Armadale Residence by RMA
We step inside Rob Mills’ award-winning, dramatic and visually rich family residence in Armadale, Melbourne.
Photography: Mark Roper
What was once a cardboard factory located in the picturesque and leafy suburb of Armadale in Melbourne, has been transformed into architect Rob Mills’ opulent and visually rich five bedroom family home. Designed to house 3 generations across the different levels, the home includes a series of large private enclaves as well as relaxed communal spaces. “I set out to create a home for my family to live in for the rest of our days — it’s been built to last, and it envisages a time when I might retire to the apartment on the ground floor and my children could then live in the main house above,” shares Rob.
The spaces are bathed in an abundance of natural daylight, with design elements that include a roof window and a sheet of glass which travels the length of the building on either side. With privacy high on the priority list, tree branches in the adjoining park are the only connection to the outside world, creating a play of light and shadow across the Fior di Pesco Carnico marble floor. Understandably, the former factory has received a considerably amount of attention, collecting a series of architecture and interiors awards— including gold at both the San Francisco and New York editions of Driven x Design.
“We set about creating this design that had a roof window, a sheet of glass that travelled the entire length of the building on both sides,” shares Rob Mills. Photo - Mark Roper.
The bold and dramatic gold kitchen, undoubtedly the focal point in the home. Photo - Mark Roper.
“The building was majestic in scale, cathedral like actually. We then set about to build within it, while trying to preserve that majestic scale, which we did to a certain extent.”
The bold and dramatic gold kitchen, undoubtedly the focal point in the home. Photo - Mark Roper.
“I joined a long tradition of architects designing with spiral staircases and they have become a hallmark of our work at RMA,” shares Rob Mills. Photo - Mark Roper.
“Many years ago I discovered the David Chipperfield spiral stair in the Joseph Store in London and was inspired by its perfect design,” says Rob Mills. Photo - Mark Roper.
“Each spiral staircase elevates our domestic environments with a sense of art and movement and sculpture which is usually found in galleries and public spaces.”
Within the interior spaces and also the materials applied, there is a sense of luxe at play. The walls are a rendered and velvety stucco, the stone floors are from a sixth generation quarry in Verona, a grey/white veined marble with traces of brownish-red, while the tour de force of the golden brass kitchen evokes a spirit of art rather than domesticity. The spiral staircase, a signature Rob Mills design element, sits under glazing, while the soft rendered wall surface allows the eye to glide to the sky above. “I joined a long tradition of architects designing with spiral staircases and they have now become a hallmark of our work at RMA,” shares Rob.
Understandably, the former factory has received a considerably amount of attention, collecting a series of architecture and interiors awards— including gold at both the San Francisco and New York editions of Driven x Design.
“Armadale Residence has a scale and ceiling heights and volume not found in a conventional residence.”
Simplicity reigns supreme in one of the bedrooms. Photo - Mark Roper.
For Rob Mills and family, the day begins in the treetops. Photo - Mark Roper.
Photo - Mark Roper.
The master suite is a lesson in layering luxurious materials and finishes, down to the brass-lined door frames. Photo - Mark Roper.
“From our top level bedroom we have views across Union Park to the city beyond. The sun is behind us and so it lights up the park and the city and we get that golden reflection of the Eureka Tower, it’s a joyous way to begin the day. ”
From the streetscape of Armadale Residence. Photo - Mark Roper.
Photo - Mark Roper.