Luxury Home Design Ideas | Humphrey Homes

Reflecting nature

19 Jan 2021

A home that literally reflects nature sits in the slopes of an extinct volcano in Mexico. The private residence is clad in a mirrored façade that reflects the surrounding landscape, while interacting with natural light as it changes over the course of each day.

It draws all its power from solar energy and its water supply is from collected rainwater, while the exterior mirror panels are clad in patterned ultraviolet coating, making it visible to birds while remaining reflective to the human eye.

Image credit: Design Boom

Spiraling timber

23 Nov 2020

If you want a clever and dramatic use of timber, steel and glass, this is it! This is an outdoor space that appears to spiral upwards toward the sky in Harumi, Tokyo.

The steel frame is infilled with panels made from cross-laminated cypress timber. To protect from wind and rain, the pavilion has transparent TEFKA (a copolymer film made of ethylene and chloro-trifluoro-ethylene) to fill in the gaps between the panels. These kite-shaped elements allow light to enter the space, while the wooden panels filter the light like trees in a forest.

Image credit: Timber Architecture and Construction News

Recycled bricks

11 Sep 2018

Using materials already in your home is a great way to maintain your home's personality, highlight it's unique character and pay homage to history. Recycled bricks like these ones we are using on our Mosman Park residence currently under construction add a beautifully warm and rich textural element too. We are recycling thousands of bricks and pairing them with some raw, contemporary materials as part of a deliberate contrasting architectural aesthetic.

Plantation and Hamptons inspired architecture

14 May 2018

Australia has been obsessed with Hamptons style, and Perth is no exception. However, while it’s not likely to be a passing trend, there is another on the horizon. With hallmarks of Hamptons style, plus the classic Queenslander and hallmarks of the Raffles Hotel, Plantation style is here to stay. It’s a timeless genre of architecture and interior design inspired by Raj-period homes in India and the Asian-European fusion found in Asian – think Raffles in Singapore and Cambodia and the Metropole in Hanoi.

Classic elements are white weatherboards, wide balconies with carved balustrades, high ceilings and a classic mix of black flooring and white walls. The feel is relaxed, sophisticated and very much about a laidback indoor-outdoor lifestyle.

We also love the design integrity of the Hamptons home. This style of home is inspired by the traditional buildings found in East Hampton and South Hampton on Long Island (the New Yorker’s weekend escape). Before embarking on your Hamptons or Plantation build, it’s important to know that while the style looks simple, it has great attention to detail and a high level of craftsmanship. Proper Hamptons design is about what we call ‘honest architecture’, which is nothing on show for show’s sake. It is not about building a box and adorning the box with stick-on mouldings, then decorating it to look ‘Hamptons’, which is unfortunately a common theme in Australia. Honest architecture means if an aspect of the building is designed to appear to do something, it actually does it! Cut any corners in this build and you will be disappointed. So, it is important to engage a builder who understands the design, philosophy and history of this style of architecture to ensure you are happy with your Hamptons, or Plantation, home.

View our authentic plantation style weatherboard home recently completed in Mosman Park.

Natural and organic textures

1 Mar 2018

With such a heavy reliance on technology, designing and building your home with a natural and organic aesthetic can help you feel relaxed and retreated.

Rammed concrete and exposed galvanised steel can assist with this honest approach and contributes a raw, industrial quality to the architecture.

Shou Sugi Ban

1 Mar 2018

Shou Sugi Ban is an ancient Japanese technique that preserves wood by charring it with fire. An environmentally friendly way to preserve timber and make it more fire-resistant, it is chemically free of preservatives and paint. In addition to exterior uses, the popular technique is now found in interior rooms, furniture and artwork and is a feature on our Mosman Park residence currently under construction.

Polished plaster

1 Mar 2018

A subtle sophistication and timeless character is provided by this material which was popularised by Renaissance-era Italian architects. Offering a different texture to rendered walls, it can be used inside or outside your home. Choose from smooth, coarse, and mirror-like finishes and enjoy the excellent durability this finish offers.

Wabi sabi

1 Mar 2018

While it has an odd name, this discipline is all about showcasing and celebrating transience and imperfection. It is the practice of embracing and appreciating the ingenuous integrity of natural objects and processes. Some of the ways the aesthetic can be shown in your home include asymmetrical tiling, oxidised zinc or roughness in materials such as natural timber used as benchtops or a rammed concrete wall. It can also be shown in art and sculpture with the focus on hand-finished items. The result? A deeply personal, organic aesthetic. This image shows the natural detail in a railway sleeper transported from our South West and installed into our Ross Avenue residence in Sorrento, one of seven different types of timber species used in the home.

Integrated gas cooktop

14 Sep 2017

This integrated burner gas cooktop, which features in one of our recently completed homes, is installed through the benchtop leaving a cleaner, uncluttered finish.