space available. By making use of Blum’s space saving cabinet solutions, designers are able to use every inch of storage while also accommodating their clients unique style and workflow.

Blum’s practical cabinet solutions create valuable additional storage space without needing to change the dimensions of the room. The SPACE TOWER, SPACE CORNER, sink drawer and SPACE TWIN can help transform hidden or tricky spaces into functional storage that substantially improve the ergonomics of the space.

The perfect pantry Blum’s SPACE TOWER pantry makes perfect use of storage space and ensures that every item always close at hand through the use of individual pull-outs and allows users to access the contents from three sides. At full extension, users can reach items at the back of the drawer with ease, so no items are lost or forgotten in the depths of the cupboard. With flexible design options such as gallery rails or glass elements, designers can give their customers complete visibility of the items to save time during busy meal preparation.

Depending on your storage requirements, the cabinet can be as narrow or wide to best suit their needs. The SPACE TOWER isn’t limited to the kitchen, it can also be applied for other living areas such as the bedroom wardrobe, bathroom and living room.

Capitalise on corners Corner cabinets are often wasted because they can be uncomfortable to access and quickly forgotten. Innovative cabinet solutions like Blum’s SPACE CORNER makes great use of corner cabinets. The spacious angled drawers utilise the available space to its full potential thanks to its full extension drawers allowing for easy access right into the back corner.

Transform tight spaces Make use of even the smallest storage space in the kitchen while maintaining a seamless design with Blum’s SPACE TWIN solution. These cabinets are the ideal place to keep items such as bottles, chopping boards, herbs and spices and baking trays. To ensure good workflow in your kitchen designs, we recommend positioning these narrow cabinets close to the preparation bench or stove.

Storage for your sink The sink is one of the most difficult elements to accommodate in a kitchen, making storage opportunities very limited. Blum’s U-shaped sink drawer contains a cut-out for the sink bowl to provide an additional, functional storage space. The sink drawer is the perfect solution for keeping cleaning utensils such as sponges and dishwashing liquids out of sight and stored close by for when they’re needed.