A FAMILY-FRIENDLY HAVEN

A MULTI-GENERATION HOME COMBINES THE BENEFITS OF LIVING SIDE BY SIDE WITH THE LUXURY OF SEPARATE SPACES FAMILY MEMBERS CAN RETREAT TO

It’s not every day architect Glenn Bliesner gets a brief to design two houses under one roof, with an entertaining area large enough to accommodate 50 or so for regular family dinners. Yet, that’s exactly what Brisbane couple Mohammed and Fatema wanted. “In our culture, it’s traditional for a son to look after his parents, so when Fatema and I began planning to start our own family, we approached Glenn to build a dream home which was large enough for us all to live,” explains Mohammed. Four years later the house has been built and the family has grown with the arrival of sons Yusuf, two, and little Esa, just three months old. “It just works so well!” says Fatema of the clever connection to Mohammed’s parents Farida and Ebrahim’s home. “After breakfast Yusuf might pop over to his grandparents for a little play before we go out, but he’ll knock on their door. From the beginning it’s always felt like two separate houses, but it’s comforting to know we’re so close.” Design was key in creating a harmonious arrangement that offered the flexibility to both close off and open up the houses, and it was Glenn’s concept of joining two buildings divided by a central atrium and internal gardens that won everyone over. “By combining the layout under one roof, it gave us a much larger shared entertaining area, which was really important,” says Mohammed. “We have Friday night dinners with extended family and a genius part of the design was creating the edges of the raised garden beds in the atrium, so they double as informal dining tables. We just bring out chairs and sit around under the palms.” With an impressive soaring ceiling and statuesque trees, the atrium also forms the communal entrance, with sliding doors on either side leading to the split-level homes, each with their own kitchen, bathrooms, bedrooms, living areas and deck. For a cohesive feel, key materials such as flooring, wall colour, tiles and fixtures were kept consistent throughout, yet the team from Darren James Interiors were enlisted to individualise each home with beautiful soft furnishings, custom pieces and artwork. “You can definitely tell who lives where,” says Mohammed of the differing styles. “My parents are very traditional and sophisticated, so special pieces they’ve had for 40 years were incorporated into the design, whereas Fatema and I wanted a more contemporary feel and weren’t afraid of bold colour.” A favourite finish is spotted gum, which was used generously on the floor, ceiling and walls to deliver warmth and depth, while texture was introduced with draping curtains, oversized rugs, potted greenery and accents in bright pops of blue and orange. Thrilled with every element of the home, from its location to its timeless style, it’s evident the most important aspect is the home’s connectivity. “My brother Ismail and his wife Sohaila live just a few houses down, and it’s lovely for Yusuf and Esa to be surrounded by so much family,” says Mohammed. “The beauty of the home’s design is we can lead separate lives, but easily come together as often as we want.”