Glass Block Structures Allow This 1930s Melbourne House to Be Bathed in Light

"Bernard Bijvoet and Pierre Chareau's 1932 Maison de Verre in Paris inspired Flack's use of glass blocks as structure in this project, which marks his studio's first foray into architectural design. (The team now has seven other architecture projects in the works). Inside the day-lit extension-which hosts the living room, kitchen, and a powder room-and throughout the home, he made design moves that add a glowing feel."

"Glass blocks and steel-framed windows also wrap the dining room and family room. Frosted glass softly illuminates some marble-clad powder rooms and baths. Boldly hued lacquer lightens shadowed surfaces, like the walls, ceiling, and bar front in the front-most room of the historic portion of the house, a space newly re-envisioned as a deep red cocktail lounge, and the now dark green dining ceiling, whose near mirror surface both reflects and references the garden outside."

Flack employed glass blocks structurally, inspired by the 1932 Maison de Verre, to form a daylit extension housing the living room, kitchen, and a powder room. Glass blocks and steel-framed windows enclose dining and family rooms, while frosted glass softly illuminates marble-clad powder rooms and baths. Bold lacquer hues brighten shadowed surfaces, including a deep red cocktail lounge and a dark green, near-mirror dining ceiling that reflects the garden. Formal, underused rooms were reconfigured with intentional vintage, contemporary, and custom furnishings to serve multiple functions, such as a yellow-ochre library and a kitchen with a daily-use breakfast banquette.

Read at Architectural Digest