The Panel’s advice
Andrew Benn
Architect and director, Benn + Penna Architecture, bennandpenna.com
Right now the front entrance is very confusing and doesn’t do the house any favours at all. To create a connection from the house to the water, I’d suggest a new corridor along the boundary, leading from the front of the house. It’d be great to have a small structure to announce the front gate, perhaps a Balinese-style pavilion (with more pavilions down to the water’s edge) that would be in keeping with the tropical surrounds. We could then build another small structure housing an outdoor shower (using recycled water, of course) on the jetty. The house needs a significant facelift and the sequence of pavilions could offer that without having to upgrade the entire building.
Wayd Munro
Builder, Focusbuild, focusbuild.com.au From a construction point of view, the great thing about this house is that it’s raised, so you can move all of your services really easily. You wouldn’t have to dig up pipes in concrete or any of that, so it’d be a fairly simple task to shift the orientation of the house. To move the entrance to the other side of the property and create a line of sight to the water, I would create a proper path to the creek, with pebbles, so it’s one stretch. That’s pretty cheap to do. Simon and Chantay’s idea to put on a second storey would be fairly straightforward from a build perspective, as there’s no brick or concrete in it. A second level would give you nice views of the water and, of course, the fireworks on special occasions. ISCD educator, stylist and interior decorator If we can flip the entrance of the house so it aligns with a path to the water, we’ll have a much better feel throughout. I’d use common styling elements to give the impression of movement and a journey through to the creek. This could be achieved by using a highlight colour that leads your eye down to the water or a landscaping detail that signifies a pathway, almost like a hallway. Simon and Chantay have different ideas on what works from a decorative perspective, and when combining two different styles it’s about striking a balance. They need to find common ground by looking at styles, colours and shapes to create the core palette. Only after that can they start thinking about the specifics.