The Loft

The Home Base blog

No Less than 5 Stars

A unique design that brings the luxury of an international resort back home

18.03.2020


Project location: Applecross
Design & build: GHR Designs / Zazen Building & Design

The brief 

The clients had a very specific vision in mind, they wanted a 5-star hotel inspired luxury residence that would still function as a beautiful home that could accommodate friends and family. The layout was designed by Grant Henderson at GRH Designs, but Zazen Building & Design had to turn this vision into a reality.

The stone and timber were carefully selected, chosen to create an ‘earthy feel’ and reflect elements of Indonesian architecture and design. While the backyard had to look as if it had been crafted for a top-end resort. This home was to have all the trimmings, including an ensuite attached to each bedroom, a large L-shaped pool and a basketball court. Zazen Building & Design were more than able to deliver, crafting a piece of holiday-style luxury in Applecross.

What makes this home unique?

Every element of this home was designed to add hotel-like luxury. Only the best materials were used, including NSW Blackbutt timber veneer, Italian porcelain tiles and natural stone pavers quarried from Morocco. While you will find resort inspired trimmings like a koi fish pond, basketball court and L-shaped pool, what really makes this house unique is the extra features that you may not find at a resort. These include a cinema-inspired audiovisual room with a fibre optic ‘star’ ceiling, a secret door in the master bedroom that leads to a strong room, and a backyard firepit.

Do you have a favourite feature in this home and why?

The backyard as it encapsulates everything a 5-star bespoke Indonesian resort offers, with the added luxury of a basketball court and fire pit.

Did you have a goal in sight when designing the layout of this home?

It was important to maintain a functional layout of the home, regardless of its luxurious resort aesthetic. It had to accommodate various people including 3 active young boys and senior family members who regularly stay as guests. Therefore, specific zones were incorporated into the design to accommodate noisy activities in certain areas of the home while still allowing older guests in other areas to rest undisturbed.

Additionally, a fully appointed office would form an integral part of the home layout. It was equipped with state-of-the-art CCTV and custom furniture, allowing the owners to control a multi-national Company from the comfort of their own residence.

How did the windows and doors play a role in the design or the clients requirements?

Due to the Architectural design of the home, the Jason Windows aluminium doors and windows formed an integral element to accommodating the client’s requirements.

Expansive areas of commercial grade sliding door and window combinations created unobstructed vantage points overlooking the backyard. Additionally, Jason Windows louvre and double-hung windows were strategically positioned to capture the most effective cross-ventilation points of the home.

Using Jason Windows commercial grade doors and windows created greater design flexibility and added the benefit of aluminium profiles that were suited to an Architecturally-inspired contemporary design.

Finally, Jason Windows security screens provided additional security measures to the sliding doors, without compromising the aesthetics.