Perched on a grassy knoll in Sorrento, a moody aesthetic from interior decorator Simone Haag and rugged materials offset a minimalist, brutalist expression inside a modern home by Travis Walton Architecture.
Conceived alongside Bear Agushi, homeowner, builder and director of Agushi Constructions, the brief called for a coastal family retreat, where stepping inside a modern home not only feels luxurious but also reveals views of the bay, Melbourne’s city skyline and the nearby golf course. “We were inspired by Sorrento’s striking natural beauty, and we wanted to reflect that in the architecture and, from a holistic approach, bring that into the interiors,” says Travis Walton, design principal at Travis Walton Architecture.
Approaching the house from the street, one is met by a ‘castle wall’ made from off-form concrete. Inside a modern home like Norfolk, views take centrestage. A reverse-living layout relies on an elevated podium-like structure, with a concrete sculptural staircase leading to the centre of the main living space where one is met with panoramic vistas.
Robust materials are favoured, echoing and withstanding the weathered beauty of the Victorian coastline. External-grade paving is used for flooring, offering a worn-in aesthetic mixed against an otherwise soft, minimalist brutalist palette. “The brutal, rough texture of the off-form concrete is offset by the warm tones of the natural timber cladding,” says Walton. “We wanted something that would mimic the texture of the off-form concrete in the surrounding walls, so we used timber flooring from Made by Storey’s Touch collection … the dark natural hues are the perfect complement to our material palette.”
Joinery and finishes are subtle and reductive, dominated by aged metal, blackened steel and dark stones to create a raw, unfussy feel. “A lot of what went into this house was me using my hands, staying here night after night and crafting things just to be able to get the finishes that I knew I wanted, like the patina around the staircase or the brass installation around the cabinetry,” says Agushi.
Furniture, art, objects and styling channel a slightly tribal aesthetic while remaining grounded in a less-is-more approach. Inside a modern home like Norfolk, “we wanted to bring pieces that you wouldn’t ordinarily associate with a beach house,” says interior decorator Simone Haag. “We love the Mexican chairs, we love having flow and drama and the slow reveal of pieces and a really quiet palette that doesn’t take away from the environment that surrounds the house,” says Haag.
A welcome departure from a regular beach house, Norfolk courageously reinterprets the beach house vernacular through balancing brutalist architecture with carefully curated interiors inside a modern home. “This is a house that’s going to wear in and patina and evolve over time, rather than wear out, and I like to think of architecture as something that stands the test of time,” reflects Walton. Agushi adds; “I hope that this is a property that my family can enjoy for generations.”
00:00 – Introduction to the Modern Home
00:58 – Nature Inspired Design
01:43 – Walkthrough of the Home
02:44 – Handcrafted Finishes
03:11 – Robust Material Palette
04:17 – Styling and Decor
05:18 – Proud Moments
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Photography by Sharyn Cairns.
Architecture by Travis Walton Architecture.
Built by Agushi Constructions.
Furniture, objects and art by Simone Haag.
Flooring by Made By Storey.
Filmed and edited by Dan Preston.
Production by The Local Production.
Location: Sorrento, Victoria, Australia
The Local Project acknowledges the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Owners of the land in Australia. We recognise the importance of Indigenous peoples in the identity of our country and continuing connections to Country and community. We pay our respect to Elders, past and present and extend that respect to all Indigenous people of these lands.
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