Where Architects Live | Madeleine Blanchfield

When Sydney architect Madeleine Blanchfield and her husband Guy decided to design their home on a challenging block in Bronte, it became an opportunity to showcase the influence of design on family life. And the results are nothing short of extraordinary.

Known for a refined, elegant and modern design aesthetic, it’s no surprise that Madeleine’s own home exudes the same quiet sophistication. Affectionately named the ‘Tree House’ for the way it is immersed in its surrounding greenery, the design tactfully blurs the lines between interior and exterior, private and public spaces, resulting in a home that is a thoughtful backdrop to shared family living.

The house also cleverly subverts expectations of a modern home’s composition. Living is on the top floor with flexible rooms for dining and lounging together offset by the beauty of the treetop outlook. A sculptural circular staircase leads to the bedrooms on the ground floor, where a hallway was shifted to make the most of the private spaces, particularly the parent’s retreat.

Having lived in the area for a decade before building their home, Madeleine knew how to integrate its natural characteristics into the design. “The kitchen and dining space is where all the action happens and is the most fun and active,” Madeleine says. “It has a view over the gully so there is always something to look at, adding to its energetic nature”. Conversely, the ‘quiet’ living room features a high ceiling and generous proportions to create a sense of calm; the blank wall, central fireplace and sweeping glass doors that open to the garden outside make it a space for talking, reading and resting.

Another hallmark of Madeleine’s design aesthetic, the use of natural light, is prolific through the home. The architecture wraps the slope to allow light into the home with a glass void between the top eave and wall. Sliding glass panels are used to divide rooms, complementing the home’s warm colour palette while softening the distinction between spaces.

The calm, uplifting quality of the home is further established in the finishes and furniture, many of which were designed by Madeleine. Warm tan leather is a recurring texture of the home from the sofa in the living room to the bedhead in the master bedroom, while marble is used in both the kitchen and dining space as well as in the standout custom ensuite, with all joinery finished to Madeleine’s custom designs.

“We had the dining table made in Italy and eight men carried it up the stairs in pieces,” Madeleine says. “It weighs almost a tonne and its simplicity and monolithic nature are beautiful”.

Reflecting both its surroundings and the expertise of its designers, this is a home designed to age gracefully alongside its inhabitants. From making pasta together on the concrete island bench to walks to nearby Bronte beach, it’s a home that celebrates the joys of modern family life and the role architecture plays in shaping it.

This feature originally appeared in est Magazine issue #38.