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Gable House Kensington

SSD Studios has created a residence where cultural influences and material choices speak in perfect harmony. Sitting quietly in Kensington’s tree-lined streets, this modern home uses Sareen Stone’s Luna Chiaro Limestone to connect interior spaces with thoughtfully designed outdoor living areas.

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Project by SSD Studio
Photography James Kinnear
Landscape Harrison Landscaping
Place Kensington
Project Type Residential
Builder Cumberland Building
Category Residential
https://sareenstone.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2025/07/Kensington-Luna-Chiaro-Limestone-2-min.jpg

Memory Architecture in Limestone

SSD Studios has created a residence where cultural influences and material choices speak in perfect harmony. Sitting quietly in Kensington’s tree-lined streets, this modern home uses Sareen Stone’s Luna Chiaro Limestone to connect interior spaces with thoughtfully designed outdoor living areas.

A Dialogue of Cultures

Inspired by the clients’ Chinese and Irish heritage, the residence draws on collective memories of European and Scandinavian barn-style homes, while incorporating elements of tropical modernism from their time in Singapore and Dubai. Luna Chiaro Limestone provides the neutral canvas that allows these diverse influences to flow naturally throughout the home.

Spatial Drama

Conceived as a series of simple volumes stepping down the site, the home connects to side and rear gardens, capturing northern light, breezes and greenery. The stone’s consistent light tones strengthen this connection, emphasizing the home’s clean architectural lines while providing a natural transition between spaces.

Material Harmony

The limestone’s subtle grey palette and refined texture create a sophisticated foundation that works in concert with the home’s timber cladding and concrete elements. This interplay delivers a space that balances contemporary design with timeless materials.

Practical Benefits

Beyond aesthetics, Luna Chiaro Limestone offers tangible advantages that enhance daily living. Its naturally cool surface provides comfort around the pool area while maintaining visual continuity through entertaining spaces.

Design Integrity

SSD Studios’ approach showcases how thoughtful stone selection can reinforce architectural intent. From the dramatic double-height volume of the living and dining areas to the garden and pool, Luna Chiaro Limestone provides the connecting element throughout the property’s private and public spaces.

Products Used

Create lasting beauty and functionality with products designed for both aesthetics and strength.

Luna Chiaro Limestone

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TAKE US THROUGH THE INITIAL STAGES WHEN YOU WERE DESIGNING THE HOME.

We were very fortunate to work with the noted Southern Highlands Architect, Martin McGrane, on the creative design and layout of our home. Together with Martin, we created a beautiful, contemporary open plan home to enjoy with our family and friends.  This is our forever home.

Through a friend of ours, we came across an interior designer, and a beautiful outdoor material, the Cathedral Limestone, which we just fell in love with. We worked closely with Peta Daniel, Interior Designer from Daniel Baker Design, based in Sydney.  Which was wonderful, Peta just got us and what we were wanting to achieve in our home and helped us to make it a reality, in the selection of materials and finishes.

 

WERE THERE CERTAIN PEOPLE/PLACES THAT YOU TOOK INSPIRATION FROM WHEN DESIGNING/BUILDING THE HOME?

We were looking for a contemporary design, however, I didn’t want it to be too modern.  Inspired by a property in LA, that my husband came across, which we took some concepts from and added our ideas, and made it our own.

The LA contemporary look and detail leading into the house from the front door was something that we just loved.  Along with having one row of tiles that runs along the inside of the glass sliding doors leading into the living/dining room from the alfresco space was also a unique detail we wanted to include.

WHAT WERE SOME OF THE CHALLENGES YOU FACED THROUGHOUT THE BUILDING PROCESS?

The build started in February 2020, and with all the delays throughout COVID, material delays, supplier issues, constant rain, mud pools, you name it, we had it!  Encountering all the possible elements, it felt like we were living in gumboots most of the time during the build.  It took 3 years to build the property, and 8 months just to get the roof on!

We had a deadline for our home to be finished by, which was our daughters’ wedding, being held in March 2023.

There were delays happening everywhere, including issues and delays with the quarry who were providing the Limestone that was to be used in all the outdoor areas surrounding the property.  We had chosen Cathedral Limestone in an alfresco finish with a lovely organic distressed finish on the edge, that we knew would complement the other natural materials we were using.  Time was of the essence, and it came to crunch time and the quarry could not provide a guaranteed time of delivery.  We thought what a disaster!

 

TELL US ABOUT YOUR EXPERIENCE WITH SAREEN STONE.. AND HOW THE TEAM HELPED TO OVERCOME THE SUPPLY ISSUE WITH THE CATHEDRAL LIMESTONE.

Working closely with Michael Mastro, from Sareen Stone, he had been in constant contact updating me as best he could.  Then an alternative solution was presented, another Limestone of the same size and finish, with similar tones, which I hoped would work and arrive in time.  Sareen Stone had been behind the scenes working closely with another quarry, to create a new product ‘Lavarosa Anticato’, just for our project, so that we had a solution and were able to finish our home in time for our daughter’s wedding.

When the material arrived, we couldn’t have been happier.  We just loved the Lavarosa Anticato, and it worked so well with our colour palette, and love it even more than our previous selection.  We were over the moon!

 

DESIGNER COMMENTS:

Working with Kate and Eugene on this project was wonderful. They were passionate about the overall design but also the finer details and the interplay of the natural materials with the surrounding landscape.

It was very important that the natural material palette was harmonious, and that each element was both complementary and warm.

I’ve worked with Michael from Sareen Stone on a number of projects and have always been impressed with his professional advice and clear communication. The magnificent home warmly wrapped with the “Lavarosa Anticato” is simply stunning.   A beautiful project!

Peta Daniel, Daniel Baker Design

 

IN COLLABORATION WITH:

Interior Designer:  Daniel Baker Design, 0414 341 778
Architecture:  Martin McGrane Architects, 0412 242 253
Photography and short film:  Bolt Media, 0426 607 040