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‘The Treehouse’ is the Bronte home inhabited by architect Madeleine Blanchfield’s young family, and designed by her architectural firm, Madeleine Blanchfield Architects.
It took years of planning and saving to finalise the blueprint for this home, by which time, Madeleine had her successful practice in Paddington to run! This extended planning period resulted in a rich and extensive design phase, followed by a quick, intuitive build. The best of both worlds!
Comprised of two storeys stacked atop a street-facing garage, the house makes the most of its compact footprint by chasing light vertically. The top floor houses a generous communal living zone, with two living rooms side-by-side. The informal lounge and library opens onto a patio garden at the back of the property, while the front living room is flanked by a kitchen and dining room in textbook open-plan fashion. These generous communal spaces take full advantage of the property’s lush treetop outlook.
‘The design was formed around capturing the most beautiful light at all times of day, and creating vistas through spaces so that there is always something (usually the garden!) in your frame of view,’ explains Madeleine. ‘The great benefit of living on the top floor is the ability to flood the spaces with light from skylights and high level windows.’
Descending the sculptural, spiral staircase (sidenote: Is this THE staircase of 2020?) deposits the inhabitant in the entrance hall. The sleeping quarters are located on this floor, appropriately buried amongst the verdant courtyards landscaped by Spirit Level Designs. This air of seclusion satisfied the family’s privacy considerations, and marks an ambient shift from public to private spaces.
Madeleine describes traditional Japanese architectural principles such as clarity of structure, streamlined craftsmanship and a sense of calm as fundamental inspirations to the design. These influences, paired with a clean, refined materials palette, bucketloads of natural light, and a strong connection to the outdoors from every room, make this a truly special and serene family home.
See more projects from Madeleine Blanchfield Architects here.
