Samantha and Jim had been regular visitors to Portsea, on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, but despite their long-held love for the area, never seriously considered owning a beach house there – until this block of land came up for sale. “A friend told me about the site,” says Samantha, “and it became a case of ‘act now rather than later’.”
Samantha and her spoodle Charlie enter via the front door, which opens directly into the kitchen. The dark joinery, in Eveneer ‘Ravenna’ timber veneer, is balanced by the use of blackbutt for the surrounding cabinetry. The striking benchtop is made from Maximum Moon pressed porcelain from Artedomus.
She was keen for their son, who’s 13, to have the same fond memories of enjoying the seaside as she herself does. And this lot, located about 500 metres from the beach and on the edge of a lagoon, seemed perfect: at more than 2000m², there was plenty of space to build the perfect weekender.
Family meals take place at the Zuster dining table, surrounded by Kiki dining chairs from MCM House. Brickett Davda ceramic plate and bowl and Henry Dean square grey glass vase, all from Manon Bis. Artworks by Kate Scott through LuMu Interiors.
Smart buy: Luca pendant lights, from $295 each, LuMu Interiors.
The couple knew from the outset that they wanted a house with a relaxed, casual air. So they asked Melbourne architect Ray Dinh and landscape architect Fiona Brockhoff to draw up plans that suited the sprawling site, which is framed to the north by majestic cypress pines.
The home’s main bathroom features a Vasca ‘Libera 3D’ back-to-wall bath teamed with an Abey Gareth Ashton ‘Lucia’ bath filler all from Disegno Casa.
One of Samantha’s key requests was that the house be black. “My eyes always widen when I see a black house, whether it’s in a magazine or on a television show.” She was also keen for the home to have a clear separation between its living areas and bedrooms, plus a strong connection to the outdoors. Ray set about siting the house as close as possible to the southern edge of the property, to fully maximise its exposure to northern light. He designed the family a home, now affectionately named ‘Samantha’, where concrete and charred timber are the star materials, and which opens straight into a vast open-plan kitchen/dining/living area.
Basin mixer and Calix 920mm vanity with Teknorit top from Disegno Casa.
“We wanted a house that really felt like a beach house: informal and open to the garden,” says Samantha who loves to curl up in front of the fireplace upon arrival. During the warmer months, the large sliding doors on either side of the fireplace recess into wall cavities, allowing the generous terrace – complete with an outdoor fireplace – to function as a second living area.
Curtains from Clearview Sun Control soften the sunny view out to the garden. The bed from MCM House is draped with a Hale Mercantile Co ‘Sable’ blanket. Rug, Loom Rugs.
In meeting the owners’ request for a casual feel, Ray specified low-maintenance polished concrete floors throughout most of the home, even in bedrooms, where they’re complemented by soft rugs. Timber also features extensively, with dark-stained timber joinery in the kitchen paired with unstained blackbutt cabinetry. The living area’s raked ceilings and external timber battened screens embrace the view of the pine trees, and there are glimpses of the lagoon in the distance.
Charred timber battens from Eco Timber clad the exterior. Landscape designer Fiona Brockhoff has achieved a beautiful mix of succulents, hardy shrubs and natives. Crayfish pots from Tasmania.
Separate zones have been created for parents and children, with Ray designing a bedroom wing that includes the main bedroom suite at one end and at the furthest point, on the northern edge of the house, a family room leading to its own terrace. In between the two is the son’s bedroom, along with three other bedrooms, including a bunkroom for when friends with children come to visit.
Thanks to the double-sided fireplace from Jetmaster, winter’s chill is no impediment to enjoying the beautiful garden designed by Fiona Brockhoff. Outdoor furniture, all Rock & Stone. Colorbond roofing. Charred timber battens, Eco Timber.
By the front door, there’s an outdoor shower. “Jim’s a keen surfer so it made sense to include a shower and bench by the front door so he can remove his sandy wetsuit and shower before he walks in,” says Samantha. Although Ray designed a double garage and car port for the couple, everyone tends to park their cars in the forecourt. That’s because the garage has been claimed by their son as an impromptu band rehearsal space and the carport accommodates the couple’s dinghy.
Landscape designer Fiona Brockhoff worked this existing bottlebrush into her design.
If the family and their friends aren’t relaxing in the living area, they gravitate to the kitchen, enjoying the morning light that floods in. “I can spend hours on the terrace, just enjoying being down here and experiencing everything the coast has to offer,” says Samantha, who regularly entertains large groups (sometimes up to 40 people). It’s earned her a reputation as a generous host. “Everyone now think New Year’s Eve here should be permanently marked in their diaries!” she says, laughing.
raydinharchitecture.com; fionabrockhoffdesign.com
