Published - Fauconshawe Project - Hunting for George

We had a quick chat to Jonno from Hunting for George (one of our favourite house blogs - you must check them out if you haven't already!) about our Fauconshawe project in Balnarring Beach. You can have a read of the article here. Or see more info below

Peacefully nestled one block away from the beach in Balnarring, a quiet, coastal village on the Mornington Peninsula is a new family house surrounded by coastal landscape and holiday nature. The Fauconshawe Project by The Little Brick Studio is an evolution of two previous houses that the team had completed for the same couple previously, this time combining elements they loved from those houses and fusing them into their new dream home. Let’s go take a look?

Fauconshawe Project - Balnarring Beach House

Fauconshawe Project - Balnarring Beach House

Historically, this quiet coastal village on the Mornington Peninsula was a holiday location, however recent times have brought many more permanent residents, and the newer housing in the area has begun to reflect this with larger often highly architectural housing replacing the older smaller weatherboard and fibre-cement holiday housing. And even though the neighbourhood character of the area was in the process of evolving to allow for modern, larger homes, the immediate streetscape was still small holiday shack type dwellings, so it was important to ensure the design was somewhat sympathetic to this.

Custom Pendant lights in the entry hint at the form of the seaweed found at the beach nearby

Long sheer curtains provide privacy to the entry area when required. Carparking is hidden in the basement, accessed via the ramp to the left

The design response was a simple vertical structure that rises above the coastal landscape with a rawness seen in the area, carried over in the surfaces and materials. The natural, beachside colours and tones of charred timber cladding and a contrast of light and dark were utilized on the facade, replicating the contrasting coastal tones in the surrounding nature. The large double-height expanse of glass to the entry of the dwelling lightens the facade further, and allows the reflection of the surrounding trees, further soften the presence of the building.

The custom pendants in the kitchen are the same seaweed form as those in the entry

The Kitchen leads directly through a generous butlers pantry into the laundry beyond

Stunning dark soap stone was used for the island bench and splashbacks.

Close up, the soapstone takes on a green tinge, almost mimicking the natural rock forms of the nearby beach

Now parents to two young children and a gorgeous Boston terrier puppy, the clients requested that the new home should be versatile and future proof, and be filled with plenty of natural light, seamless indoor/outdoor transitions, generous open living areas, passive yet effective heating and cooling options, and high-tech automation. Throughout the interiors, a commanding monochromatic vibe of black and white flows through the house, with the dark soapstone benchtops and the glistening blue pool visible from the main living areas delivering a feeling of drama and refinement when moving through each space.

The butlers kitchen includes a separate sink, dishwasher and storage area. To the left a separate pantry area.

A skylight above the living room rammed earth allows shadows to highlight the texture of the rammed earth

Upstairs, the colour palate remains subtle, allowing the large windows and views to be the feature

“THE DESIGNER KEPT DETAIL TO A MINIMUM, UTILISING OPEN SPACES AND A SIMPLE COMBINATION OF TEXTURED AND REFLECTIVE SURFACES SO THAT THE POOL BECAME THE STANDOUT FEATURE. THE REFLECTIONS OF THE WATER, THE SHADOWS AND LIGHT CAN BE GLIMPSED THROUGHOUT THE HOUSE. SOMETIMES SUBTLE SUCH AS THE BLUE GLOW FLOWING INTO THE BASEMENT FROM THE UNDERWATER WINDOW. SOMETIMES OBVIOUS SUCH AS THE VIEW FROM ALFRESCO AND LIVING AREA, OR THE MASTER BEDROOM DECKING, FLOATING OVER THE POOL WHERE THE OCCUPANTS BREAKFAST EACH MORNING, BUT ALWAYS PROVIDING A HINT OF THE COASTAL LIFESTYLE THE CLIENT LOVES SO MUCH.”

The master suite includes a balcony cantilvered over the pool

Conceptually, the project was a huge success and the client’s goal of having a dream house for their growing family was realized.

Balnarring Beach House by The Little Brick Studio

House Project: Fauconshawe Project Building Designer: The Little Brick Studio Location: Balnarring Beach, Victoria, Australia Engineer: Vayco Structures Landscaping: Port Phillip Landscaping Principle Designers: Ben Mulholland and Amy Hart Builder: Swell Building Group Photography: Amorfo Photography