The kitchen, which spills out to the internal courtyard, also has a touch of the glam late 1960s, with the joinery and fridge in the gallery-style kitchen concealed behind operable bamboo blinds. The golden alcove niches behind the bamboo also offer depth and an element of surprise.
The Spanish fashion designer Paco Rabanne, who made his mark in the 1960s with his chain mail dresses, can also be seen as an influence.Credit: David Wheeler
And while there’s an island bench, as found in most kitchens, this one, complete with induction hotplates, is primarily used for cooking. Given the dimensions of the site, the idea was to expand the width and length of the house. The mirrored wall in the entrance, for example, doubles the width of the boundary walls, at least in perspective, as do the mirrored surfaces above the cement-rendered walls along the passage.
The use of pebbles in the courtyard, appearing as a fixed rug, also provides the illusion of space between the kitchen and the living area. “I’ve always admired Donovan Hill’s D-House (located in Brisbane and completed in 2000) and the way they stretched the boundaries,” says Alcami, who also took inspiration from the way architect Adolf Loos used mirrors in the “American Bar” in Vienna from the early 20th century.
The illusion of space can also be seen at the rear of the property, with inverted fibro-cement arches also creating a sense of ‘floating’ and a space beyond via the use of a mirrored backdrop. “You think there’s another room,” says Alcami. Mirrors also play an important role on the first floor, with the main bedroom and a guest bedroom feeling considerably larger and now substantially lighter with a new skylight.
The kitchen, which spills out to the internal courtyard, also has a touch of the glam late 1960s, with the joinery and fridge in the gallery-style kitchen concealed behind operable bamboo blinds.Credit: David Wheeler
When the original French doors of the main bedroom are open, the home’s ornate Victorian balustrade provides a reminder of what this home used to be. But for those who walk straight in and fail to notice the period facade, it’s like stepping into a brave new world – a Stanley Kubrick film – edgy, exciting, brave and, above all, truly memorable like many of the films he produced. Alcami is also a star in the making – proving that even with the narrowest house and smallest plot, “the sky can still be the limit.”
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