The Villa by LAHAUS

Perth-based studio LAHAUS were asked to renovate a family home, originally designed by famed architect Geoffrey Summerhayes in 1988. Priding themselves on creating refined yet functional spaces, LAHAUS took on the task of honouring the existing bones of the home, while accentuating a refined aesthetic and connection with the garden. 

The family of four needed their home to reflect a change in the way they live, with one child having left home. Considering whether to renovate or build new, their love for their home lead to modernising the dated, Tuscan-inspired exterior and tired interior. “Through our design, we aspired to modernise the home while respecting the original architecture of the home,” explains creative director Lara Staunton. “We aspired to achieve a sophisticated aesthetic with casual undertones.”

The layout of the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home still served the family well, so LAHAUS first turned their attention to the material palette. “The original house had been repainted a deep ochre and had taken on a Tuscan feel,” Lara says. “Our proposed palette sought to enhance the original architectural elements and reform the overall experience.”

Structurally, existing aluminium windows and doors were replaced with custom steel counterparts. These charcoal-coloured steel-frame windows and doors define each space, punctuating the white-painted brick and exposed timber beam ceiling in natural lime paint. The steel framing also provides a strong visual connection to the garden foliage, while fine flute glass steel framing segments the private and shared spaces, for both transparency and privacy.

In the formal living and dining space, LAHAUS selected 5-metre long solid oak floorboards from an Australian timber mill, layered by a sisal rug. Elsewhere, the highly-trafficked areas are finished in concrete veneer. Black feature lighting such as the Waldorf Suspension Triple Light by Lambert & Phils from Living Edge further amplifies the renewed, understated aesthetic.

Far from a 1980s home in look and feel, the Villa is both contemporary and completely timeless. By introducing a monochrome palette – both inside and out – LAHAUS have ensured the home’s second life respects its architectural heritage and meets the family’s requests.