The beach house of Stuart and Chelsea Hall and their kids Angus (8) and Evie (6) was originally a kit home called ‘Gill House’, available to purchase in the late 1970s to early 1980s.
This particular home in Blairgowrie was actually constructed as the kit home display suite, before being purchased by a family who owned the property from 1979 until 2021. It’s clear from the immaculately preserved timber-lined walls, seagrass flooring and mosaic bathroom tiles that almost nothing has changed since they day they bought it.
‘It’s incredibly well designed and the layout functions perfectly,’ says Chelsea. ‘You can still see where the (now grown up) kids scribbled on the walls so many summers ago!’
With strong family connections to the area, Chelsea and Stu had long been interested in buying a place on the Mornington Peninsula, and Covid lockdowns encouraged them to take the plunge. They discovered this home for sale, and quickly fell for its charming simplicity.
The bathroom sits as the centre of the floor plan, surrounded by the living room, kitchen, and two bedrooms that create a complete loop.
‘When we first visited we loved the unique nostalgic feeling of the home and instantly knew it was “the one,” says Chelsea.
‘The home feels like a retro cabin from a school camp or ski lodge, and so instantly evokes feelings of nostalgia, holidays and fond memories from our childhoods.’
Chelsea and Stu have made only very minimal updates since taking possession, being keen to maintain the home’s original character. One simple update they have made is installing new lantern-style pendant lamps – that look almost identical to the original fittings, as seen in the below 1980 feature in Home Beautiful magazine of the home.
‘We wanted to stay true to the home’s heritage and embrace its warmth and character,’ explains Chelsea. ‘We also wanted a casual holiday home feel, where it doesn’t matter if you’re a bit sandy!’
The two-bedroom house is the perfect size for the family of four, but it can get a little too cosy when hosting guests, so Chelsea and Stu have added a backyard ‘pod’ to the property from My Pod Modular Buildings. This space essentially acts as an additional bedroom in the backyard without disrupting the charm of the original home.
Altogether the house is relaxed and welcoming — a simple place to connect with family and nature — just the way the Halls like it. When not at the beach, you’ll likely find them huddled around the dining table playing board games, or on the front deck watching the birds.
