We’re Obsessed With This Curvaceous North Perth Home That Featured On Grand Designs Aus’ Last Year
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-24.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
It’s safe to say arches have had a resurgence – and nowhere can you see it more clearly than in the North Perth House, designed by architect Nic Brunsdon and featured on Grand Designs Australia in 2021.
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-20.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
The home was designed for a young family who were initially put off after childhoods in classically Greek and Italian arch and column-filled homes. However, these aren’t your Nonna’s archways – the shape is repeated and explored throughout the home, stretched and squeezed to form a larger, grand iteration and a narrower, doorway-sized arch. At times segmented by internal walls or masked by frosted polycarbonate, these shapes are constructed using cast concrete panels. Laid east-west on the ground floor and north-south on the first floor, the parallel panels form the structure of the home – with their modular, interlocking design assisting with the project’s strict budget. Inside, they also separate areas like the bedroom’s storage, draped in a luxurious olive velvet curtain. Most distinctively, one of the large arches forms an alcove over the otherwise minimalistic kitchen.
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-14.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-15.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-26.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
As well as the structural component, the concrete becomes both the internal and external finish. Paired with walnut veneer, the effect is an interior that is both brutalist, mid-century and yet intimate. The concrete arches are both mirrored and filled with custom joinery and timber panels – offsetting the concrete with warmth and functionality. Colourful, abstract artwork provides levity amongst the ample use of concrete.
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-17.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-13.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-23.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
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While the home is situated on a small plot in the inner north, the design maximises outdoor space with the inclusion of a rooftop balcony – similarly arched in shape and enclosed by steel mesh, ready to be encompassed by climbing vines.
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-37.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
![North Perth House, Nic Brunsdon](/_next/image/?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcms.perthisok.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2022%2F01%2Fnorth-perth-arch-home-01.jpg&w=3840&q=75)
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All photos by Ben Hosking, courtesy of Nic Brunsdon