{"id":330230,"date":"2026-03-15T03:05:10","date_gmt":"2026-03-15T03:05:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/330230\/"},"modified":"2026-03-15T03:05:10","modified_gmt":"2026-03-15T03:05:10","slug":"inside-the-stunning-homes-three-architects-designed-for-themselves","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/330230\/","title":{"rendered":"Inside the stunning homes three architects designed for themselves"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWe knew we created something really special.\u201d<\/p>\n

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Kay & Burton\u2019s Matthew Pillios is guiding $5.7 million to $6.25 million for the property. He says prospective buyers are drawn to the cachet and quality of buying an architect\u2019s own abode.<\/p>\n

\u201cThere have been a lot of fans who wanted to come and see it for inspiration,\u201d he says. \u201cIt\u2019s got people talking. They say, \u2018We\u2019ve always wanted Martin to build us a house, but now we can actually buy his house.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

There is an element of fascination \u2013 and satisfaction \u2013 when architects flip the brief onto themselves.<\/p>\n

Feras Raffoul, principal of FGR Architects, has proposed an all-stone kitchen to past clients, but they hesitated because they wanted to see a precedent. Now, they can experience it in his family home, Concrete Curtain at 27 Jackson Street in Toorak, which is on the market through Marshall White.<\/p>\n

The kitchen is an edge-to-edge study in the beauty of Aquarzo quartzite. \u201cWhen we push the realms of architecture and interiors and present those to clients, they say, \u2018I like the idea, but have you done that before?\u2019\u201d Raffoul says. \u201cNow, it is a signature item.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"Feras<\/p>\n

Feras Raffoul at home in Toorak.Credit: Timothy Kaye<\/p>\n

Concrete Curtain was a finalist at the 2023 World Architectural Festival Awards. It is the second home Raffoul has designed for himself but the first alongside his wife, architect Sarah Chang-Raffoul. \u201cYou\u2019re able to refine it because then there are two sets of eyes,\u201d he says. \u201cWe looked at each other about three months after we moved in, and decided we wouldn\u2019t do anything differently.\u201d<\/p>\n

The home takes its name from the columns that veil the facade for privacy. The concrete throughout is a blend of white and grey and so instead of leaning severe and dour, it\u2019s graceful and warm. \u201cThe interiors have surprised people,\u201d Raffoul says. \u201cThe mindset is that concrete is brutalist, but we\u2019ve been able to use that product to provide a very soft, calm and elegant outcome.<\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat we\u2019ve done internally has really changed people\u2019s viewpoint.\u201d<\/p>\n

However, the value has not been in creating a showpiece, but in understanding how the design functions, especially with two young children. \u201cPresenting something like this is one part, but living in it for the last three years and using it day in, day out, that\u2019s by far the most important,\u201d Raffoul says.<\/p>\n

\u201cI feel that architecture has gone down a path where everyone looks at a product and judges it purely on its visuals. No one really understands how well that architecture is behaving for the occupants. For me, that is very high on the agenda.\u201d<\/p>\n

Marcus Chiminello, of Marshall White, is handling the sale, with a guide of $12.5 million to $13.5 million. Chiminello says it is where \u201cdesign and liveability\u201d unite. \u201cIt pairs a striking concrete facade with light-filled interiors and refined natural materials, creating a home that feels both architecturally significant and wonderfully comfortable to live in,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Architects are natural problem solvers. Jos Tan took a conundrum and designed the Mary Poppins carpet bag of urban homes.<\/p>\n

\"Jos<\/p>\n

Jos Tan designed a Brunswick West home.Credit: Jason South<\/p>\n

Tan and his partner were house hunting and dismayed by poor-quality inner-city housing. Melville, their three-bedroom Brunswick West property, was a response.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The home is set on a small block.Credit: Jason South<\/p>\n

The three-storey home, finished in 2023, packs plenty on a 90-square-metre site. The principal of Tan Architecture did not stray far from his usual design process because budgets, constraints and opportunities are a typical playbook.<\/p>\n

The home includes a rooftop deck, two living areas, two bathrooms and a study. A dedicated bike garage, behind a galvanised steel door that opens onto the street, was a particular desire that Tan incorporated.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n

The bike garage.Credit: Jason South<\/p>\n

\u201cI think just about every house I\u2019ve lived in in the past never had any real consideration given to bike storage,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Tan was conservative with materials and tones, to ensure long-term enjoyment. \u201cI liked the idea of keeping things neutral and simple, and then letting our lives fill in the colour and the texture,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

Designing for himself meant faster decisions. \u201cSometimes even on the fly, which was quite important during construction,\u201d he says.<\/p>\n

However, collaborating with a client was an aspect he keenly missed. \u201cI enjoy that process of incorporating their ideas and their tastes into the project,\u201d Tan says.<\/p>\n

\u201cOften, that produces delightful results \u2013 one that is greater than the sum of its parts.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"\u201cWe knew we created something really special.\u201d Loading Kay & Burton\u2019s Matthew Pillios is guiding $5.7 million to…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":330231,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[31],"tags":[442,498,499,500,501,156,111,139,69],"class_list":["post-330230","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-arts-and-design","tag-arts","tag-arts-and-design","tag-artsanddesign","tag-artsdesign","tag-design","tag-entertainment","tag-new-zealand","tag-newzealand","tag-nz"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330230","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=330230"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/330230\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/330231"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=330230"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=330230"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/nz\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=330230"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}