Brisbane empty nesters Peter and Jacquelyn sought an affordable new home with plenty of room to accommodate their grandchildren, as well as Peter’s honey manufacturing business. Central to the clients’ brief was a desire to create safe, light-filled spaces in which their young grandchildren could play. Mindful of the couple’s modest budget, Butterworth devised a way to deliver the pair ample space, along with little luxuries.
“Essentially, we had two choices,” says Butterworth. “We could build multiple rooms that would be predominantly unoccupied most of the year, or we could create one large multi-modular area and distribute the remaining budget to elegant touches to elevate everyday living.”
Paul describes the design as somewhat akin to a warehouse conversion.
“The home basically comprises two metal boxes, conjoined in an L-shape configuration,” he says.
A burnished slab and plasterboard walls were chosen for their high function and low cost. Then, the bulk of the budget was deployed to fill the box-like shapes with beautiful fixtures and fittings.
Elegant tapware, custom lighting, timber veneer cabinetry and luxurious stone products all combine to transform everyday living into a truly joyful experience. Meanwhile, the multi-purpose room features a queen-size bed concealed behind a wall of rich Tasmanian blackwood. Other thoughtful features include a two-way mirror in the powder room, designed to showcase both the home’s entry and its central courtyard.
Both externally and internally, Butterworth has deployed red bricks reminiscent of those found throughout the streetscape. It was a very deliberate decision to help create both a sense of domesticity and connection with neighbouring homes.
“We wanted Honeyworks House to feel comfortable in its surroundings, without mimicking its surroundings,” says Butterworth.
In total, three outdoor spaces are easily accessible to the residents and visitors of Honeyworks House. In addition to the internal courtyard, the back garden also plays a vital role in this family home. Here, Peter nourishes his business interests with a honey harvesting, spinning and bottling facility. Meanwhile, plots in the back garden grow watermelons, corn, grapes, passionfruit, and a healthy array of other fruit and vegetables.
The front garden too is a highly productive space. Butterworth ensured the landscape design incorporated plants to attract bees to the property.
An advocate of sustainable design, he also recycled some of the brickwork from the original home that was demolished to make way for Honeyworks House. The salvaged white concrete breeze blocks not only provide a visual point of contrast but also help circulate cool air throughout the home’s interior.
