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A glamorous leather wall-tiled powder room. A sculptural staircase hand-shaped onsite. Electroplated finishes on all metal surfaces.
Welcome to Hill House, a custom-designed project overlooking Sydney Harbour by renowned architecture practice, Luigi Rosselli Architects, and interior designer, Decus Interiors.
Bringing the brief to life – a forever home for the owners and their four teenage children – is Critharis Constructions, founded by brothers and second-generation builders, Con and Elia Critharis, who are joined by Elia’s son, Will.
‘The owners wanted a warm family home rather than an art gallery,’ construction director, Will Critharis says. ‘It needed to be nice and aesthetic, but warm and family-based as well.’
Providing a taste of what’s to come, the best example is the zinc-clad roof visible from the street that resembles a wave with its fine, thin profile.
‘Several of the sections needed to be pre-assembled off-site and welded together before they were craned in,’ Will says. ‘Some of the sections also had to be folded specially to meet the curves, which all had to be done by hand.’
At the lower rear level, a series of four monolithic sandstone arches extend from the rumpus, anchoring the house and the upper levels to prevent the whole building from sliding downhill.
‘We made the stonemason 27 individual templates to copy for each stone in each arch, so that all of the arches when looked at from every side looked the same,’ Will says. ‘They were a lot of work, but they really stand out.’
Inside, there are few surfaces that aren’t straight. There’s curved timber veneer panelling, a curved kitchen island bench, curved joinery on desks in the bedrooms as well as in the main bedroom ensuite.
Even the timber ceilings in the house are rounded, according to Will. ‘There’s a slight curve there to continue the curved theme in the house,’ he says.
Another showstopper is the staircase. Once the concrete structure was in place, the blocks that comprise the balustrade had to be built and curved by hand, so that the spine of the house lines up precisely from top to bottom.
‘It’s a sculptural element within the space. It looks light and flowy, and because there’s also a curved rail, it doesn’t look too bulky.’
As much as this house is about grand gestures, it’s equally the small details executed to perfection that elevate the wow factor.
Bronze tapware and door hardware, bronze internals to the lift, electroplating to the joinery and bronze patina to all metal finishes, add warmth and refinement. The kitchen rangehood is also wrapped in bronze electroplated metal, from which is cantilevered a marble shelf.
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