Inside A Modern Home Designed to Embrace Nature (House Tour)

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.

#Inside #Modern #Home

[thienlh]

I think this is the first time I heard the word "budget" in this channel. Nice!

[The_Nickers]

I can understand that this won't be to everyone's taste, but this house is so serene and beautiful. Love it.

[dinodinosaur]

💚 Glorious ... The timber grain imprints on the concrete walls & the staircase ... 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 compliments too all involved in the project

[djdarklyceum]

It has a Dune feel to it with the sun hitting it.. amazing design.

[aleksandrazawadka]

Mr Agushi. You've created amazing house for your family and generations to come. Beautiful!

[CourtneyBishopPOA]

Epiccc. The color palette is absolutely chef's kiss. It feels like a hug to my soul. I'm so inspired and also thrilled for your family to enjoy it for generations to come. Bravo, team. Oh, and the interior pieces selected.. 3 of them specifically I adore; the chunky, threaded wall hanging, the DMT-looking, burnt wood wall art, and the big, playful, spooky vase! How cool.

[kyles]

Jaw-droppingly beautiful. I should be jealous, but instead I'm just impressed. The level of care and craft... incredible.

[Throneproperty_th]

The attention to detail in this home is stunning, from the intricate design elements to the perfectly curated décor.

[thomask]

Finally no words such as "really simple 450 square meters cottage getaway seafront property"

[michelfortier]

Great concrete work, especially the stairs. Great job! The furniture was quirky and really cool!

[Stickybutton]

Love the way they’ve described the house without all the architectural fluff and BS.

[AngelaCorica-og]

An amazing home it deserves all the praises absolutely stunning

[donnaoz]

Beautiful organic complement to its environment. Well done !

[Alby]

I see how Bear's name is tied to the colour pallet:

The word "bear" comes from the Old English word bera, which is part of a family of names for the bear in Germanic languages. It is thought to be related to the Proto-Indo-European word for "brown", so that "bear" would mean "the brown one".

Nice touch and a cool name 😀

[HumiHuyu-hu-is-ts.Master]

Woohoo uff OMG....WHATTA PERFECTION WATTA CREATION 🧢👒💫💝🤩🥰👏👏👏😇👍🙌...I WISH I WAS SOOOO RICH..😅😁🤲🙏🧢

[whoami]

It is impressive & beautiful, would stand the test of time.

I personally find it too serious, somewhat severe feeling... does not bring about a sense of relaxation that a "beach house" would. Vibes like a grand house in the heart of an urban city.

[JAZZZIT]

good architecture and interior design! Where is the color?

[GlenDunn-lh]

This is what a builder affords these days... as a beach house no less. "The family has never had one (beach house) before". What housing crisis?

[robertwagner]

'Maintain Budget' hahahahaha 😂😂😂

[mathewhills]

A modern home designed to embrace nature
Well if you mean with two hands around natures throat squeezing the life out of it, yeah, spot on