For this Sydney family, there’s no need to leave home to have some fun when all their entertainment needs are available right here
If there’s one essential element that teenage boys need in a family home, it’s room to move, not only inside but outdoors too. So the request from this Sydney family when building their new five-bedroom home in the scenic and family-friendly Hills District’s West Pennant Hills was very important. “They wanted a lot of open space for the family and their extended family to enjoy,” says Sam Kassis of Kassis Classic Homes. “Basically the rule was the more outdoor space and entertainment room, the better.”
Kassis Classic Homes has certainly delivered in this regard. The L-shaped design boasts an abundance of entertainment space in the form of generous lounge and dining areas and a kitchen that opens via bi-fold doors to an outdoor patio, pool and separate 12m x 4m bar for an authentic holiday flavour. The patio then leads downstairs to the backyard and rear lawn for additional relaxation space.
When selecting their site, this local family wanted to stay in the area they knew well as it has good schools and is close to friends and family. The land they found and presented to Sam was long and skinny, so the design of the house was tapered in the centre to fit the shape of the 1200m² block. It was this shape, with the pointy end at the rear, that was Sam’s source of design inspiration. “We incorporated all specifications required by the client into the one unusual space really well,” says Sam. “It’s only 6m wide in the centre.”
The new home is tapered toward the rear of the generous-sized site. “It’s uniquely designed to allow sunlight into the northern side,” says Sam. “It was really about indoor/outdoor living and maximising sunlight — letting in as much natural light as I could.”
The shape of the block necessitated creative thinking from the Kassis Classic design team. “This project is special because of the challenge of the slope of the block as well as the shape,” says Sam. “We didn’t want to have to build three separate storeys. We usually find the third level isn’t always useful … whereas creating a design like this is constantly rewarding. We had the creativity to do something a bit differently and it looks good.”
From the front foyer, stairs lead down and by the time you reach the back, the ceilings are very high — over two levels — stepping down a metre and a half. “It’s quite unusual. We built the house to fit the shape of the block and it was nice to be able to do that,” says Sam. “I love the fact that the home steps down and we’ve created that 4.5m-high ceiling the client wanted.”
To give the family members sufficient personal space, each of the five bedrooms has the luxury of an ensuite and walk-in robe. Then, for downtime, there’s the cosy home cinema, inviting indoor/outdoor sunroom, and a large open area upstairs housing the lobby and library. And if working at home, the home office is super-convenient, with a separate entry for clients.
The owners selected a fashionable yet neutral colour palette of greys, blacks and whites, with some inspiration from their favourite home design magazine. “The atmosphere we were aiming to create was of an entertainment delight, a haven,” says Sam. “We wanted a relaxed feel. There is a lot of fluorescent mood lighting created through recessed lights, not direct light, to create a soft ambience.”
Treating each project like his baby, Sam is incredibly passionate and says he takes great pleasure in seeing a finished home come together. ”Each one is so unique and special; this home is my best one yet,” he enthuses. “The homeowner pretty much gave me free reign with the design. I asked her to make a scrapbook and show me the things she liked. She showed me one she had been creating over the past five years and many of the cuttings were from Home Design magazine. She was pointing out different colours and features she liked and was surprised at how much I knew about each of them. I said to her, ‘That’s because all the houses you’ve cut out are ones I’ve built.’ It was amazing — completely by coincidence she had picked all the houses I’d built over the years.”
Now this recently completed home is another to add to the scrapbook, and another feather in the cap of Kassis Classic Homes.
Originally from Home Design Magazine Volume 17 Issue 1