Maison Aveline
A single-level, four-bedroom, four-bathroom home with classical symmetry, high ceilings and herringbone timber floors, built for a downsizing couple who wanted the luxury of their previous home at a more compact scale.
The Vision
Our clients had spent decades in a large family home and were ready to downsize, but not to compromise. They wanted one level, four bedrooms and four bathrooms, with room for children and grandchildren to stay without anyone feeling like a guest in a lesser room. It also had to carry the same quiet authority as the house they were leaving.
A compact house forgives nothing. Every window, ceiling height and doorway has to be right, because there is nowhere to hide. So we relied on the classical rules that make a modest house feel grand: strict symmetry, generous height, and good materials used with restraint.
The Exterior
The front of the house is symmetrical to the millimetre. A columned portico marks the entry, with matched pairs of tall, multi-paned windows either side and a hipped roof sitting low above. The black lanterns and dark timber double doors sit against cream render giving the façade its contrast.
The Interiors
Inside, the ceilings run higher than a single-level plan usually allows, because height is what stops a compact house from feeling small. Layered plaster cornices frame recessed tray ceilings, and panel mouldings line the walls. European oak herringbone floors tie everything together and give the home a warm and well lived in feel.
The kitchen is where the family will gather. Panelled cabinetry runs to the ceiling, finished with aged brass hardware, and a veined stone island and splashback complete the room. Behind the traditional detailing sits everything a serious cook expects. Wide doors in the living room open to the covered terrace, and a dedicated media room with cove lighting and fitted joinery gives the grandchildren somewhere to go on a wet weekend.
The principal suite sits apart for privacy, and three bedrooms are set down the other end for visitors, with the option to convert one into a study at a later stage.
The quiet work
The part of this house you can't photograph is how little energy it takes to live in. The owners had been inspired by passive houses they had seen and asked for it to be as efficient as possible, so we started with the building itself and added equipment only once the design had done what it could.
Orientation and shade. The main living spaces face the garden, and the eaves and covered terrace are sized to keep summer sun out while letting winter sun in.
The envelope. High-performance double glazing throughout, including the tall windows and wide doors, with insulation above the standard minimum and careful sealing around openings, so the house holds its temperature.
Heating and cooling that follows the household. Ducted reverse-cycle air conditioning is zoned, so the guest bedrooms aren't being conditioned when nobody's in them. Ceiling fans in the living areas move air without running the system.
Hot water and power. A heat pump hot water system, rooftop solar, and wiring ready for a battery.
Lighting and water. LED lighting throughout, including the cove lighting in the media room, and a rainwater tank.
The result is a house with the proportions of the old one, running costs well below it, and a comfortable temperature in every room.
Heritage and Home
Stately without being large, the house gets its sense of space from proportion, plasterwork and good materials, not from added square metres. It is a smaller house than the one before it, but not a lesser one.
Power in Numbers
4
Bedrooms
4
Bathrooms
2
Car Garage
Home Gallery
Book Your Free Consultation
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How do you make a smaller home feel as generous as a large one?
Through proportion, not size. We raise the ceilings beyond what a single-level plan normally allows, because height is what stops a compact house feeling small. We also keep the planning simple, so every room has a clear purpose and a clear view through to the next. Layered cornices, panel mouldings and fitted joinery add the sense of occasion that clients miss when they leave a larger home. In a compact house there is nowhere to hide, so every window, doorway and ceiling height has to be right.
2. How do you plan a single-level home for visiting family, and for the long term?
We start with who will actually be staying. In Maison Aveline, the principal suite sits apart for privacy, and the three other bedrooms, are grouped together for visiting children and grandchildren. Because everything is on one level, there's no staircase to manage from the front path to the last bedroom. We also plan doorway widths, bathroom layouts and entry levels so the house keeps working as your needs change.
3. Will a smaller custom home cost less to build?
It will cost less in total, but not always less per square metre. Kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, glazing and detailing cost much the same however big the house is, and a four-bathroom home concentrates a lot of that into a small footprint. The savings come from fewer rooms to build, heat, cool and maintain. We prefer to spend the budget on the things you'll notice every day, such as ceiling heights, joinery, floors and the kitchen, rather than on space that won't be used.
4. What does the law currently require for energy efficiency in a new Australian home?
The National Construction Code 2022 lifted the national minimum for new homes from 6 to 7 stars on the NatHERS scale. It also introduced a whole-of-home energy budget for fixed appliances such as heating and cooling, hot water, lighting, and pool and spa pumps. Rooftop solar can be counted as an offset against that budget. Each state and territory adopts the code on its own timeline and with its own variations. New South Wales, for example, applies the standard through its BASIX scheme. We work to your state's current rules and confirm them with an accredited energy assessor early in the design.
5. How do you go beyond the minimum, and does it cost more?
The biggest gains come from decisions made on paper. Orientation is the most cost-effective way to lift a home's star rating, so we get that and the glazing right before choosing any equipment. Only then do we add efficient systems such as zoned heating and cooling, upgraded insulation, heat pump hot water and solar.
It usually costs somewhat more upfront but will translate to a more comfortable home year round with ongoing energy savings.