By O'Neil Architecture
A sweeping driveway ushers you through a handsome stone-and-steel gate, over a stream and around the bend to the lustrous brass front door of this home set in the complete privacy of park-like grounds. We designed for this entire site, so the house spreads generously over it, with indoors and outdoors intimately integrated. Flexibly catering to a busy family, it’s a modern version of a sprawling homestead — a sophisticated sanctuary.
Architecturally, the design is defined by horizontal planes that extend out into almost impossibly large, exaggerated eaves. These are sliced with refined vertical fins and further offset by vertically oriented cladding.
The elegance of these clean exterior lines is enhanced through the layered use of natural materials in moody hues— bluestone panels meeting black cedar timber, dark-stained off-form concrete and ebony aluminium. Extensive glazing and carefully positioned apertures offer glimpses into the home’s contrasting pale interior, which draws you in with its luxurious, boutique hotel-like feel.