Experimental Mary Featherston
Featherston Studio is part of a larger building of heritage significance designed for Mary and Grant Featherston in Melbourne, Australia by Robin Boyd in the late 1960s. Mary Featherston previously occupied the larger house which is experimental and has successfully supported the family and working life over 50 years. The adventure, amenity, and joy of that house form much of the provocation for this new home (renovation) for Mary. She remains an adventurous occupant, eager to experiment with spaces and solutions.
Designed by Two Feathers, the design brief called for occupant-oriented design, radical openness, flexibility, risk, and experimentation. An emotional space of subtle calm harmony in a singular volume. The human experience is enhanced by immediate, generous and uninterrupted views of the natural environment constantly animated by changing light and sound experienced as part of every activity. A luminous ambiance with natural light diffused by a translucent ceiling and bouncing off a seamless matt white floor and warm face brick walls.
Strong forms without embellishments. A contemporary interior with a minimal palette of warm neutral, subtly complex materials. Finely detailed and furnished providing a clean, coherent and unobtrusive background for all the stuff of living and working. Those elements of the brief originate in the previous house. However, this project also presented freedom to pursue ideas we had long wanted to explore.
Images John Gollings