Brian Road

5 Brian Rd Morningside
This house dating from the 1960s was in a prime area in a quiet cul-de sac, and lent itself to a total renovation.
Nico van der Meulen Architects added an atrium with a moat and waterfall at the entrance, extending the moat all the way around the dining room, under the extended wing wall, and installed an oversize glass pivot door for a front door. The atrium wall is plastered in a block pattern.
A new exposed aggregate driveway with broken rock in the joints and a very geometrical garden now completes the entrance.
Thru the front door one enters into an open plan, double volume space which includes two living areas, a very large dining room and the kitchen, all leading out onto a 13mx 6m lanai, with one corner suspended from a massive, two storey high beam transversing the pool, which adjoins the lanai with a timber deck on the opposite side from the house.
The glass wall between the living areas and the lanai folds completely away to create one huge living space, with the second lounge area leading onto the garden, and the dining opening onto the moat.
Working in the kitchen one has a front seat view of the living/dining area, the lanai, pool garden.
From the kitchen a door leads into a second kitchen and a double garage, with double staff quarters at the rear.
The study is a few steps higher than the living area, with a door leading into another double garage.
A guest toilet is placed between the home theatre and the guest bedroom, both leading onto the garden thru aluminum sliding doors.
The staircase is a floating steel, stone and glass creation that leads up to a pyjama lounge on the first floor.
From the pyjama lounge the two kids bedrooms and the main suite can be reached.
Both the kids rooms and their en-suite bathrooms are north facing, and each has its own dressing areas outside the rooms.
The main suite is an oversized space, with both the bedroom and bathroom opening onto a balcony, creating an al fresco experience.
All the corners in this area are without columns, creating a floating roof effect.
The main bedroom has its own gas fireplace, with a large lounge area inside the bedroom.
You can sit in the bath or stand in the shower and look out over the garden in privacy, while two atria enable the owner to ventilate the house safely, as nobody can access these.