“To complement the masculine nature of concrete, we opted for softer more feminine materials that still had strength and durability. We also utilised finishes like polished plaster, leather, soft linen sheers, glossy cabinetry and timber veneers in warm tones.” - Ellen Hodson – Associate Designer GOLDEN

As polished concrete becomes more and more popular we thought we would take you on a tour of a home that truly embraces the material, whilst perfectly managing a balance of materials in order to create a warm, inviting and functional forever home for the family who built it. We talked to Ellen Hodson, the Associate Designer at GOLDEN who helped design Concrete House.

GOLDEN are a multidisciplinary Interior Design firm creating interiors across residential, retail, hospitality and corporate areas. Ellen told us how the client came to them asking for a “forever family home that was robust and timeless. Nothing overly flashy, they prefer good design and functionality.” Of course, both the designer and client love the use of polished concrete and intended to use it throughout the home, so one of the key criteria of their brief was to feature the material without leaving the home feeling austere.

Ellen told us how they “opted for softer more feminine materials that still had strength and durability to complement the masculine nature of concrete. We also utilised finishes like polished plaster, leather,  soft linen sheers, glossy cabinetry and timber veneers in warm tones to contrast the cold nature of concrete.”

When turning their gaze to window furnishings the client “had a brief for which windows should have sheer curtains, block outs and sheer blinds  - however the specification of materials and preferred suppliers were trusted to the design team.” As you can imagine, in a home dominated by concrete, the window furnishings had their role to play in softening the spaces however this wasn’t the designer's only consideration, “we are guided by function and nominate which windows should have what type of window treatment. This is largely decided by the hierarchy of spaces and the orientation of the building. For curtains, we keep in mind the specifications of the fabric. It is important that we consider light fastness scales and the overall composition in order to create a timeless aesthetic. We always love seeing colour and texture in a curtain so long as the window treatments complement the home.”

On admiring the effect of the finished building its designers can’t help but be proud of “the contrasting nature of finishes especially when you enter the home. The finishes give the home personality without being ostentatious.” We agree and were, as always, so proud to be part of such a beautiful and unique family home.

Images by Sharyn Cairns