The renovation of a dilapidated 1920s Queenslander develops a sympathetic dialogue between the original house and its contemporary elements.

The renovation and extension of Bulimba Hill House symbolize a family’s return to Brisbane life and its full immersion in the hilly suburbs and vernacular architecture of the city. The project, designed by Hive Architecture, adds an open-plan pavilion, accommodating kitchen, dining and living areas to the cellular spaces of the historic Queenslander. Both new and original rooms are designed to bleed onto elevated verandahs wrapping the perimeter of the house.

The new living pavilion is anchored by a contemporary kitchen, which is designed as a “piece of furniture” nestled against the southern wall. True to the tectonic character of the original house, timber is the defining material. Tasmanian blackwood, hand-picked from local suppliers, is used both as cabinetry veneer and in solid form to create the fluted front of the island bench. Wall cabinetry is replaced by timber shelving, creating an art-and-object wall that brings personality to an otherwise utilitarian domain.

A butler’s pantry and study nook enclosed by a sweeping curved wall introduce colour to the space, with vertical timber battens rendered in deep sage. This colour contrast deepens the spectacular pigment variation of the timber spectrum, which spans from pale honey to burnt caramel. The lustrous timber tones beautifully balance the moments of green explored through paint, art and planting. The terrazzo floor and Caesarstone kitchen benchtop and splashback offer a cool-toned counterpart to the timber-dominant space, while fine legs lift the timber bench above the floor to strengthen its furniture-like quality.

Balancing the raw and robust with the smooth and tactile, bathroom spaces extend the colour and material palette of the kitchen. Green reappears in the coloured concrete “trough” basins, which recall the traditional concrete laundry tubs typically found beneath Queenslanders. A lighter shade of sage comes through the fibreglass-reinforced concrete bench, bringing cooling relief to the palette of timber and dark stone. These bespoke troughs encapsulate the design aspiration to create something that is both robust and refined.

Both kitchen and bathrooms take their cues from the material and finer details of the original Queenslander, reinterpreting historic traditions in contemporary ways. The bathroom wall tiles, for example, absorb and reflect the subtropical light that pours in from the verandah. Long and narrow, they are vertically laid to recall the tongue-and-groove rhythm of the timber walls and ceilings of traditional Queenslanders. Such details allow these contemporary spaces to sit comfortably in their historic setting.

Bathroom products

Internal walls: White matt rectified porcelain tiles from Classic Ceramics, used to mimic vertical joint wall panelling

Flooring: Limestone tiles in ‘Dover (Antique)’ from Eco Outdoor

Joinery: Concrete vanity and sink in custom green pigment by Pop Concrete; mirrored cabinets

Lighting: Eclipse wall lights from Articolo Lighting

Tapware and fittings: Brodware Manhattan and Winslow tapware in ‘Brushed Nickel’

Sanitaryware: Roca The Gap Rimless close-coupled back-towall toilet

Doors and Windows: Timber doors and windows from Finlayson’s

Kitchen products

Internal walls: Easycraft vertical joint wall panelling

Flooring: Abstrakt terrazzo tiles from Fibonacci Stone; ironbark floor from Finlayson’s

Joinery: Tasmanian blackwood joinery from Matilda Veneer; Caesarstone benchtops in ‘Airy Concrete’

Lighting: Inlite downlights, strip lighting and track lighting

Sinks and tapware: Franke sink; Brodware Yokato sink mixer

Appliances: Ilve cooktop and oven; Fisher and Paykel refrigerator

Doors and Windows: Timber doors and windows from Finlayson’s

Architect

Hive Architecture

+61 412 905 426 damian@hivearchitecture.com.au hivearchitecture.com.au

Project team Damian Goode Builder

T. and B. Builders Interior design Hive Architecture with client Joinery Blackwood Collective Landscape

design Dan Young Landscape Architect

02 01 The kitchen, designed as a “piece of furniture,” uses blackwood in both veneer and solid form. Artwork (L–R): Fred Fowler, Monica Rohan. 02 A butler’s pantry and study nook is enclosed by a curved timber wall. Artwork: Monica Rohan.

First floor 1:400 1 Kitchen 2 Pantry 3 Study nook 4 Living 5 Dining 6 Void 7 Bathroom 8 Bedroom 9 Walk-in robe 10 Ensuite 11 Verandah

03 The concrete “trough” basins in the bathroom recall the concrete laundry tubs found beneath traditional Queenslanders. 04 The basins encapsulate the design aspiration to create something that is robust yet refined. 05 The interior spaces bleed onto elevated verandahs that wrap the perimeter of the house. 03

Bathroom plan 1:100

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Ensuite elevations 1:100

Ensuite plan 1:100

06 06 An oil was used to finish the timber, enabling the grain to show through. 07 The client wanted the kitchen to be functional but also beautiful, like a work of art.

Kitchen plan 1:100

Kitchen elevations 1:100

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