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We’re big fans of young interior architect Andrea Moore (of Studio Moore), who has worked closely with her father Lindsay (a very handy semi-retired vet!) to design and build a trio of boutique accommodation projects at Ross Farm, her family’s property in South Gippsland. Together, Linsday and Andrea form an unstoppable design and construction duo!
Last year, we featured the first of the Ross Farm projects – The Cabin. And last week, we took you inside the recently-finished quarters of The Dairy, and today we’re focusing on The Barn, the boldest and striking of the three!
You wouldn’t know it to look at it, but The Barn is actually a complete new build. While the Moores had initially hoped to simply refit the existing barn building on site, they were forced to rebuild on the same footprint, then reclad the exterior with the original tin, to create a building as authentic to its origins as possible.
This same attention to detail continues indoors, where locally sourced recycled features sit aside luxurious but hardworking materials such as brass and speckled granite. ‘I wanted to introduce granite as one of the main interior materials inspired by the natural landscape of our beautiful Wilson’s Promontory National Park which is just down the road, known for its giant granite boulders’, Andrea explains.
As with all the other buildings at Ross Farm, each element of The Barn has been designed specifically for the space – including all furniture, cabinetry, light fittings, and hand basins. When rebuilding, the Moores lifted the roof level to allow for a mezzanine, creating a distinctly light and lofty feel. Highlighting windows captures the warm northern light and views out across the Tarwin Valley.
Aside from its striking, contemporary design, one of the main features of The Barn is Andrea’s commitment to design the entire ground level to be compliant with accessibility standards. This meant the door openings, passageways, and the bathroom design were all important considerations. ‘I was determined to make the bathroom beautiful, as many accessible bathrooms are extremely utilitarian’, Andrea tells. ‘We had brass grab rails manufactured for the space, and I exaggerated the use of these throughout the bathroom, together with floor-to-ceiling pink granite’.
The kitchen was designed to mostly ‘hang’ off the wall and look quite monolithic, clad in granite paving stones and brass sheeting. A Fisher & Paykel oven, induction cooktop and dish drawer have been seamlessly incorporated into the fit out. ‘The black induction cooktop is super minimal, which suits the aesthetic of the space and seamlessly sits into the granite benchtop’, Andrea says. Andrea and Lindsay were able to use the Dish Drawer within the wall-mounted cabinetry, integrating it into the scheme with a luxe brass door front.
Like all the Ross Farm buildings, Lindsay and family friend Paul have played a major role in building most of the interiors by hand. ‘Having these crafts on hand has certainly driven the outcome of the project’, says Andrea. ‘Their can-do attitude has resulted in something truly unique, that proudly has the DNA of its makers built into it.’
Fisher & Paykel, New Zealand’s award-winning appliance brand, has become a global force not just in product design, but also in kitchen design. The company is committed to research, development and collaboration and works closely with architects and designers to seamlessly integrate their appliances into kitchens in innovative ways. Visit, www.fisherpaykel.com to find out more.
