Modern marvel

A young family get their dream home with a knock-down/rebuild that offers everything they wanted and more

The homeowners bought the property, which was originally a run-down block that housed a dark and claustrophobic double-storey rental home, with the intention of knocking it down and rebuilding their dream home. After attending a dinner party at Lubelso’s Spring Road project, they fell in love with the company’s design aesthetic and knew it was the style they were looking for.

The brief was to create an architecturally designed, contemporary home for a young growing family on a unique sloping block. “On the back of the success of the Spring Road home, our objective was to develop a similar family-friendly home that was more accessible to a larger client base. We developed a cost-efficient floor plan that reduced the purchase price by 20 per cent without compromising the luxurious feel, sophistication and craftsmanship that is synonymous with the Lubelso name,” says Damian Canny, founder of Lubelso, a division of the award-winning design firm Canny.

The result is a sleek, contemporary home that looks and feels luxurious. From the street, the sharp lines and monochrome facade appear bold and daring, while the neutral colour palette of the interior with grey and timber accents creates a sense of warmth and comfort. Not to mention the luxurious 3m-high ceilings, which provide a grandiose effect.

With the sleeping quarters upstairs comprising the master bedroom on one side and three generously sized bedrooms to the other, the ground floor is where this thoughtfully designed home really shines. “The home carefully arranges the spaces to provide a connected mix of private and living zones,” says Damian. “The family is able to spread themselves across the open-plan kitchen/dining/living areas, accommodating a number of varying activities in the one space. This large living space is also connected to the alfresco area via floor-to-ceiling sliding doors. The ground floor also includes a separate formal living room, which is connected to two private courtyards, and a study, which offers isolation via a full-height pivot door — being located near the entry was specifically important for the work-from-home client.”

With 20 years’ industry experience, the Lubelso and Canny teams have produced a home that requires less investment and time while still achieving a design with architectural merit. “It is the first Lubelso home worth under a million dollars,” says Damian. And with extras including a six-star energy rating, double-glazed windows and internal wall insulation, it is no wonder the homeowners are thrilled with the result.

Canny has received industry recognition on numerous occasions, including winning the Housing Industry Association’s (HIA) Home of the Year (Victoria) in 2006, HIA Project Home of the Year (Australia) in 2013 and Overall Renovation/Addition of the Year (Victoria) in 2013.