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All Stories

Architectural Apartment Mid Century Minimalist Family Country Tiny Coastal Victorian Renovated

Small Garden Suburban Garden Country Garden Public Garden Vegetable Garden Coastal Garden

Aboriginal Art Exhibition

Illustration Lighting Interior Design Graphic Design Styling Textiles Furniture Jewellery Photography Craft Floristry Architecture Industrial Design Woodwork Quoted Art Aboriginal Art Ceramics

Lunch Dinner Snacks Salad Vegetarian Breakfast Sweets Gluten Free Drinks Julia Busuttil Nishimura

Fashion Kids Art Ceramics Furniture Gifts Lighting Plants + Flowers Rugs Soft Furnishings In Print Sustainable Design Homewares

Guides Stays

Homes

Australian houses, from architectural masterpieces to suburban family homes, Victorian terraces, mid-century marvels, coastal shacks, city apartments, and everything in between.

Architecture

Award-winning Australian architecture, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top architects.

Interiors

Award-winning Australian interior design, inspiring homes, and interviews with Australia’s top designers.

Gardens

In depth features on Australia’s most beautiful gardens and landscape design.

Creative People

Studio visits with Australia’s most talented creatives, from artists to architects, ceramicists to stylists, furniture makers to lighting designers.

Art

Studio visits with Australia’s top artists, and unmissable art exhibitions in Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane and beyond.

Food

Weekly recipes and meal ideas from our favourite cooks, authors and foodies.

Travel

Unique travel destinations, design-led accomodation and day trip ideas in Australia and New Zealand.

On The Market

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A Multigenerational, Modern Farmhouse

Architecture

Designing a home with one client is can be challenging enough, so add in two families, each with multiple generations, and you’ve got some serious expectations to manage!

Fortunately Tom Robertson Architects was up to the task, coming up with this inspiring home in Phillip Island, in the form of two interconnected barn-like pavilions.

14th February, 2020

Timber furniture and ceiling softens the monochrome interior palette. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Satisfying linearity. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

The central breezeway. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

A festival of textures as exposed brick meets the timber ceiling and polished concrete in the living room. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Artwork adds a pop of colour! Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Light and dark meet. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Maximum glazing at every opportunity fill the rooms with natural light and views. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

A clean and sophisticated kitchen space. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Iggy + Lou jug. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

The central living pavilion. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

A shaft of light filters directly into the bathtub. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

The master bedroom looks out over rolling hills. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

‘The use of timber on the exterior adds to the barn-like aesthetic.’ Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

A perfectly framed view. Photo – Lillie Thompson. Styling – Jessica Lillico.

Amelia Barnes

Friday 14th February 2020

When engaged to design a holiday house for two families spanning multiple generations, Tom Robertson Architects took an unorthodox approach. Instead of designing the one large or multi-level space, the practice imagined this home as a pair of near identical pavilions, joined by a central breezeway. The reasons for this floorplan were twofold, as director Tom Robertson explains, ‘Rooms were arranged along the central axis, creating a hierarchy of spaces. In addition, the final floorplan allowed a level of flexibility for each of the families.’

The pavilion forms of the house were influenced by the local farming vernacular, as previously explored singular forms felt ‘too embossing’ says Tom. ‘A more articulated series of pavilions was preferred, sitting comfortably in the landscape.’ The use of timber cladding on the exterior adds to the barn-like aesthetic.

At its core, this is a robust, versatile and low maintenance home, offering a calm retreat from city life, and incredible views across the Phillip Island landscape. It’s a home that’s highly functional, but full of joy.

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