SimpleLine cladding panels from Cemintel® provided the perfect canvas to award-winning building designer and artist, Kylie Mitchell from The Art House Factory when designing her Dog and Bear compact homes. The cladding not only met her functional requirements but also presented her with the ideal surface to bring her artistic vision to life.
Specialising in creating compact living spaces, Mitchell combines bespoke visual art with clever designs to maximise the owner’s intended use of the space, be it a home, office, guesthouse or holiday getaway. Each compact series from The Art House Factory is a unique creation – for the Dog and Bear range, for instance, The Art House Factory provides floorplans to suit the different needs and personality types of potential owners.
“I’ve always been fascinated by compact design, but often felt frustrated by the lack of design consideration, both visually and in practical terms,” says Mitchell.
“The Dog and Bear prototype is about putting owners in control of the space they will live or work in with the option to customise as much or as little as they choose.
“From bathrooms to bookshelves, high-end kitchens to hardwood verandas, we supply most furniture to suit each customer’s personal preferences,” continues Mitchell.
Customisation options for the Dog and Bear series include choice of three different roof lines, various combinations of interior fit-outs and eight unique colour palettes to create a compact home that is truly distinctive.
The Art House Factory has chosen to break away from traditional prefabricated systems by choosing quality, smart building materials that can easily be adapted to each customer’s vision.
“The experience most people have with factory made homes is that they are cheap and impersonal. We wanted to offer something that would truly feel different, without breaking the bank,” adds Mitchell.
Mitchell’s materials palette for the Dog and Bear compact home series includes Cemintel’s SimpleLine cladding, which has been installed both externally and internally. Modern, versatile and simple to install, SimpleLine was chosen keeping in mind the space limitations of a compact home.
“SimpleLine is the perfect choice because it has strong, clean edges that provide an express panel look, without taking up too much wall space,” explains Mitchell.
The fibre cement cladding also provides the perfect surface for Mitchell’s innovative artistic additions.
“Fibre cement is a terrific substrate to paint on. Customers can choose from one of the eight Dog and Bear colour options, or work with myself and the team to design their own colour palette. We can even create one-of-a-kind murals on the external walls thanks to the SimpleLine panels,” says Mitchell.
The design process for a Dog and Bear home begins with a site visit to confirm that the building can be safely delivered and installed at the property. Owners can then start the exciting process of designing their dream compact space.
SimpleLine cladding is quick to install and requires little to no maintenance.
Commenting on the role of product selection in each design, Mitchell says, “Using Cemintel and other quality finishes means we can create bespoke designs that can be built in the factory in just 10-12 weeks.
“Quality is always key; these unique compact homes and their bespoke colours and designs are made to stand the test of time,” concludes Mitchell.
