Brooklet House
This beautiful sloping property was originally home to a leaking, asbestos-lined house. Whilst the house was in bad shape, it was in a great location with incredible rural views East to the ocean. The client wanted a simple, two-bedroom home that was not much bigger than the original one, but that made much better use of the views.
The house is composed of a long bedroom pavilion and a living/dining pavilion that angles away to focus on the Eastern views. At the centre is a sheltered North facing deck and the kitchen, the heart of the house. The raked ceilings and timber floors trace the line where the two pavilions join.
This style of house, with a raised timber floor and weatherboard lining, is traditional to the Northern Rivers area, but here the detailing is minimal and contemporary. Inside, the stringy bark floorboards and polished fibre-cement wall panels bring understated colour and texture to a very neutral palette. The surrounding gardens will become an important part of the house as they re-grow and every space has a green view. In a very small footprint this house achieves what I hope for all my projects – it is a beautiful, well-made home.
