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Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.
Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.
In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.
Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.
I'm always very excited to share a WA home with you all - I know they're few and far between around here, but with the amazing assistance of Perth based stylist Anna Flanders and photographer Angelita Bonetti, we're slowly but surely working in a few more incredible WA homes into the TDF mix!
Today's amazing family home comes to us from the Yallingup Siding region, which is on the West Coast of WA, about 3 hours South of Perth. It's the home of one very creative family - Fiona Maclennan, Ken Norrish and their son Mackie.
Ken and Fiona share a passion for great design, and have each made their livings from sourcing and selling beautiful furniture and homewares, and renovating homes together in the WA area. Fiona grew up in a design family, and has lived with beautiful design pieces all her life. Ken has been an antiques dealer and obsessive restorer / renovator since his teens, whilst Fiona has always been more drawn to mid-century design and Japanese pieces. (She still runs occasional Japanese ceramic pop-ups called 'Momo Home' in the Margaret River region.) Apparently Ken is quite well known around Fremantle and Perth, particularly for his big Tuscan-style renovations in the 90's, which were well documented in various interiors magazines such as House & Garden at the time!
Despite having renovated and sold many homes together, this is the first home that Ken and Fiona have built from scratch. 'This is our first new house, built after many renovations and restorations' says Fiona. The pair selected this block of land for its mix of native bush and the Northern outlook to the bay. 'We could build here without destroying bushland, and were able to design with big North windows for view and solar gain, which is rare in WA, as most views tend to be Westerly, with hot afternoon sun issues'.
Having previously lived in a lightweight old beach house, in designing this home, Fiona and Ken became 'a little obsessive' about thermal mass, keen to ensure they would have lots of thick dark concrete floors absorbing winter sun. First and foremost, this house was designed to suit the site, with functionality in mind - but an important influencing factor was also to create a space that would complement the incredible mid 20th Century furniture both Fiona and Ken have collected over the years. Indeed this space certainly does seem to strike the perfect harmonious balance between efficient contemporary design and classic mid-century style.
Massive thanks to Ken and Fiona for sharing their stunning home with us today, and to Anna and Angelita for capturing it so beautifully!
The Design Files acknowledge the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we work, the Wurundjeri people of the Kulin Nation. We pay our respects to Elders past and present.
First Nations artists, designers, makers, and creative business owners are encouraged to submit their projects for coverage on The Design Files. Please email bea@thedesignfiles.net
The Design Files’ original content and photos are copyright protected. Please email us before reposting our content on other publications, personal websites, or Instagram. Feel free to share our images on Pinterest using the credit ‘via thedesignfiles.net’. Thank you!
Gorgeous gorgeous family home! The Mon Oncle print looks fabulous! Love it all !
The view from terrace/deck is lovely. I want one too!
What a lovely space…bright, light and beautiful lush bushlands…
This is a beautiful expression of extreme good taste – this couple does Australia proud, love the shapes and lines and bold colour – even the motor bike seems to be a well thought out object of transportation.
I am a Mon Oncle fan also.
What a thrill!
Love it!
Do you think they’d mind if I snuck in and took that McLay chair… and the Jielde lamps… and the Holmegaard collection… and…
The photography is gorgeous, so crisp. What kind of camera was used?
What a beautiful home. I’m getting ideas for our deck. And I love that sink. I wish we had bought that sink when we did our kitchen.
The bathroom is also beautiful.
Stunning home, just lovely! =)
Love the children’s bedroom, bathroom and vintage french posters! In fact, I love the whole house – just divine.
Because I’m lame and practical I’m wondering how they dealt with the fire-proofing design requirements… seems to heaps more beautiful windows (without shutters) than my in-laws are thinking they’ll be able to have on a bush block.
Totally in love with this house!
This is my most favourite house on TDF. Thank you!! xx
My favorite house so far. Keep up the good work.
Great house, love all the beautiful wood, and pops of colour. And that tap! I have been looking for one just like it. LOVE.
Lovely to see a WA home featured! x
The coloured stools in the dining/kitchen- what are they?
stunning!
Hi can you tell me what and where i might get the lights that are hanging above the dining table???love them!
Yes, what a divine house – I don’t think there is a bit I don’t like! Can you tell me the make and model of the wood burner, it is just what we are looking for and we are tired of seeing mock, old fashioned numbers with brass knobs! Love to know that please.
I can’t stop thinking about that black kitchen tap! Anyone know where I can find one like this? I am DESPERATE for one!
Design Files, your best ever.
Thank you, thank you, thank you!
what a lovely, relaxed feel this home has, and the furniture pieces are a knock-out!
SOOOOOO happy to see another WA house on TDF!! And such a beautiful home.. Would love to see more like that from the West!
Fabulous styling and story! Love the warm, yet modern look. K x
Amazing home,so wan’t everything in it.
Wow that was odd. I just wrote an very long comment but after I clicked
submit my comment didn’t appear. Grrrr… well I’m not writing all that over again.
Anyhow, just wanted to say superb blog!
Love! Happy space. Great light. Just one question, if I may …. Where did you purchase the fabulous world map in Mackie’s bedroom? Enjoy your wonderful home and thanks for sharing.
Love it! Great to see homes from states other than vic and nsw!
Can you tell me where the vintage poster is from? Thanks!
Stunning. Just returned from a week ‘down south’ and this place really captures the essence of the creative yet natural vibe down there. There is a lot of homogenous boring top end design in WA right now, so it is lovely to see such imagination.
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Great to see so many fantastic comments, this is a truly remarkable property.
I thought I would let anyone who may be interested in buying the property know it is currently for sale. Feel free to give me a call if you would like more info 08 9759 1300
Thanks for this, I really appreciate what you have done here. Keep it up, and I will be back for more.
This blog contains nice information regarding design and color combination used in the interior. The eco friendly design and materials are used to make interior very delightful and beautiful environment. It will be helpful for the home renovations procedure.
I was curious if you ever considered changing the structure
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What an amazing place! Incorporating eco-friendly design, is really the way of the future. I’ve used these guys before to put in energy efficient lighting and it turned out really well, I would recommend them to anyone! http://lightsense.com.au/
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Nice to see the very impressive colours combinations for home and their different rooms.
Beautiful house – do you know where to get the wire chairs – ie. black one in the dining area, white on in the hall and on the deck?
RE: bedroom Danish Sideboard
I ‘m interested in the small vanity on top of the sideboard? Is it available somewhere?