Case study: Habitus townhouses
Located in South Melbourne, Habitus is a collection of three distinct townhouse types, each with their own architectural character. Designed inside and out by DKO, the interiors embrace a serious and robust palette of natural stone, warm timber and black metal detailing.
Interior design approach
The design intent for the interiors at Habitus was to take a contextual and holistic approach; the history of the site in South Melbourne (historically named Emerald Hill) and the volcanic soil of the area inspired the use of volcanic looking monolithic stone slabs throughout, explains Simone Tyson, associate at DKO.
“In the kitchens, these were balanced on finely detailed timber joinery in a unique expression of pragmatic sculpture. Bathrooms were envisaged more as luxurious spaces of retreat for the future residents”.
The vertically planned residences are anchored by a spine of stairs threaded up through the interior and abundant natural light is a feature of every room, diffused for privacy in the bathroom and kitchen by fluted glass panes.
“Part of the client’s brief was to provide a point of difference to surrounding town homes,” adds Tyson. “This was an opportunity for us to push design boundaries with monumental stone benchtops, layered joinery and floor to ceiling tinted mirrored walls.”
Selecting tapware
For Habitus, DKO chose Phoenix’s Alia Wall Basin/Bath Outlet, Alia Wall Top Assemblies, Gloss Accessories and Lexi Hand Shower. In particular, the Alia collection “added to the sophistication of the project and became a statement piece in our bathrooms,” says Tyson.
“Alia had the right mix of subtle curves and a strong body,” she explains. “It was a really striking tapware design that no one else had on the market, so it fit perfectly with our design – especially the brushed gun metal which linked back to the volcanic soil tones.”
Initially, DKO was having trouble finding a product that would marry up with the design, however, once the team saw the Alia collection, “we knew it was what we had been looking for in this design and it suited perfectly,” adds Tyson.
Interior Design: DKO
Architect: DKO
Developer: Beulah International
Product: Alia Wall Basin/Bath Outlet, Alia Wall Top Assemblies, Gloss Accessories and Lexi Hand Shower
