Homes

Semi-industrial Home Style

If anything signals a major lifestyle overhaul, it’s a move from regional Victoria to Queensland’s Sunshine Coast – and when Greg and Barb shifted from Bendigo to Noosa six years ago, this is exactly what they had in mind. Having lived in an 1856 Victorian house brimming with antiques, they sold the lot in favour of a pared-back modern aesthetic that suited their new coastal home.

Today, there isn’t an antique in sight in their semi-industrial split-level house. Instead, shimmering polished concrete floors, commercial bi-fold doors, soaring ceilings and clean lines form a thoroughly modern interior that embraces the natural environment. Surveying the open-plan living area, which draws in an abundance of light and overlooks panoramic views of Noosa’s North Shore, Greg explains that the brief for the house was simply to capture as much natural light and breeze as possible. “In Bendigo, we would shut the house up so we were cocooned from the weather, but here we wanted to be exposed to the elements and be flooded with natural light from sunrise to sunset.” Enlisting Noosa architect Jolyon Robinson of Robinson Architects, the couple collaborated on an ambitious design using a mix of commercial materials, which enabled the house to unfold like an aircraft hangar.

The home’s upper storey functions as one large observation platform, with the kitchen flowing seamlessly onto several indoor and outdoor living areas. With a plethora of places to sit and enjoy the view, the couple admits they eat their meals in a different area each day.

Their favourite spot is at their treasured Jimmy Possum table, underneath the Vergola roof, which they keep open at night so they can dine under the stars. “Because we look out onto so much of the coast, it really feels as if we are in a tree house,” says Greg. While the couple like to spend most of their time on the upper level, cantilevered stairs float down to an equally stunning lower level encompassing a bathroom, guest bedrooms and a living area, which spills out to a pool nestled among fragrant gardenias and frangipani.

The decor is kept uncluttered, with elegant Italian furniture anchored by large textured rugs. Several treasured paintings by artist Gordon Richards also break up the neutral space – although with so few walls to hang artwork, the view acts as a continually changing canvas. “We are attuned to the weather and everything that is going on outside,” says Barb. “You can see the clouds roll in and we know what is happening on the water. It is such a beautiful space to live in.”

Photo by Craig Wall Jul 30, 2012