Curatorial House by
Nestled on a leafy site in Melbourne’s Toorak, this grand residence by
In this feature,
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There isn’t a single painted wall or timber floorboard in the Curatorial House; instead, marble slabs and polished grey plaster clad the interiors, with subtle brass accents in the door frames, staircase, lighting and tapware. Circles are a motif commonly repeated throughout, seen in the recessed ceiling lights, curvilinear furniture and brass-inlaid circles within the marble floor, providing a dedicated and permanent position for some of the sculptures.
As the home is designed for frequent entertainers, the layout and floorplan were crucial to ensuring adequate flow when hosting guests and catering to just the inhabitants. The first two floors – the basement and ground floor – are dedicated solely to relaxation. A lounge and pool table, retreat, bar and cellar and home cinema occupy the basement, while the ground floor contains four bedrooms with ensuites, a study and another lounge.
The first floor is the assigned entertaining level. Here, a large family room, two separate dining spaces (formal and informal), a sitting room and two kitchens take up residence. The second floor above contains the primary bedroom, walk-in-robe and guest room, while the third and final floor features a bar, sitting and dining space for penthouse-style entertaining.
“Curatorial House expresses our belief that art is a necessity, not a luxury.”
– Otomoys founding director Megan Dicks
Taylor Pressly Architects designed two different kitchens on the main level; the front kitchen for serving and entertaining, with a ‘prep’ kitchen behind it for cooking. Director Taylor Pressly says the main priorities in the kitchens were plenty of storage to minimise clutter on the benchtops and
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The front kitchen features the Gaggenau
Even partially hidden from sight, the secondary kitchen reflects the clients’ penchant for cooking and hosting with a
Although, at first glance, the Curatorial House may look as though it’s been designed around the client’s art collection, Megan Dicks explains the client is actually a first-time art buyer. “Fortunately, our client has a very good eye for fashion, so despite her saying in our first meeting “I don’t know much about art”, her appreciation of quality design, colour, texture and form enabled her to thoroughly enjoy the process,” Megan adds.
The Otomys team took to the patterns and levels of sheen in the surface finishes as a starting point for the year-long art sourcing process. In these 12 months, Otomys worked to curate more than 60 pieces of art, focusing on emerging artists. “The clients’ investment in generating new opportunities for early to mid-career artists was inspirational,” Megan reflects. Many works on canvas and paper also underwent custom framing, which made each piece more meaningful and personal to the client and the home itself.
The sophisticated and glamorous Curatorial House doesn’t shy from making a statement through rich materiality, bold artworks and jewel-toned furniture. Yet despite all of these layered elements cohabitating, there’s a certain calmness throughout. In architect Taylor Pressly’s words, “Curatorial House is a delightfully-unexpected home.”
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