By Krause Bricks
Bricks: Krause Emperor Bricks in Grampian Blue
Design: Taylor Knights Architects
Krause Bricks supplied by: Robertson’s Building Products
Photography: Derek Swalwell
From Taylor Knights Architects:
This 1940’s period home is a real labour of love, and in fact the home’s original owner was a builder who built this gem in Ascot Vale by hand. Whilst seemingly grand in proportions, this home was quite modest and efficient in its arrangement – the house had been a two-bedroom home for over 70 years and now the home base of a young family with two active kids, was ready to enter the next stage of its life.
Right from the beginning, our client expressed a real love of brick and natural materials – a sentiment which we whole- heartedly share and were enthusiastic to explore with them. — Taylor Knights Architects
From Robertson’s Building Products:
The client’s love of bricks and natural materials, and the intricate and immaculately preserved brick and hardwood detailing of the original home, informed the material palette. Taylor Knights Architect director James Taylor explains: “The owners always wanted a brick house because of its timelessness and durability. We chose Krause Emperor bricks in Grampian Blue, because of their profile and how they referenced the old house, particularly around the eaves, windows and doors. It’s a contemporary monolithic form but there’s a level of craft in the brickwork and you see that around the openings with the header bricks. The irregularity of the natural product is just beautiful,” James reflects.
Bricks are paired beautifully with a standing seam cladding on the outside, while on the inside, American Oak veneer on the kitchen cabinets ties in with the cabinetry in the original part of the house, sleek polished concrete covers the new floors, and charcoal cork lines the walls, creating an incredibly functional and attractive surface.
Krause Bricks has been a family owned and run business since 1945. The traditional craftsmanship and methods of brickmaking have been passed down through three generations, with each one adding their own innovations and modernisations.