A House for Every Season

Created for a family deeply connected to a country lifestyle, Meribrook brings warmth, texture and permanence to the edge of the Swan River.

DESIGN + BUILD + INTERIOR DESIGN URBANE
LANDSCAPE DESIGN BRYDEN LANDSCAPING   FURNITURE & STAGING LOAM
WORDS ELIZABETH CLARKE   IMAGERY BLAKE HOBSON

Architectural presence and an enviable command of the Swan River set the tone: Meribrook by URBANE is a statement of contemporary family living. Warm timber and natural stone and sharply resolved form combine for a residence that feels both timeless and unmistakably of-the-moment.

The brief was simple: bring a touch of the country into the city. The clients, a country family with grown children studying in Perth and a mother travelling regularly from the east coast, knew the city well. They understood its tempo, its light and its prevailing winds; what they needed was a home that responded intuitively to all of it.

“It wasn’t about simply creating luxury,” says URBANE’s founder and managing director Steve Gliosca. “It was about creating spaces that responded to its location and tell the story of how they wanted to live their life.”

Steve leads URBANE with a refined and considered approach to residential design. Specialising in luxury architectural homes and premium contemporary developments across Perth, he brings together decades of experience across architecture, interior design, construction and client care – shaping homes grounded in authenticity rather than excess.

That philosophy is felt throughout Meribrook, a home that wears its materiality with discreet confidence. Rich timber and stone run throughout the interiors in earthy, tactile layers, grounding what is unmistakably a contemporary city residence in something altogether more elemental. Natural products are expressed in vertical form – walls, joinery and cladding – while floors are finished in seamless porcelain that flows effortlessly from room to room. In contrast, the alfresco kitchen is anchored by cobblestone underfoot, a deliberate textural shift that signals a subtle change of atmosphere without disrupting the palette.

The river remains the home’s defining presence. Every living space orients toward the water, framing expansive views through near-continuous glazing that dissolves the boundary between indoors and out. Yet the design is equally attentive to protection and comfort. Known for its strong winds, Applecross demanded a more sheltered response, leading the home to nestle inward around a protected outdoor entertaining zone. “It could be 100-knot winds and you wouldn’t feel it tucked back in there,” Steve says, “but you’re still still getting that beautiful view and natural light through.”

Floor-to-ceiling windows open the living, kitchen and dining spaces to the river, the outlook doing double duty as backdrop and feature. A restrained palette of warm, earthy tones defers to the landscape beyond, while expansive glazing dissolves the line between indoors and out.

That interplay of light and materiality became central to the home’s atmosphere. Throughout the day, sunlight moves across stone, timber and aged brass, animating surfaces with warmth and depth. “Every detail tells part of the story,” Steve reflects. “We consider how light dapples through the house, what direction we’re facing, how the materiality receives it. In a home with this much texture, light is what brings it to life.”

Designed for longevity as much as beauty, the home embraces multi-generational living with ease. The lower level offers independence for the young adults, while upstairs retreats into a more intimate mood, anchored by a richly detailed whiskey bar opening onto a balcony overlooking the river. Beyond a concealed timber-clad door lies the master suite seamlessly integrated into the architecture to preserve the calm elegance of the entertaining spaces.

Downstairs, the alfresco kitchen forms the true heart of the home. Anchored by an outdoor fireplace inspired by the family’s love of gathering around a fire pit at the farm, the space elevates nostalgia into something beautifully architectural. “We thought, a fire pit is great, but let’s think about it differently,” Steve says. “A beautiful open fire, cooking for friends, protected from the weather but watching it roll in across the river – that’s a really special place to be.”

“A beautiful open fire, cooking for friends, protected from the weather but watching it roll in across the river — that’s a really special place to be.”

— STEVE GLIOSCA

The kitchen forms the emotional centre of the home – understated luxury built from bespoke Vasari stone finishes and a seamless hand-off between indoor and outdoor living. Rich darker accents in Polytec cabinetry in Perugian Walnut Woodmatt and refined bronze fixtures including Yabby tapware and Momo hardware play elegantly against the organic finishes.

The open-plan design courts natural light and river views in equal measure, choreographing an effortless flow between kitchen, dining and living – as at home with relaxed family life as with large-scale entertaining.

Natural materials, rich textures and warm tones give this living space character and depth. Natural stone cladding and dark cabinetry frame the fireplace, a striking focal point in a space that is refined without losing its warmth.

A sculptural bar, inky cabinetry and softly glazed terracotta wall tiles from Myaree Ceramics layer texture and refinement, sharpened by bronze detailing and considered lighting. Overhead, bronze-toned mirrors catch and return the river views.

A timber-lined passage draws you toward the upstairs bar and sitting area, where the palette shifts register for an intimate retreat above the river – timber wrapping the space in warmth while quietly concealing the entrance to the master suite.

The master suite is composed around its relationship with the river, custom-built bed furniture facing the floor-to-ceiling glass. The custom designed bedhead and wall lamps from Smith & Smith draws a natural line to the ensuite and dressing space beyond, its height calibrated to preserve the sightline to the water. Warm bronze wall sconces from ALTI Lighting round out a retreat that feels both indulgent and resolved.

The ensuite carries the home's material language into its most private corner, pairing dark cabinetry with softly textured tiles and bronze accents. A sculptural basin from ABI Interiors and elegant tapware lend the space an intimate, hushed sophistication.

Step inside, and the warmth of timber and stone follows, threading a cohesive line between exterior and interior. Expansive open-plan living amplifies the home's sense of scale, the flow throughout entirely effortless.

The alfresco sits at the heart of the home, the residence wrapping around it to fashion a private, sheltered retreat – positioned to shelter from prevailing winds while still tracing framed corridors to the river.

Conceived as a genuine extension of the interior, the alfresco leans into a resort sensibility. Landscaped surrounds, a sparkling pool, and a fully integrated outdoor kitchen featuring a benchtop and splashback in Atlas Plan Porcelain come together for spaces built for connection and entertaining, year-round.

A serious outdoor cooking zone lifts the alfresco experience several notches, complete with an integrated BeefEater barbecue, bronze-trimmed extraction canopy from Qasair and Zesti pizza oven. Silex cobblestone pavers from Eco Outdoor meet warm-toned feature tiles underfoot, adding texture to an already rich palette.

The alfresco reads as a natural extension of the home's living spaces, suited equally to unhurried moments and effortless entertaining. Floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors dissolve the boundary between indoors and out, ushering the day's changing light through the home.

Floor-to-ceiling glazing captures the river in full, an exceptional vantage point for watching the sun set across the water. A private counterpoint to the home's more active spaces, the upstairs sitting room offers a sophisticated setting for a quiet evening drink before retiring to the adjoining master suite.

Meribrook commits fully to its horizontally extended, linear architecture, striking a commanding street presence while claiming uninterrupted river views for itself. Linear. Bold. Panoramic.

---

---

Tour more havens