When viewed from the street, this imposing Melbourne home by Pandolfini Architects presents itself as a monolithic concrete structure balanced lightly atop a wall of glass. This instantly intriguing juxtaposition sets the scene for a home that’s a melting pot of contradictions.
‘It is,’ says director Dominic Pandolfini, ‘a house of extremes: soft and hard, precise and loose, sleek and tactile.’
Inside, the pleasing push and pull continues. Warm American oak, creamy Krause brick, aged brass and Venetian plaster are offset by black-timber wall cladding and natural zinc panels in a contrast between light and dark.
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Translating this strong architectural language into a home that’s also a sanctuary was the job of interior decorator Simone Haag, who set about composing a scheme that counters the building’s deliberate air of austerity with layers of rich colour and texture.
‘One of the main challenges,’ she admits, ‘was sourcing pieces that live up to the sense of awe set by the architecture, while designing warm and welcoming spaces for a young family.’ Her solution was to champion materiality and tactility, rather than colour, to evoke a sense of cosiness.
Working with a building this bold, however, did allow Simone’s team a great deal of creative leeway when it came to their selections. Key pieces include the ‘Le Mura’ sofa by Tacchini – described as an island of comfort.
Testament to the success of the design’s opposing elements is the sense of cohesion that pervades each space: a reflection of the collaborative nature of the project. ‘Sometimes, when you work with an interior designer, there is an outside house and an inside house. That didn’t happen here,’ says Dominic.
‘Simone’s studio balanced the duality of the property. They softened it, managing to meet the demands of the architecture while nailing the clients’ expectations, making all parties very happy.’
