Inspiration

Our Silk Road build shows why NATURAL LIGHT is the heart of a well-built home!

The significance of natural light when designing a home cannot be overstated. Natural light isn’t just an aesthetic preference; it’s an integral component that can profoundly impact the ambiance, functionality, and overall well-being within our living spaces.

Imagine waking up to the gentle warmth of the morning sun streaming through your windows, casting a soft glow across your bedroom. The allure of natural light extends far beyond its ability to brighten a room; it breathes life into our spaces, creating an atmosphere that feels inviting, uplifting, and expansive.

Architectural decisions play a pivotal role in harnessing the benefits of natural light. In designing the Silk Road house, we have strategically placed windows, as well as opted for an open floor plan to facilitate the entry of daylight, illuminating every corner of the house. To achieve this we have to consider the orientation of the home in relation to the sun’s path—the placement of windows and the angle of the structure can optimise sunlight exposure throughout the day, reducing the reliance on artificial lighting.

The advantages of incorporating natural light extend beyond mere aesthetics. Scientific studies affirm its positive impact on mental and physical well-being. Exposure to natural light regulates our circadian rhythm, enhancing our sleep patterns and overall mood. It’s a natural mood enhancer, fostering productivity, creativity, and a sense of vitality!

This home is a modern take on an old traditional style Queenslander home. The home was built to replace an existing homestead that was dilapidated and rotting out underneath. The house faces north. The main entertainment area, kitchen and living area is positioned east to maximise prevailing south easterly winds flowing through the house and morning sunshine on the deck, which clients enjoy in winter. The homestead entertainment/pool area is positioned to capture the stunning homestead complex garden views and court yard area.  The design of the home lends itself to the surrounding bush and landscape of the property, as every room of the house has immediate access through French doors, to a surrounding veranda.

This home has a very grand appeal when you drive into the property, it is the first thing that catches your eye. There is ample space around this home due to it’s rural nature, including over 1000m2 of turf surrounding the house yard and pool area. Warmth is created around the house by the native hardwood timbers used on the decking and veranda posts, which fully surrounds the home.

The owners have incorporated the following native timbers off their own land into the build. Burdekin Plum timber has been used for custom, external feature hat racks. Mortan Bay Ash timber has been used for internal feature shelving. Blue gum has been used as feature material on the bulk heads. Other features include southern cross windmill rod joiners from an old windmill on the property – we used these to create the front entrance door handles, custom built shoe box handles and hooks for hat racks.

Innovation and design of the home has been carried out to compliment a traditional rural homestead build, where many staff and family are fed and entertained. For this we have included a very large kitchen area, a cold room in place of fridge with access doors to the kitchen. A large office area for business. A media room. A coffee/bar area. 3 bathrooms spread throughout the house, one being an ensuite. Ample storage exists throughout the house. An outdoor shower area alongside the swimming pool. These modern conveniences allow rural clientele to enjoy these activities at home.

The challenges of building a house of this stature during Covid with material and staff shortages was pretty tough, let alone the usual challenges we face building in rural and remote areas. We had to also contend with the wet season rains with flooded creeks, access for trucks and our own 4 wheel drive vehicles unable to reach the property at times. However, the satisfaction of building a home for this rural clientele far outways the challenges we faced, as we know this home will be used and loved, for generations by the same family, with many memories made.

Are you brave enough to try patterned tiles and colour pops in your bathroom? We love this recently completed bathroom. A modern take on a Queenslander vibe -so charming!