Cera Stribley’s Hideaway House adds a subterranean dimension to a modern Melbourne home
A new bespoke basement at Hideaway House by Cera Stribley transforms this contemporary suburban home into the ultimate domestic playground
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- (opens in new tab)
- Sign up to our newsletter Newsletter

Hideaway House, an expanded family house in Melbourne, is notable for its incorporation of a subterranean pool and bar area. Designed by architecture and interior design practice Cera Stribley, the extension was achieved by incorporating an adjacent plot, massively increasing the available space for work and play in the three-storey family house.
The basement lap pool is flanked by concrete columns and the lightwell
Hideaway House by Cera Stribley
‘Our brief was to create spaces that would enhance the family’s time together, while giving the kids ample space to play and the adults space to unwind and entertain,’ Cera Stribley’s head of interior design, Jessica Coulter, explains.
The basement lounge area features ‘Taccia’ table Lamps from Flos and the ‘Utrecht’ armchair by Gerrit Thomas Rietveld, from Cassina
The architects set about excavating the adjacent plot to create an expansive below-ground living space. The project incorporates an indoor lap pool, together with a dedicated golf room and gym, as well as an upscale, bespoke basement bar and lounge.
The basement bar and wine cellar
The original modern house was also reconfigured, with a brand-new guest suite replacing the old garage, and a below-ground connection to the new extension. ‘The new basement is really the “adults’ lair”,’ says Coulter, ‘so we wanted it to feel sophisticated and moody. Think: Mad Men meets Batcave.’
The formal living and dining room at ground floor level. The dining chairs are Mies van der Rohe's ‘S533’ model, while the brass lamp is by Paola Navone
Above the expansive new basement is a tennis court, a useful addition to the property, but one that precluded the addition of any skylights into the pool and lounge areas. Instead, a long lightwell was created at the north edge of the site, faced in concrete and planted at basement level to create a wash of natural light and vegetation behind a glazed façade. Light is further manipulated by the pool water. Landscape design was by Eckersley Garden.
A view across the pool to the lightwell
Says the firm’s Steve Woo, ‘You can be swimming in the pool, or lounging in the bar, and feel totally secluded yet, at the same time, connected to nature and able to witness the passing of weather and time through the light void.'
Detailing is kept minimal and refined
Glazing is minimal and lies flush with the grey concrete and rendered surfaces inside and outside the basement. All fixtures and fittings are bespoke, from the wine cellar to the marble bar, the cantilevered fireplace and the temple-like alcoves in the bathrooms. TVs and other messy accoutrements of family life are shuttered away within custom joinery when not in use.
Two of the bathroom wash areas
The Hideaway House has revitalised this suburban plot, bringing a new lease of life to a family home without altering the silhouette or scale of the existing structure.
The entrance to the new underground garage
C-S.com.au (opens in new tab)
Jonathan Bell has written for Wallpaper* magazine since 1999, covering everything from architecture and transport design to books, tech and graphic design. He is now the magazine’s Transport and Technology Editor. Jonathan has written and edited 15 books, including Concept Car Design, 21st Century House, and The New Modern House. He is also the host of Wallpaper’s first podcast.
-
Photo book explores the messy, magical mundanity of new motherhood
‘Sorry I Gave Birth I Disappeared But Now I’m Back’ by photographer Andi Galdi Vinko explores new motherhood in all its messy, beautiful reality
By Hannah Silver • Published
-
Rimowa violin case with Gewa strikes the right note
This new Rimowa violin case created in collaboration with Gewa is made of hard-wearing grooved aluminium
By Hannah Silver • Published
-
Nordic Knots opens Stockholm showroom in a former cinema
New Nordic Knots Stockholm showroom makes the most of the dramatic interiors of the early-20th-century Eriksbergsteatern
By Pei-Ru Keh • Published
-
Veil House balances openness and seclusion in Winnipeg
A large steel screen shields Veil House, a striking private residence in Winnipeg, Canada, designed by local practice 5468796 Architecture
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Capella Sydney revives urban heritage through contemporary luxury
Capella Sydney opens, adding a fresh option to the Australian city’s booming hospitality scene, designed by architects Mak
By Lauren Ho • Published
-
The finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond
For some of the world's finest brutalist architecture in London and beyond, scroll below. Can’t get enough of brutalism? Neither can we.
By Jonathan Bell • Published
-
Khanna Schultz’s House in Michigan is an exercise in balancing contrasts
House in Michigan by Khanna Schultz was conceived to fulfil contrasting needs – and does so with poise and efficiency
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Ian Chee’s Singapore apartment blends past and present
Architect Ian Chee welcomes us into his Singapore apartment, where past and present cohabit in perfect equilibrium
By Daven Wu • Published
-
Modernist architecture: inspiration from across the globe
Modernist architecture has had a tremendous influence on today’s built environment, making these midcentury marvels some of the most closely studied 20th-century buildings; check back soon for new additions to our list
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Minimalist architecture: homes that inspire calm
These examples of minimalist architecture place life in the foreground – clutter is demoted; joy promoted
By Ellie Stathaki • Published
-
Arthur Casas book explores the Brazilian architect’s elegant modernism
Arthur Casas’ book chronicles the houses, hotels and retail spaces the Brazilian architect has shaped around the world
By Jonathan Bell • Published