Blairgowrie Beach House by Planned Living Architects & Studio Tom
Working together with Planned Living Architects, Studio Tom has reimagined Blairgowrie Beach House, a minimal and contemporary home perched by the sea on the dunes of Blairgowrie, in Victoria.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Derek Swalwell I Architecture: Planned Living Architects I Design: Studio Tom I Styling: Natalie James I Builder: Made Build
‘We focused on resilient, natural materials where possible, to lower the environmental impact of this build,’ says Robbie Peirce, Studio Tom director.
The kitchen approach was unconventional—the long island counter included an integrated cooktop and telescopic extraction, which provided opportunity for beautiful, full-height joinery behind.
The kitchen features an integrated fridge, concealed large WIP and bar.
The kitchen is refined, functional and uniquely beautiful.
The balance of texture between the concrete, timber and linear battens offered a refined, harmonious and natural aesthetic.
The expansive kitchen and dining space is filled with natural light.
‘The site, with its knock-out ocean view, is the standout feature of this house. There was careful consideration, regarding the spatial forms and furniture selection, to ensure the view remained the highlight,’ explains Robbie Peirce, Studio Tom director.
Together with Planned Living Architects, Studio Tom focused on the spectacular untamed beauty of the Mornington Peninsula coastline for the design of the home, making sure the interior elements were not in competition with the views.
Blairgowrie Beach House has a calming and subdued ambience, achieved by a restrained palette throughout. ‘We focused on resilient, natural materials where possible, to lower the environmental impact of this build,’ says Robbie. The material palette draws from the landscape outside, from the warmth of the sand to the tones of the tea-tree foliage. The indoors and outdoors are incredibly connected—the use of pale timbers drawing out the warmth in the solid cast in-situ concrete walls, the balance of texture between the concrete, timber and linear battens offer a harmonious and natural aesthetic.
The large-scale windows within the home expose the harshness of the dune landscape, while the interiors envelop a sense of comfort, without foregoing their seamless link to the environment. ‘Our aim was to provide uncluttered and tranquil spaces, that draw focus towards the ocean views. The long window seat provides an inviting perch, in which to intimately engage with the views,’ shares Robbie.
Materials within include renewable timbers from solid Australian plantation hardwoods within the shiplap ceiling, and solid timber battening from certified FSC chain-of-custody suppliers. The selected bathroom tile was ordered precisely and with minimal wastage, ‘We know this because we used every single tile,’ Robbie says. The counters were designed around the selected stone slabs to minimise wastage, with the same stone used in the kitchen and bathrooms.
The use of carpet was also minimised throughout—the carpet selected made entirely from recycled synthetics, including fishing nets. The selected high-quality tapware in the kitchen and bathroom is WELS compliant, and Australian designed and made, and the lighting throughout is all energy efficient LED—cleverly, the rooms without windows had skylights installed to avoid the use of artificial light during the day.
The interior spaces were designed with flexibly in mind, so that the design layout for the beach house could work for potential permanent residents in the future. Spaces are linked, with the ability to close off specific zones for different functions and multi-functional rooms— all important design elements for Studio Tom. ‘The design strategy was to provide a spatial layout with enough flexibility for our clients, while also keeping potential future inhabitants in mind,’ says Robbie.
For the rooms without a view, the focus shifted on natural light and the interplay of textured finishes. In the master ensuite, a wall-to-wall skylight bathes the room with light. ‘An integrated planter was also introduced here, to help give a sense of outdoor bathing.’
The kitchen design was tackled unconventionally—the long island counter includes an integrated cooktop and telescopic extraction, which provided opportunity for beautiful, full-height joinery to be designed on the wall directly behind the island. With the inclusion of an integrated fridge, concealed large WIP and bar, the kitchen is refined yet also incredibly functional.
The end result for Blairgowrie Beach House is a home that exudes a resilient and commanding presence, harmoniously blending with its rugged coastline environment – the perfect destination to escape and wind-down from the fast pace of city living.
‘The site, with its knock-out ocean view, is the standout feature of this house.’
The living room view over the tea-tree tops and across the coastline.
A seat in front of the fireplace is a cosy spot in the colder months.
Clean lines and a subdued material palette feature throughout the home.
“Our aim was to provide uncluttered and tranquil spaces, that draw focus towards the ocean views.”
The application of pale timbers draw out the warmth in the cast in-situ concrete walls.
The long window seat provides an inviting perch to intimately engage with the view over the tea trees.
An expansive window beautifully frames a tree outside.
The minimal space is contemporary yet calming.
In the master ensuite, a wall-to-wall skylight bathes the room with light
The serene and subdued palette extends to the bedroom.