Daniel Boddam
Daniel Boddam founded his Sydney studio with an aim to provide his clients with a holistic design approach by combining furniture, interiors and architecture into one vision. Each project embraces Daniel’s ethos of ‘considered simplicity’. This is articulated consistently throughout his project portfolio of bespoke and heritage-listed homes, residential developments and alterations and additions.
The Story Behind The Design
At the time architect Daniel Boddam was contacted by the clients of this Mosman property, they were deliberating whether to sell and move from their beloved location, renovate the spatially challenged existing Californian bungalow or knock down and start afresh with a complete rebuild.After an in-depth feasibility study was conducted, the client’s opted for the latter. Fortunately for Daniel, they decided to engage him to design a home that fused the old and the new and provided them with a generous layout that flowed and improved the growing family’s lifestyle.
The house was designed to evoke a resort holiday feel, explains Daniel of the breezy, airy interior and natural materials palette used throughout.The building is a modern interpretation of the existing single-story bungalow. Broken into three horizontal layers of Barrimah® sandstone, clean white render and oiled Western Red cedar, the form is visually striking yet nestles elegantly into the site and connects it to its location. The façade’s crafted timber layer reflected the tropical flavour and the Californian bungalow style present in the neighbourhood, explains Daniel and the Barrimah® further helped the building sit harmoniously alongside the surrounding environment. “As all of Mosman is built with sandstone foundations, I also wanted to create a strong podium for the building to sit on”.
Daniel notes the juxtaposition between the materials created opportunities for junction details and shadow play. “We were able to cap off all the thick edges of the stonework neatly which formed the threshold between the layers”, he says. “The junction of the column over the top gave a shadow line and a reveal was created in the concrete between the timber. It was these subtle details that enhanced the exterior of the building.”Gracing the façade and emphasising the resort flavour are external motorised timber Venetians and shutters. This harnesses the coastal breeze and allows for natural ventilation and sunlight penetration whilst offering privacy from the exposed street frontage.
We deliberately wanted to create a restrained and elegant space that uses a few simple materials for visual consistency.
Daniel Boddman
Take A Closer Look
The additions of skylights further capitalise on the natural light which enters the building in restrained, yet surprising, ways. Positioned above the main staircase is a large overhead southern skylight that gives diffused light down the entire stairwell. “The addition of a north facing horizontal frameless skylight creates a very sharp line of light that moves around the stairwell throughout the day almost like a sundial.”Right through the interior, Daniel’s attention to detail to deliver a quiet and cohesive space is impeccable. “We deliberately wanted to create a restrained and elegant space that uses a few simple materials for visual consistency”, he explains.
Confident in his design capabilities, the clients entrusted Daniel to carry out his vision allowing the architect to design and fabricate all the joinery details in addition to making many of the home’s furniture pieces. This translated into a cohesive experience and reflected Daniel’s ethos of ‘considered simplicity’.The home’s interior palette further complements the architecture and site featuring natural sandy colour tones interjected by American walnut and oak, aged brass and leather accents. A subtle splash of colour can be seen in the blue highlights of the artwork, the views of the surrounding landscape and glimpses of the sky above.
Signature Element
The use of raw materials was integral in achieving the tropical flavour and re-interpreting the Californian bungalow style. Expressing the building’s facade in three distinct horizontal layers harks back to the original home’s history and helps the building sit harmoniously within its environment. The subtle natural modulations occurring between the materials have also created opportunities for shadow and relief enhancing the overall aesthetics of the building.
I wanted it to be understated, elegant and tranquil. I wanted it to be more about the craftsmanship and simple lines.
Daniel Boddam
The coastal palette and holiday feel continue out to the adjoining external living area roofed with oiled timber battens and glass skylights. Beauford® sandstone paving with its sandy tones and flecks of grey runs from the interiors’ edge and surrounds the family pool where the stone ledge doubles as additional outdoor seating.“I didn’t want the spaces to shout. I wanted it to be understated, elegant and tranquil. I wanted it to be more about the craftsmanship and simple lines,” says Daniel. The pared-back nature of the home’s interior further enhances the connection between the internal environment and the building’s exterior. It’s the obvious attention to the final details and consistency of one idea that has produced a highly resolved and liveable home.
