Bay Street Brighton Case Study

Designing a tripartite life

The project:

264 Bay Street is three things in one: a commercial tenancy, a design studio, and the place architect John Matyas calls home. Despite sharing a building, each space holds its own identity. Together they form a working example of the studio’s design approach, where every material, detail, and spatial choice is backed by 38 years of practice.

The brief:

After two decades of operating Matyas Architects & Interiors from a rented office in Middle Park, studio principal John wanted something of his own. A single building that could house a commercial tenancy, a working studio, and a family home, each with its own identity and privacy, without feeling like three separate spaces awkwardly stacked on top of each other.

Material selection was central from the start. John wanted a palette that felt warm and natural without being precious. And one that could carry across all three typologies and hold its coherence from the street to the top floor.

Material honesty, from floor to floor

The solution:

John’s answer was a cohesive colour scheme made from a treasure trove of natural and tactile materials. Wood, board-formed concrete, white brick, sand-blasted cedar, and red-blue clinker brick appear across all three levels, shifting in application and proportion as you move through the building.

Premium engineered timber flooring runs through the studio and residence as a deliberate counterpoint, but still a part of the same conversation. Where the walls are cool and textural, the floor underfoot is soft spoken and natural. The European Oak boards are strong, hand-scraped, and finished with a UV oil to be lived on and worked on for the years ahead.

What our customers are saying

    
 
 
         
   michele rossiter 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. My experience with this wonderful company after 18 months of dealing with tradesman, from an insurance claim ,who ruined my floor with poor workmanship I went to see Gary and his team of professionals for help Raz was our saviour from our first meeting in my home to the finished product he was amazing I recommend this company to everyone for their knowledge and expertise The lovely James and his team who layed the floor with incredible skill  workmanship we thankyou so happy and my home looks amazing
  
 
        
   Jenny J 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. At every step these guys were responsive, informative and efficient - just great to deal with!
  
 
        
   Chester Brewer 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. TMB timber has the best quality and design door for great price, after struggling with special order prices at bannings, door galore and door plus I was able to buy same door that’s 2k or more for an affordable price at TMB. Thanks Amarjit for great communication and advice,
  
 
        
   Andrew Wilson 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Rez Rezak and his team were totally professional. They supplied and laid our cork flooring without any hassles at all and were simply superb to deal with. Highly recommended.
  
 
        
   Blake Boughton 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Spoke with Rez - Right off the bat it was fantastic customer service, even considering what I was after was quickly realized as far outside of my current budget for the project at hand. With the service I received over the phone however, I'm certainly thinking of spending some extra money through Market Timbers for a much higher quality panel. I mean, that IS what they do! Rez helped outline a panel that would work for me and quoted me a price, we had a discussion around the timber and some of the services they would be able to provide when it came to my new home office desk project. What I appreciate even more than what many would call the 'Standard customer service experience' was that he took the time to answer some of my more newbie questions and explain things for me. I'm far from familiar with any kind of woodwork; projects in Highschool are probably the most recent I've worked with any kind of wood. (Highschool certainly lifetime ago) Rez did a brilliant job of assisting me; with both his patience for my questions and the quality of his woodwork knowledge it provided me with some much-needed direction on my new desk project. From a slightly hungover Saturday morning call that could have gone any way - it was a fantastic experience. 10/10 would recommend giving the blokes down at Market Timbers a buzz if you've any timber related projects coming up!
  
 
        
   Emma O 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Excellent service from Rez, Andrew and co, from the first enquiry to the finished cork floor. Really appreciated the attention given to a small job like ours. Would definitely use Market Timbers again.
  
 
        
   Ferenc Jakab 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. The cork flooring is a fantastic product. We are situated 5 hours from Melbourne but Asad made our purchase easy, with technical advice, sending samples, helping us to estimate the quantity of flooring needed and arranging freight, which isn't easy at our location. Happy to recommend Market Timbers and their products.
  
 
        
   Sophie Allan 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Asad and the team at Market Timbers have gone above and beyond to help us with lovely cork tiles for our renovation. Even though ours was a pretty small job they gave us great service and even located extra stock of a sold out product for us when we unexpectedly fell short with our original order. Highly recommend Market Timbers.
  
 
        
   Jeffrey Moon 
 
 
 
 Trustindex verifies that the original source of the review is Google. Great advice and communication. Asad and the team were excellent. Delivery was on time, the driver was friendly and helpful. Really happy with the timber quality. A great experience all round.

Cork Solutions

Timber Solutions

Other Solutions

Vinyl Flooring

Bay Street, Brighton