Living Light
Bright and breezy sum up an illuminating Fremantle home.
Brought out of the darkness by its architect owner, this Fremantle home now has a sunnier disposition.
After welcoming their third son Orlando into the family 11 years ago, Sarah Hawkins and Peter Keleman felt their home in Fremantle, WA, wasn’t up to the challenge of three growing boys. So in 2008, they found a more accommodating property in the same area. “It was a 1920s home with an Italian-style garden and lots of fruit trees,” says Sarah. “We thought it was really quaint.”
The front was wholly original but the remodelled back area had its drawbacks. “It had been renovated cheaply,” Sarah says frankly. “It was so small we couldn’t have people around, and the bathroom was in the middle.”
However, Peter is a commercial architect and Sarah has her own ideas on design so they could fully appreciate the home’s potential. Although eager to start on the project, they sat tight for a few years to get a better understanding of what their future needs would be.
The plan was to create a contemporary, low-maintenance rear extension to suit the whole family, without overcapitalising on the property. Peter’s designs went through many incarnations until the rear of the house was knocked down in 2013 and building work began. The Kelemans moved in the following year.
Today, the boys – Noah, 16, Jesse, 14, and Orlando, almost 12 – each have their own room in the front section of the house. The extension begins with a study and bathroom on either side of the hall, then flows into a spacious, open-plan kitchen, dining and living space, with a second living room (mainly for the boys) and laundry along the western side. Huge glass sliding doors connect the extension to the backyard and pool. Upstairs is an addition containing the main bedroom suite. It isn’t large, but there’s plenty of space to satisfy everyone’s needs.
“We wanted a good-sized living room, a separate space for the kids, room for people to sit around a dining table, and
a laundry that wasn’t a small box,” says Sarah. “We considered putting another living space upstairs, but went with a bigger bedroom and a bath in our ensuite.”
The interiors represent a gentler, familyfriendly take on an industrial aesthetic, with concrete floors and anodised aluminiumwarmedbylimedplyandplush textiles. Black lines cut sharply through the space in the form of cabinetry features, lights and door and window frames; they have a strong graphic impact while the marble surfaces and matt finishes induce a feeling of serenity.
“There’s a real feeling of arrival when you reach the outdoor area,” says Sarah. “It’s to do with the colours, the 3.4m-high ceiling and the industrial-looking windows. We really thought about where to spend money: more square metres or better windows? The windows won.”
While the results took years to achieve, the Kelemans say they’ve been amply rewarded. “This house has a wonderful sense of space and light,” says Sarah. “It always makes me feel calm.” Jane Ledger Interiors, Claremont, WA; 0418 849 013 or janeledger.com.au.
OUTDOOR DINING ‘Jan Juc’ table and Nikles ‘Quatre’ benches from Eco Outdoor bring the home’s contemporary vibe outside. Cushions, Asbury Park Agency. Smart buy: Australian House & Garden ‘Coorong’ side tables/stools, $295 each, Myer. ENSUITE “We love our upstairs bathroom!” says Sarah. Clearwater ‘Formoso’ bath, Reece. Caroma ‘Opal’ basins, GWA Bathrooms & Kitchens.
Tiles, European Ceramics. Nikles showerhead and Hydrotherm towel rail, Reece. Towels, Remedy.
FRONT YARD Noah and Billie on the front steps. Behind the classic facade, the extension features Accoya acetylated-pine cladding.