The Simmer House

Our clients are a middle-aged couple with two fluffy dogs and a daughter who is transitioning to her own home. Their home needed to be more than just a living space—it had to be a canvas for their cherished artworks, a space for entertaining their visiting family, and a cozy, functional sanctuary. The heart of our design and colour palette was drawn from the artworks our clients have lovingly collected over the years.

One painting, in particular, stood as the cornerstone of our inspiration—a 2-metre by 2-metre textured floral masterpiece that has been with our clients for two decades. This painting, vibrant and full of life, found its home in the basement lounge, the family’s most frequented living area. To ensure the artwork remained the focal point, we incorporated oak wood tones with bronze metal accents, establishing a warm and elegant design language. To delicately infuse colour without detracting from the main artwork, we introduced terrazzo elements. The terrazzo not only mirrored the painting’s diverse colour palette in its speckles but also evoked a sense of nostalgia, as our clients fondly recalled their childhoods surrounded by terrazzo surfaces.

This aesthetic seamlessly transitioned into the formal living room on the 1st Storey where they entertain their guests. Here, we introduced an interesting juxtaposition of materiality and curvature. We extended the bronze metal elements into an almost dramatic curve that embraces the formal living room. Without a dictated artwork in this space, we chose a stunning Orobico Grigio marble to stand out and act like an artwork, harmonizing beautifully with the oak and metal tones.

The result is a home that not only celebrates art and design but also personal history and family. It’s a place where the past meets the present, and where every corner tells a story.