Small in footprint and large in design gesture, Canning Street House seeks to create a diversity of spatial experiences within a reduced context.

Designed by Foomann Architects, the 110 sqm Melbourne home showcases the beauty and benefits of small footprint living. Minimalist, lean and tidy, calm and relaxing, the spaces are awash with natural light inviting connective family living and the ability for its occupants to entertain.

Northern light filters inside through a tall glass facade that opens to the courtyard, while high-level reeded glass and an enclosed garden bring in natural light on the eastern side. The children’s bedrooms are located downstairs with the parents’ retreat upstairs, with the main living spaces including the kitchen, dining, and lounge area contained in a long and narrow volume.

The dwelling’s curved ceiling creates different spatial experiences as it sweeps down from the lounge to the dining area and pitches upward over the kitchen, bringing a sense of change within each space. Timber columns along with the eastern wall frame joinery and functions – study, laundry, pantry, courtyard, record player, television, and fireplace – provide clarity to the plan, rhythm to the building, and a clear framework for the family to organize their lives and belongings.

Canning Street House’s design showcases how a small-footprint house can be beautiful and beneficial, with a clear, graphic, and practical design providing visual unity, maximum functionality, and different spatial experiences that unfold throughout. Foomann Architects have ingeniously went about their business within a small home, with a number of design gestures ensuring the home is strong in character and its individual spaces.