“We strive for a holistic beauty and consideration throughout the entire home. Given this, we can’t go past a light coloured linen sheer which has a timeless appeal.” - Adam Kane Architects

The challenge this month was to pick our jaw up off the floor after we laid eyes on the soaring ceilings of Walnut House - the latest project from Adam Kane Architects. The practice, which specialises in high-end, single residential projects, was briefed to design  a contemporary two-bedroom home inspired by Daylesford’s regional character, and an existing mature walnut tree in the middle of what was a vacant site.” The result manages to be both warm and stark, contemporary and classic, simple and yet very intricate.

The first thing to strike you about this home is, of course, the 5.2m high raked ceilings. Adam told us how these were designed to “reference the regional gabled architecture of historic Daylesford and surrounds.” Obviously, this is not your typical country retreat and every detail has been conceptualised and refined to stand above, “the ceilings which feature throughout the living and kitchen wing, as well as within both bedrooms have been deliberately refined to remove all interruptions such as downlights in order to enhance the purity of their form. The rooms are instead illuminated by discrete LED strips running the length of each ridge.”

Walnut house gets its name from the existing mature Walnut tree that was already on the site. This tree also inspired the extensive use of walnut joinery throughout the home. The architect further described how the detailing on the cabinetry “also leans towards more of a rural craftsmanship feel which felt appropriate given the site’s location.”

That joinery, of course, is not just an aesthetic choice, it also serves to create “an abundance of concealed storage, shelving and ledges that really personalise the space. The living and kitchen areas are flanked on all four sides with joinery, with particular highlights being the living room which focuses around the fireplace where even the tv is concealed in the cabinetry above.”

When it came to specifying window furnishings, the architect mentioned that they “often like to finish our homes with the use of sheer curtains in a light linen colour. We find that this softens a space, and creates a beautiful view with dappled light as the curtains sway throughout the day.” For Walnut House they came straight to Lovelight to create those sheers in Laconia Air, By James Dunlop in for the living room and kitchen as well as blockout roller blinds in the bedrooms, that were concealed within a recessed pelmet.

We were proud to play a small part in this magnificent home where Adam Kane Architects has evoked the timeless aesthetic and holistic beauty that they strive for in every project. When asked what tips they had for our readers to create a similarly long-lasting look, they recommended steering away from “feature walls for the sake of it, or unnecessary ornamentation.” They also mentioned that they always love “a light coloured linen sheer which has a timeless appeal.”

Image: Timothy Kaye