Tag: rural australia

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Architecture Design House Tours Styling

Peek inside this modern country home with stunning mountain views

Modest in size and rural in sensibility, this home in Albury’s East Street blends natural and modern aesthetics. Kerstin Thompson Architects took inspiration from the surroundings and all that nature has to offer when designing this single-storey evocative and finely crafted, climate considered house. 

“The client had chosen the site many years earlier because of its sweeping views to Mt Huon. The design of the house frames and captures these stunning views,” says Lynn Chew, of Kerstin Thompson Architects.

An environmentally responsive building envelope, it can open up or shut down via sliding cement sheet screens, louvres and windows. These features allow the home to adapt to the extremes of Albury’s climatic variation. 

“Adjusted to the slope of the land, the house is arranged along two terraces, an upper and lower one, which organise functions and differentiates between a warmer north side and a cooler south side,” Lynn continues. “The stepped floor, in combination with the roof angle, create living spaces that are shady in summer, sun-filled in winter and completed by magnificent views south towards Mt Huon.”

In a desire to capture its rural setting, the material palette is robust and direct, with concrete, bricks, and cement sheeting used for for interior linings and joinery. A restrained palette of darkly stained plywood, raked cement-sheet ceilings and matt sheen concrete floors further enhanced the spaces.

Keeping in mind the material palette, the architects knew that timber would complement the aesthetic of the home perfectly. Having worked with Big River Group before, they used Armourpanel Blackbutt hardwood lining on the doors and walls, which injected warmth into the home. The Blackbutt panelling is also a fire resistant wood, responding to the bushfire prone location.

“The timber walls and joinery are a feature of the residence. Not only do they complement the concrete and cement,” Lynn explains, “they also visually connect with the colours of surrounding bush environment.”

The natural masterpiece has already won awards, taking home both an AIA National Award and an AIA NSW Award in 2020.

For more information.

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Categories
Architecture Design House Tours

Byron Bay: The most luxurious farmhouse you’ve ever seen

Living
Open plan kitchen, living and dining

With its rough sawn hardwood beams, plywood ceilings and exposed brickwork it’s difficult to believe that this stunning home is a new build. Located on a working cattle station in the Byron Bay hinterland, with a two-pavilion design inspired by Australian wool sheds, the home was originally conceived via a collaboration between the architect Angus Munro, of Marc and Co, and the property’s owner, Tim Mundy.

The rugged, masculine interiors were designed by the talented team at The Designory and today, we’re lucky enough to step inside and take a look.

Farm
Not your typical homestead!

Nestled on 40 sprawling acres in the lush hinterland hillside, just 10-minutes from the centre of Byron Bay, Walker Farm feels opulent but very modern given its understated materials palette of timber, leather and stone. The landscape is arguably the most prominent feature of the property, and thus framing framing the views and capturing the light were paramount to the home’s design.

Lounge room
Lounge room

As mentioned, the home is comprised of two pavilions, yet both serve very clear purposes. One side houses the generously proportioned living, dining and kitchen spaces while the other contains a series of gorgeous bedrooms and bathrooms.

Living
Open plan kitchen, living and dining

In the central living area, a dramatic cathedral ceiling competes for attention with a basalt stone-clad combustion fireplace; the result is pretty dramatic. The adjacent kitchen features high-end appliances alongside stone and timber bench tops and exposed timber integrated shelving gives the kitchen joinery a lived-in, decorative feel with plenty of room for personal touches.

Kitchen
Kitchen

The bedroom pavilion houses a rumpus room and a stylish kids’ room with built-in bunk; the space saving custom solution has become something of a Designory signature. There’s a further two children’s bedrooms and guest rooms in this wing along with a master suite too.

Kids' room
Kids’ room. That blue paint is absolutely stunning.

The large master suite is another highlight of the home. One end of the room features a huge leather clad wall that serves to ground the space, while injecting more of that glorious earthy texture. The nearby ensuite is clad in green andesite and while private, it enjoys views of the surrounding pine forest and farm below.

Master bedroom
The master bedroom features a large leather-clad wall
Ensuite
Ensuite

All of the bedrooms have been designed with the natural landscape in mind with layers of natural texture and nature images featuring prominently. The resulting spaces all feel distinct yet connected to one another, thanks to the organic materials palette that was inspired by the surrounding environment.

Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom
Bedroom

The outdoors features a communal firepit area and a stunning mineral enriched pool by Theralux. Substantial decks and integrated bench seats allow the beautifully bucolic view to take centre stage.

Pool
Pool

Photography: Jessie Prince

For more

The Designory are sharing more details about the creation of Walker Farm on their Instagram from this week

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Homewares Interviews

Cranmore Home: bringing beautiful homewares to regional WA

When your nearest neighbour is a few kilometres away and the only shop in a respectable distance sells groceries, for those who value interiors and homewares, living in rural Australia can easily become the kiss of death.

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Tracy Lefroy

But for Tracy Lefroy, being based on a farm in regional Western Australia inspired her to bring beautiful homewares to the people of her hometown, by creating her store, Cranmore Home. Offering its wares online, in a permanent showroom in Moora and via pop-up retail events throughout WA, Cranmore Home stocks a combination of Australia’s tried and tested favourite brands, alongside emerging Australian artisans.

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Cranmore Home’s permanent showroom in Moora

“Living in regional WA means that I am not influenced by what is being shown in other shops, simply because there are no other shops near me,” explains Tracy. “I have a very strong idea of the aesthetic I am creating at Cranmore Home so I know pretty quickly if an artisan is going to fit with that. This is not an aesthetic with an eye on emerging trends, but one which values longevity over fads.”

With her permanent showroom in her regional hometown of Moora, Tracy is not content in serving just that area’s residents, hence the pop-up events taking her across the state to a very receptive audience.

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Pop-up retail event at the Beermullah Shearing Shed

“I just love the pop-up retail events in regional WA,” says Tracy. “It is such a treat to bring amazing Australian-designed homewares to an audience that is not normally able to access these brands in their own region. We have also had access to some amazing venues, such as Beermullah Shearing Shed, where we converted this beautifully renovated shed into a styled venue, such as I have never seen before.”

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Pop-up retail event at the Beermullah Shearing Shed

Working where she does has the obvious challenge of being geographically removed from the artisans whose work she sells. But Tracy believes this separation also sees her removed from others’ influences, allowing her to stay true to her own values. Her latest big idea is her inaugural Winter Workshop. Being held on 28 June at the farm where she lives, Cranmore Park, the event will bring the people behind the brands at Cranmore Home to WA to share their skills.

“The Winter Workshop will provide the opportunity to attend intimate workshops of just 15 participants with some of Australia’s most talented artisans,” explains Tracy. “The day will be divided into two sessions, with a long table lunch of local, seasonal food and paired wines. The Workshops have been tailored to suit anyone from a novice to a well-skilled artist.”

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Tracy’s farm home, historic Cranmore Park

The Workshop will be made that much more special by being based in Tracy’s historic farmhouse home, where she lives with her husband Kristin and their three children. Currently halfway through a ten-year renovation plan, the process of designing and styling her house is what inspired Tracy to start her own shop in the first place.

“My own aesthetic is one and the same as Cranmore Home,” says Tracy. “Living in and renovating an old home has given me such an appreciation for the longevity of great design. It was when we moved into our home that I really honed my love of design and became focused on only filling my home (and so my shop) with Australian-designed products that I truly loved.”

With a busy schedule of pop-ups and workshops as well as monitoring both her physical and online shop, Tracy is in no way slowing down. But that’s exactly how she likes it.