March House | KA Design Studio | 2025 | 澳大利亚
Inspired by the soft light and relaxed luxury of the Mediterranean, this new build by KA Design Studio in Sydney combines the practicalities of a family home with an unmatched elegance and tactility.Located on a lofty site in Bellevue Hill, this project by KA Design Studio combines the best of Sydney living with the essence of a dreamy Mediterranean escape. A solid foundation in terms of a clear brief from the owners set the tone for March House. The couple had been living in the old house for some time and had a good grasp of the site’s benefits – where the best winter light fell, where they wanted a good view to the street – and what they needed the new build to deliver in terms of practicalities. They also had a definite vision for the look and feel of the home, one inspired by Mediterranean vacations.
Sebastian Kaintoch and Christian Campoy of KA Design Studio understood the essence of the brief. “Their key phrase was ‘barefoot luxury,’” says Kaintoch. “We wanted everything to be textural, with a mixture of rough and smooth materials that make you want to touch them. The home needed to have a certain elegance, but nothing too precious.” From this starting point, the pair worked with the clients to pinpoint the tones and textures that would capture the feel of a Southern European escape.The first challenge, says Kaintoch, was interpreting the Med holiday brief for a permanent home, one in Sydney’s uniquely challenging climate. Pale rough render and deliberately simple, clean lines capture the soul of a Greek retreat. But behind the intentionally unembellished surface lie all the functions and accoutrements of a high-end Sydney residence. Decorative pergolas and deep overhangs allow for frequent torrential rains, while dehumidifying systems combat the city’s humidity. VRV air conditioning and hydronic underfloor heating were installed for climate control, along with elements like smart home technology, a lift and an in-floor pool cleaning system, making maintenance of this generously sized home a breeze.
Where Sydney aligns with the Mediterranean is in its mild climate, which makes outdoor living a year-round joy. Making the most of alfresco spaces was, then, an essential part of the design. The sloping site steps down to a tennis court on the lower level, fringed with lush landscaping by Myles Baldwin Design, while the pool is several metres up, level with the rumpus room on the lower-ground floor. At street level, the main living and entertaining areas open to a central courtyard, which Kaintoch describes as the home’s centrepiece – particularly for these clients, who are enthusiastic entertainers. The space is dominated by an arched outdoor fireplace with a Brazilian quartz hearth. “Fire and water bring people together,” he says. “It’s tapping into the basic needs of a human to provide a place where people can sit outside, have a drink and look at the fire.”Inside, KA Design Studio has captured the light of the Mediterranean with generous apertures – including striking oculi punched through slab – combined with a textured palette that softens the harshest sunlight. This interior scheme was a collaboration with Chloe Matters of Matters + Made. Lime plaster on the walls forms a gentle, matte backdrop for a palette dominated by neutral hues, mellow curves and organic materials.
“We only use natural materials because they just feel better. The Romans used marble 2,000 years ago and it still works, and it ages more gracefully.” Stone is a starring feature, used in creative ways to deliver delightfully singular statements throughout. As one enters the home, the entry is dominated by a sandstone boulder positioned in an archway, with a tree growing incongruously from the centre. Kaintoch explains this one-of-a-kind feature: “We wanted to give people visual access through the house, but we didn’t want them to go directly through the arch. By positioning the boulder there, you have a visual connection to the living room, but you have to journey through the house to get there.”More surprise-and-delight stone appears in the powder room, which is dominated by a vanity in sand-toned onyx, with the front face cut at a wavy angle. “The powder room is an area where you can have a bit of fun, so we have this beautifully textured stone with the irregular crazy paving on the floor. We wanted to add softness to the vanity, so we followed the vein of the slab and the stonemason cut it off there.” Even the clean lines of the kitchen feature a sliver of out-of-the box texture, with the functionally smooth worktop balanced by a heavily textured finish to the stone on the base.
These statement features stand out even more against the home’s palette, developed with Matters + Made, which is quietly powerful in its restraint. From the driftwood-like flooring – Nueve from Tongue & Groove – to the Woodstock Grey Birch timber veneer on the joinery, the look is soft and welcoming.To continue this palette, Miele appliances were selected. In the kitchen, this includes integrated dishwashers, which sit invisibly in the cabinetry, a streamlined induction cooktop that allows an uninterrupted view through the picture window and, most strikingly, built-in ovens in Miele’s latest finish, Pearl Beige. In contrast to standard black appliances, Pearl Beige is a warm blend of grey and beige, an organic tone that sits harmoniously within the home’s bleached palette of natural materials.
March House is designed to be experienced with all the senses, with an emphasis on tactility. The curved living room fireplace is a prime example of this. “It was done by a craftsman on site, and the radius of the curve is designed to be the same as the radius between your thumb and index finger.” The effect is enchanting and, like so many of the surfaces here, invites one to run their fingers over it, a strikingly soothing experience that reflects the home itself.
Architecture by KA Design Studio. Interior design by KA Design Studio and Matters + Made. Interior decoration by Matters + Made. Build by The Construction Connection. Landscape design by Myles Baldwin Design. Appliances by Miele.
- 项目文案：Shelley Tustin
- 项目摄影：Nicholas Caldwell
- 摄影布景：Laura Rees
- 转载自：The Local Project
- 图片@The Local Project
- 语言：英语
- 编辑：序赞网
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