Rule breaker
With a name like Bombora, it should come as no surprise that this Bondi home is making waves. With its soft S-shaped facade, it is easy to see why it is named after the indigenous word for waves breaking over a shallow area.
Designed by architect Luigi Rosselli, Bondi Bombora is a four-bedroom, three-storey residence on a tight suburban block a short stroll from Bondi Beach. But while it has an eye-catching street view, it is the way it functions as a whole site that really makes this project stand out.
Given there was not a lot of space to work with, Rosselli, project architects Sean Johnson, Diana Yang and interior designer Romaine Alwill have designed a home on this sloping site that feels at once generous and intimate. Entry to the ground floor living area is discreet, with a set of stairs partially concealed by a mini olive grove designed by landscaper Michael Bates.
Thanks to a north-facing backyard, the main kitchen and dining area is located towards the back of the house, which enjoys a direct link to the garden via large sliding doors. Here, Bates has installed a fire pit and planted edibles such as guava and lilly pillies. Bee hives and chickens complete the picture.
To the front of the ground floor, separate living and study areas overlook the street, with the living space leading on to a generous curved terrace.
Literally central to this floor plan is a two-storey library with built-in desk that would not look out of place in a grand European residence. Driven by the owners’ love of reading — and impressive book collection — it inspires casual and formal moments, with abundant natural light, oversized steps and low shelving inviting you to sit and read awhile. Whether he is in the ocean or reading a book, one of the owners enjoys that sensation of ‘submerging’ oneself.
With three generations living under one roof, these little moments are what this house is about, providing space for everyone to pursue their own interests, come together or enjoy a little privacy.
Every spare centimetre has been put to work in the internal floor plan, from the corner desk with a window view in the study, to the walk-in butler’s pantry and laundry secreted behind the kitchen on the western side of the house.
Even the dining room credenza doubles as a homework space for the kids, who have the choice of rumpus rooms on the ground floor or the garage area below.
Upstairs, the owners enjoy the entire width of the property to the rear, which makes up the master suite with spacious bedroom, walk-in robe and ensuite. Two more bedrooms overlook the street while a third faces on to the stairwell.
Outside, the height of the house from the street has been masterfully manipulated, with a combination of carefully crafted landscaping and choice of materials. At street level, the garage is clad in glass mosaic tiles in shades of jade and teal designed to shimmer in the sunlight, like the scales of a tropical fish, while the garage door is finished in honey-coloured timber, reminiscent of surfboards.
The main living area has a white facade but the top level is clad in metal of the same gunmetal blue as the ocean, breaking up what could have been a monolithic facade.
With just a sliver of greenery to work with, Bates has created a mini seaside garden, which extends on to the verge, making it feel larger than it is, drawing you closer.
It’s just the kind of place that makes you want to dive right in.
BONDI BOMBORA
Design architect: Luigi Rosselli
Project architects: Sean Johnson, Diana Yang
Interior design: Alwill Interiors
Builder: Building With Options
Landscaper: Bates Landscape
Photography: Prue Ruscoe
