Tunnel House: Brutalist Design Meets Green Contemporary Charm at this Brazilian Home

Located opposite McCrae beach on the Mornington Peninsula, McCrae House 1 & 2 were designed with the intention for each home to have a unique street presence, and simultaneously appear in balance. The adjacent layouts are individual to each home, with consideration given to creating absolute privacy through staggered outdoor areas and thoughtful screening. Fluid functionality is experienced throughout the homes’ interiors, where warm palettes and strong forms echo the front facades. McCrae House 1 & 2 are the ultimate in relaxed coastal living. Commissioned to achieve great design & a quality build outcome, McCrae House 1 and McCrae House 2 will be for sale to astute buyers this Spring. McCrae House 1 – The Power of Shapes McCrae House 1 can simply be described as a comfortable home with its own identity, adjacent the pristine waters of McCrae Beach. The shapes, pleasing in placement, create selective privacy and an undeniable street presence. ‘L’ formed glazing views from a second downstairs Master to the swimming pool. A courtyard flanked study fills with light, beckoning the user, while a walkthrough laundry streamlines access points from garage to main living. But the enjoyment of the home goes beyond fluid living that has been considered in all its aspects. There is something in the balance of the shapes that reaches serenity. It could be placement, scale, even movement – but ultimately it’s the moments they create. Unique daily living experiences that are certainly comfortable – edging closer to luxury. McCrae House 2 – The Play of Light McCrae House 2 resides on a tangible diagonal to the beachfront McCrae Lighthouse. Sculptural batten placement heroes the treetop and lighthouse aspect across Nepean Highway from the upper storey. Sunlight pierces the patterned barrier, an evolving mood, differentiated by the time of day. A private courtyard resides at the ground level transition zone between street frontage and main living area – a reflective space with its own light and aspect. From the warmth of the timber kitchen a scullery is revealed beyond a pivot door. Around the corner a flood of light appears directed from the glazed door of the walkthrough laundry. Relaxed and coastal, the natural timber battens of the front façade shift and space to quietly reveal a home affected by the pattern of sunlight in the most intriguing way.

The idea of adding wall art to an interior is undoubtedly a very personal choice. Some like to go with the understated look while others want a wide range of amazing pieces to be combined to create that perfect gallery wall. Then there are those who might not really be inclined to use wall art […]

You’re reading Decorating your Bathroom Walls: 15 Wall Art Ideas that Wow!, originally posted on Decoist. If you enjoyed this post, be sure to follow Decoist on Twitter, Facebook and Pinterest.

This was a 285 s.f. rear yard addition to an existing house, adding a family/dining room out back, and a roof deck above. It sits a half-floor below the main floor, allowing easy access to the backyard, and its new stairs to the basement replace the demo’d old stairs down from the kitchen, which opened up a lot of usable space there. Highlights of the project include the Panoramic folding-glass door wall, opening out to the new back yard terrace; the steel stairs (fabricated by the owner’s father) with thick fir treads; the vertical grain oak kitchen cabinets, with an island on casters, and eating bar overlooking the new room below; the new roof deck; and the standing-seam metal siding.

Hexagonal rooms and interior shingles are just part of the charm—and challenge—in this rare home originally designed by architects George Nelson and Gordon Chadwick.