Ideas

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.

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.

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.

There are many different types of these available.  It's just one example of how we don’t need much space to grow our own produce.

Dean found this rooftop decking at the spectacular mid-century modern house he visited in Florida.

This new range from a leading supplier is spectacular.   We didn't think we'd see great looking cast iron back on the market, but this material is incredibly tactile and beautiful (and holds the heat longer than acrylic/plastic).

Inclined roof / green roof system

OPTIGRUN INTERNATIONAL

Source: Optigreen

Wooden structural panel / solid / for load-bearing walls / for timber framed homes

STRUTTURA CON PARETI A TELAIO

Source: Marlegno

Source: Bau Expo Munich

Source: International Building Expo USA

Source: Bau Expo Munich