Janet Butler
It looks like a glass house — literally! — but still gives its family plenty of privacy; it’s the Good House, a modern design by Sydney-based firm The Crone Partners. Located on a gently sloped lot in Sandringham, in suburban Victoria southeast of the center of Melbourne, it is set up in a series of rectangles, each of which houses a specific space: sleeping and study rooms, living rooms, garage, workshop, and a cantilevered master bedroom with its own private outdoor terrace that looks down on a sleek lap pool and up-lighted trees. And, in true contemporary style, the home has an emphasis on indoor/outdoor living — sliding glass panels let in abundant natural light that reflects off high ceilings and bring the excellent surrounding views up close and personal for the young family.
Inside, the layout is streamlined, including built-in storage finished in a warm wood grain; the focus is on neutral colors that form a sort of blank “canvas” that the family can make their own. The main living room, with dove-gray upholstered couches that match the finish on the wall above the fireplace, segues directly into a coolly modern kitchen with an eat-in island; besides sliding glass panels at one end, the kitchen also has narrow windows on the adjacent wall to allow for cross-ventilation. And that mimicking of a “glass house”? Look at the upper level, with its unique “louvers” of glass, perfect for screening and privacy while still giving the upstairs a light, almost soaring ambience. Above all, the Good residence is meant to be a family home: warm, inviting, and flexible, it suits this family now and for the future.
