The owners of this new home had two options. In order to have enough space for their grandchildren to visit, they could either "build multiple rooms that would be predominantly unoccupied most of the year", explains architect Paul Butterworth. Or, they could "create one large multi-modular area and distribute the remaining budget to elegant touches to elevate everyday living." Which do you think they went with? Which option would you choose?
Empty-nesters Peter and Jacquelyn came with a clear brief - an affordable new home with room for the grandkids and Peter's honey-making business. Their architect's solution was a simple, multi-functional home with the remaining budget spent on beautiful fixtures and finished that elevate the quality of the home and make daily living more pleasurable.
"The home basically comprises two metal boxes, conjoined in an L-shape configuration,” explains Paul. "A burnished slab and plasterboard walls were chosen for their high function and low cost. Then, the bulk of the budget was deployed to fill the box-like shapes with beautiful fixtures and fittings."
A multi-purpose room features a queen-sized bed which can fold away behind a timber wall when it's not needed. Meanwhile, beautiful tapware, custom lighting, timber veneer on the joinery and natural stone products fill the interior to bring a high-quality finish to the simple construction.
Recycled brickwork is used throughout. The brickwork helps the new home to settle into the neighbourhood. "We wanted Honeyworks House to feel comfortable in its surroundings, without mimicking its surroundings", explains Paul. Even some breeze blocks were rescued from the demolition of the existing home on the site, which now help to circulate cool air through the home.
The home connects seamlessly with the outdoors, making it feel much larger than it really is. There are three outdoor spaces accessible from the home - the front courtyard, internal courtyard and the back garden. The back garden hosts Peter's honey harvesting and bottling facilities and productive plants, while the front garden is filled with plants to attract bees.
Too often we choose quantity over quality. When you have the option of more space or higher-quality, versatile space, always go with the latter as they have at The Honeyworks House. Your home will feel more luxurious and will last longer with less maintenance.
