Collection by Peanutgallery
Details
The dark cladding was initially intended to be shou sugi ban—a charred timber traditionally used in Japan. “It’s quite popular now, but back then you couldn’t get it,” recalls architect-owner Chris Stanley. “We tried charring the timber the traditional way by stuffing paper between the boards and lighting it, but we were putting fingerprints all over it. We then considered charing it while it was on the facade, but we thought we might burn our house down.” Eventually, the couple decided to simply paint the timber but used a finish that allowed the gnarly texture and knots to be preserved.
The home offers constant glimpses of the laneway through both strategically placed windows and the single paling fencing. “We loved living on the laneway—it was a circus day and night,” says architect-owner Chris Stanley. “There is a real permeability to the whole site and that was so important for us.”
The couple often collect materials from warehouses and country yard sales. The exterior cladding is made from old Oregon timber beams from a warehouse in Sydney, while the joinery is crafted from Cypress timber from wind damaged trees that Chris purchased. “It’s about creating refined pieces from found materials,” explains architect-owner Chris Stanley.
The couple often collect materials from warehouses and country yard sales. The exterior cladding is made from old Oregon timber beams from a warehouse in Sydney, while the joinery is crafted from Cypress timber from wind damaged trees that Chris purchased. “It’s about creating refined pieces from found materials,” explains architect-owner Chris Stanley.
The couple wanted to keep the colour palette minimal and bring colour into the home through their collection of artwork. There is, however, a lot of texture. “Neither of us like plasterboard and we wanted to play with handworked finishes and recycled materials,” explains architect-owner Chris Stanley.
A feature display box-window in the front room was initially designed as a kind of “shop window” and was used to display the work of architect-owner Asha Nicholas, who is also a contemporary jeweller. The textured finish is discarded quarry stone skin, which reflects Asha’s use of stone, metal, and glass in her jewellery work.
The couple travelled to Japan annually for almost a decade in the 2000s, and took inspiration from the way light was introduced into small spaces. “We are obsessed with the urbanism of Tokyo and how spaces have been designed to capture the light,” says architect-owner Chris Stanley. “We used a lot of those techniques—getting light in from the top and introducing long views—to make the home feel big.”
10 more saves