Timber flooring from the ottó collection was integral to the natural materiality specified for a new home in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak.
Featuring a distinct European vibe, the Toorak Garden Residence designed by acclaimed architectural studio Conrad Architects brings together the familiar and the exotic in this unique project with Melbourne’s cityscape as the backdrop.
Imposing yet not intimidating, modern yet rooted in the historical context of the neighbourhood, unapologetically serene yet full of rhythm, the Toorak home stylishly balances the intersection between the uncomplicated angles of modern simplicity with traditional Italian indoor to outdoor living and grand proportions. Toorak Garden Residence is a striking local take on a much-beloved Mediterranean tradition.
An exquisite sculpture emerging from a reflection pond and a thick, heavy, oversized timber door add a dramatic element to the entryway of the house. Inside, visitors are welcomed by the fluid, organic lines of a magnificent spiral staircase, which provides a softening quality to the angular form of the house.
The inside of the residence is a light-filled ode to the indoor-outdoor symbiosis between uncluttered, grand and calm interiors and a luxuriously relaxed and well-manicured outdoor space. The clean, rectangular shape of the house sees itself symmetrically reflected in the pool’s surface, highlighting the repetitive rhythm of the pergola-like outer layer of the building.
Broad French Oak floorboards elevate natural materiality
The natural materiality combines with a calmly emotive palette to provide the grounding quality to the interiors. Neutral colours on the thick masonry walls offer a counterpoint to the building’s angularity. The interiors are a minimalistic celebration of natural materials, exhilarating textures and muted colours with an uncomplicated mosaic of unfilled travertine, quartz, limewash paint and oak joinery.
These varied textures come to life in the timeless context of Ottó XVII Sault hardwood flooring in French Oak. Specified in a broad 340 x 22 x 3000mm plank, the texture and character of the timber shine through, with the veins and knots beautifully emphasised by the natural light flowing into the open plan kitchen area.
In a stunning combination of impressive scale, rhythmic angularity, soft interior palette, and a somewhat romantic dialogue with the inspiring coasts of the Mediterranean, Toorak Garden Residence is a dreamy seaside holiday villa locked in the beautifully modern and luxuriously simple frame of a permanent residence.
Photography by Sharyn Cairns
