Staycation This Perth home’s Australian aesthetic is a delight for the owners and international guests.

Built to accommodate family from all over the world, this Perth Hills home has a holiday vibe few can resist.

She is Dutch and has lived all over the world, yet Judith Tibbitt, the owner of this eclectic Perth Hills home, wanted it to have an unmistakeably Australian aesthetic. Her plan was simple: to ensure the new build on a semi-rural block was effortlessly in tune with its surroundings, withhugewindowsoverlookinggumtrees, resting kangaroos and the horizon.

Judith originally bought the 1.25-hectare block as an investment with her former husband. When she decided to build on it four years later in 2012, she asked her son, Peter Tibbitt, then a third-year architecture student, to design it.

“I was excited, but soon realised I needed someone with more experience to help,” says Peter. “So I talked to my uni design studio master, Paul Wakelam, who runs an architecture studio in Toodyay called A Workshop. Paul has similar views about how we should work with the landscape and live in Western Australia, and I learnt a lot from him.”

Completedin2014,thehomeisdesigned to accommodate frequent visitors, including Judith’s three adult sons and family from the Netherlands. Fittingly,

it has a communal gathering space with bedroom pavilions or wings on either side.

The windows are specially designed to capture the views, without compromising on light or comfort. “If you have too many in certain areas, you end up with a hot glass box,” Peter explains.

Sustainable features include louvres for cooling cross ventilation, and two ‘towers’ on either side of the living area to collect and release hot air. The vast timber deck has block-out blinds that drop down on hot days, turning it into an extension of the living area.

In winter, north-facing windows warm the interior and Judith heats all the main living areas with her Jetmaster fire, burning wood collected on the property.

At the centre of the home is the kitchen, with a large pantry/laundry at one end and access to the carport (with outdoor storage) and kitchen garden at the other.

Judith’s wing contains her study and is lined with custom-designed marine-ply bookshelves. She works as a special needs educator and is studying psychology, so this room is well-utilised.

Her walk-through robe leads to a bathroom with a built-in tub, then to the main bedroom, where there’s a west-facing window with comfy reading nook.

“Everyone here wants western views of the horizon, but the light can be harsh,” says Peter. “This nook has deep reveals and external fins, so some of the sun is blocked, and there’s space for storage.”

LIVING this page and opposite The living room has a built-in day bed that looks toward John Forrest National Park. ‘Metallix’ Graphite brickwork surrounds the Jetmaster fireplace. Custom sofa, Lifestyle Furniture. Cushions, Pure Linen. Throw, Remedy. Chinese rug and baskets from Vietnam. In the music corner are a piano played by Judith, and a guitar and didgeridoo enjoyed by her sons (artwork on wall from a local school auction). Deer antlers, bought in the UK. Mounted silver tribal necklace from the UAE.

The Delft Blue miniature Dutch houses above are souvenirs collected from KLM flights that family members have taken over the years.

The guest wing (three bedrooms and a bathroom)isaccessedbyanexternalwalkway, creating a sense of separation from the main house. “When people travel here from far away they tend to stay for a while – which is lovely – so it’s good for everyone to have their own space,” Judith explains.

Visitors particularly love the raised swimming pool jutting out from the deck, with brick sides that double as safety fencing. “The design means you swim out to the horizon and back to the house,” says Peter.

Materials throughout have been kept as simple as possible, with Peter’s choices of corrugated iron, limewashed bricks and silvered timber more than reminiscent of early Australian homes, a look Judith loves.

“Mum said she wanted the first Peter Tibbitt house,” he says, “but because I had her so much in my mind while I was working on the design, it’s very much her house.” Peter Tibbitt Design, Dunsborough, WA; 0430 088 204 or petertibbitt.com.au.

A Workshop; paulwakelam.com.