'A totally considered home': The luxurious family home of developer Bear Agushi

Who: Bear Agushi, wife Popi, children Romy (10) and Andreas (7), and Sox the cavoodle.

Where: Armadale, Melbourne.

What: A layered and original home.

The luxurious home of the Agushi family is the brilliant result of collaborations between some of the very best in the business.

The project combined Bear Agushi’s development and construction knowledge with the expertise of architecture and interior design firm Workroom, under the exacting eye of stylist Simone Haag.

The result is a richly layered home, which unfolds over three storeys to tell the evolving story of this house, with its sunken garden and snaking sculptural staircase.

As a builder and developer, Agushi often comes across sites for sale, but the potential of this location sang out to him, he says, offering an opportunity to develop “something very beautiful”.

He jumped at the chance to build his family home on the Armadale site, and immediately contacted John Bornas, (director of Workroom) – an architect with whom he has a long-standing relationship.

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For Agushi and his wife, Popi, the connection meant that the design process was efficient and quick. From design through to planning, building and finally, move-in day, took just 24 months.

Agushi’s brief to Bornas included “a lot of detail that was masculine in nature, but with a feminine undertone to balance it,” he says.

The brief was realised through considered layering of spaces, materials and spatial arrangements. The unfolding story of the house, Bornas says, “begins at the front entry, with a fantastic steel chair, and works its way through the hierarchy of spaces, revealed as you walk through”.

Agushi enthuses about the dual nature of the house, which balances a robust, hard-edged aesthetic with softer, refined finishes and details. When it came to the interior design, he hoped to achieve an “eclectic feel with hints of French influence”.

“Workroom basically read our minds at the beginning of the project and nailed it,” Agushi says. This is a house with a bold and complex materials palette – combining rich and luxurious finishes with industrial steel, dark panelled walls, raw concrete, bronze and stone.

Bornas highlights the importance of incorporating designer and stylist Simone Haag early in the process.

“You will see that the language of the objects chosen by Simone sit perfectly within each space. It results in a totally considered home,” he says.

For the family, the collaboration between developer, architect and buil`der has resulted in a dream outcome.

“The knowledge and experience that we each have meant that a process that sometimes can be challenging, was seamless, and ended up providing us with a home that is a joy to live in,” Agushi says.

The Design Files guide to creating a layered home

What makes a home feel warm and full of personality? It’s all about the layers.

• White walls are like a blank sheet of paper. Use a colour on the wall instead. A subtle grey or soft neutral will make it easier to create layered spaces.
• After wall colours and floor surfaces are decided, add texture. Window furnishings and a velvety rug will add a tactile element to the space.
• A good general rule with furniture is to avoid anything matching. Instead, use contrasting styles and fabrics.
• Artwork and lighting are the “jewellery” of the process – the finishing touch. Invest in an original painting, or designer lamp to give a room your personality.