'Quality and a sense of richness': The inviting home of architect Maria Danos

Who: Maria Danos, Dimitri Gerostamoulos and children Christos (16) and Eleni (12)

Where: Mount Waverley, Victoria

What: An architect’s home, inspired by mid-century design.

Architect Maria Danos and her family have occupied their stunning Mount Waverley property for the past nine years.

The home was designed by Danos, and channels what she calls “the optimism of Melbourne’s mid-century modern homes”, so characteristic of the surrounding suburb.

The house maintains this modernist architectural vocabulary through the use of faced brick, timber-framed window joinery, and varied ceiling heights to encourage the interplay of light.

The undulating site presented some challenges, but also offered an opportunity to sculpt the rear space and play with scale and elevations.

This sculptural quality runs throughout the home, reinforced by the use of striking natural materials.

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Danos explains: “I used a limited palette of earthy, expressive materials, and have explored simple detailing techniques to convey the materiality of the finishes used.”

These materials are appreciated and enjoyed by the whole family. Christos says his favourite part of the house is the granite stone, in contrast to the black floors.

For Eleni, the artworks and furniture are her favourites, for the way they “go so nicely with the house”. An eye for design runs in the family!

The eye-catching granite kitchen benchtop is a key feature around which other materials were selected, including the dramatic introduction of primary colours.

Cobalt blue enlivens private open spaces, accented with a sharp yellow, and framed with a red pivot door and carpets.

The family’s Hellenic heritage is celebrated through the use of heirlooms (such as Danos’ grandfather’s treasured kilim rug), and a mural above the pool created by Mutina ceramics.

Danos’ goal was to design with quality and a sense of richness, while also creating an inviting abode that wasn’t precious.

She enthuses about the home’s capacity to entertain, and welcome the various tribes who enrich their lives, including “dear family, friends, school friends and colleagues”.

Rock on

There’s nothing quite like natural stone to bring a sense of luxury, and it comes in an incredible array of colours and styles.

• Natural stone is porous and can stain. Ensure benchtops are sealed to prevent this, and re-seal every two years.
• Stone tends to come in lengths of around 3 metres. For larger spaces, slabs will need to be joined. Minimise the visual impact by positioning the sink or cooktop over the join.
• Stone can be polished (shiny) or honed (satin/matte finish). Polished stone tends to bring out the natural patterns, honed stone offers a more subtle look.
• Engineered stone is a hard-wearing, man-made option, made from quartz and resin – a robust and nonporous alternative to natural rock.