Portsea Surf Shack by Blair Smith Architecture
Portsea Sea Shack is a humble 1950s surf shack – reimagined into a simple and serene seaside family home by Blair Smith Architecture.
Words: Hande Renshaw I Photography: Sean Fennessy I Styling: Jess Lillico
Ang Sofa by Norm Architects from Apt, HAY Slit Table in Yellow from Open Room, Offset coffee table by Resident from District, Alfie Terracotta Vessel from Coastal Living Sorrento, Nudo Rug in White Beige Caramel from Halcyon Lake, timber floor by Made by Storey in ‘California’, FDB Møbler J52b Chair from Børge Mogensen from Open Room, Resident Bloom Floor Lamp from District, Archive Handles from Linear Standard, Lucciola light by Vistosi from Lights Lights Lights, custom Victorian Ash frames by LUBU Building Group. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
Form No.190 painting by Clare Dubina from Coastal Living Sorrento, Bit Stool Cone in Blue by Normann Copenhagen from District. Halo Dining Chairs by Something Beginning With SBW, Bass Dining Table by SBW Australia. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
‘The banquette seat is its own element and defines the edge of the dining zone,’ says Jack Heatley. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
Portsea Surf Shack by Blair Smith Architecture sits in an idyllic location at Portsea Beach. With rear access to the beach and ‘Millionaire’s Walk’, the property is located in one of Mornington Peninsula’s most sought after locations.
The 65-square-metre, two-bedroom unit located in an experimental development of prefabricated homes built in the 1950s called Harbour Gate, is home to a family of three who had grown up surfing and fishing on the Mornington Peninsula.
While located in an incredible location, the simple house was in need of a major transformation. ‘The existing house almost looked like it hadn’t been touched since the 70’s with mustard-coloured benchtops, an old electric stove and oven and vertical blinds you would normally find in an old solicitor’s office. The house also had a few oddly positioned cupboards in the corners of rooms, so we were keen to remove anything that had considerable impact on the overall functionality of the home,’ says Blair Smith Architecture design lead, Jack Heatley.
The home is the primary place of residence for the owners, so functionality and a simple palette which subtly referenced the coastal setting was high on the must-have list. ‘A key design move was selecting an internal paint finish for the plaster domes and walls. A breathable lime-based paint with a subtle texture was selected to celebrate the domed surfaces and serve a functional purpose because it allows the old plaster to breathe. Much like sand on the shores is the backdrop to a beach, the sandy-coloured paint finish forms the backdrop of the house, allowing the individual objects of the design to come through,’ says director Blair Smith.
Another important design decision was the limestone kitchen bench – evoking imagery of fossilized shells, with a nod to Portsea’s history of limestone quarrying and construction. ‘The cabinetry colour is a muted response to local coastal scrub – these tones are carried through to the bathroom with handmade tiles and terrazzo, creating an idyllic place for a post-swim rinse,’ adds Blair.
The home is made from a series of prefabricated reinforced plaster units, assembled together onsite to form a single residence. This enable the plan to be segmented into discrete rooms or zones, each topped by a slightly domed ceiling. ‘The new parts of the house drew upon this sense of “separation” by mostly consisting of individual furniture-like elements,’ says Jack. ‘The kitchen island is curved at its corners and is detached from the wall, the banquette seat is its own element and defines the edge of the dining zone and the bathroom vanity features round legs with a stone top – something more akin to desk furniture than to bathroom vanities. The threshold to each “room” is also trimmed with timber reveals, further adding to this feature of the house.’
The end result is a serene home designed with ingenuity, harnessing the most out of a compact space. ‘The beach box demonstrated an “essential’” kind of living, which I think, when we reflect on the project, comes across in both a functional and aesthetic way,’ says Jack.
From No.190 painting by Clare Dubina from Coastal Living Sorrento, Bit Stool Cone in Blue by Normann Copenhagen from District. Halo Dining Chairs by Something Beginning With SBW, Bass Dining Table by SBW Australia. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
Ang Sofa by Norm Architects from Apt, HAY Slit Table in Yellow from Open Room, Offset coffee table by Resident from District, Alfie Terracotta Vessel from Coastal Living Sorrento, Nudo Rug in White Beige Caramel from Halcyon Lake, timber floor by Made by Storey in ‘California’, FDB Møbler J52b Chair from Børge Mogensen from Open Room, Resident Bloom Floor Lamp from District, Archive Handles from Linear Standard, Lucciola light by Vistosi from Lights Lights Lights, custom Victorian Ash frames by LUBU Building Group. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
“The project entailed the revitalisation of a tired 1950s interior with an intent to create a clam and crafted interior that subtly referenced the coastal setting.”
The domed ceilings add interest and volume in the prefabricated house. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
Circa Counter Stool Normann Copenhagen from District, custom Victorian Ash island bench by Matt Clarke Kitchen and Design, Arco Turko Argento Limestone from Signorino, Laminex ‘Alpine Mist’ Cabinetry by Matt Clarke Kitchen and Design, Archive Handles from Linear Standard. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
Eden bed linen in Butter from Sheet Society, Nelly Wall Light from Jardan. Doughboy robe hook by In-teria in Tasmanian Oak. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
Nelly Wall Light from Jardan, Form No.329 painting by Clare Dubina from Coastal Living Sorrento. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
‘The compact bathroom layout is very similar to the original – so there was some economy in terms of plumbing and keeping walls in place,’ says Blair Smith. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
Tierra Nieve wall tiles from Tiles of Ezra, Apato Step Stool by Ishinomaki Laboratory from Apt, Teknoka Zandobbio floor tiles from Perini Tiles, Johanna bath towels from Baina, Cali Towel Rail in Brushed Nickel from ABI Interiors, Doughboy robe hook by In-teria in Tasmanian Oak, Milani shower mixers in Brushed Nickel from ABI Interiors, Sola handheld shower in Brushed Nickel from ABI Interiors, Sola shower rose and arm in Brushed Nickel from ABI Interiors, Clay basin in ‘Coast’ from Robert Gordon Pottery, custom Teknika Zandobbio bench top from Perini Tiles, Laminex ‘Alpine Mist’ drawers by Matt Clarke Kitchen and Design, custom round Victorian Ash benchtop legs by Matt Clarke Kitchen and Design. Photo: Sean Fennessy. Styling: Jess Lillico
