Out Of The Box

Timber louvres cast light and shadow within this family home, where a layering of colour and form softens its slick architectural geometries.

- Carli Philips

For gun designer Brem Perera of Brahman Perera, overlaying this home by architects Tim de Natris and Chloe Skurrie with a series of lighting, decor, fixtures and fittings was a chance to inject “curious moments of personality and intrigue” for its owners and their children.

One street back from the beach in the bayside Melbourne suburb of Brighton, the eye-catching exterior features a first-floor louvred facade with a sequence of vertical timber battens that act as privacy screens and can be open or closed depending on the seasonal light.

In contrast, the ground-floor base of the house was inspired by a modernist, Miesian pavilion with a transparent glass frame. “The broad, glazed perimeter presents a loose, gallery-like arrangement of spaces – and at the home’s entry, the sightline almost reaches the rear of the property. Inside, all the walls are intersected by crisp marble,” says Brem, whose objective was to create greater definitions within the volume.

Owner Luke Skurrie first met Brem on a job for his construction company Ironside and engaged him for this personal project. As the structural elements and layout had already been resolved, Brem’s role was to review the finishes (including polished plaster and paint) and consult on the styling, furniture and art.