Bundle of love A beautiful build called for a sea change
A COUPLE AND THEIR CHILDREN MAKE A FRESH START IN THEIR CALM AND COLOURFUL HOME ON VICTORIA’S COASTLINE, A PLACE RICH WITH FAMILY TIES
NEW BEGINNINGS Homeowners Alex and Bobby were comfortable in their Melbourne digs when the opportunity to buy Alex’s family vineyard on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula came up. As they built what was intended to be an investment property on site, the beautiful natural landscape and rural lifestyle close to the sea beckoned. “We loved it so much our plans kept changing,” says Alex. Their hearts eventually won, and the couple packed up their city lives with daughters Quincy, two, and baby Pearl (pictured above, with Alex, near custom floating cabinets and silvertop ash cladding from Everist Timber) to begin a new chapter. The patio (opposite), says Alex is “one of my favourite little spots around the house.” Here, wisteria climbs the timber posts from Peninsula Recycled Timber, which overlook their vineyard, now managed by Paringa Estate.
Returning to her family roots was something that homeowner Alex never thought she would do. Growing up on acreage on Victoria’s coastline, south of Melbourne, had its perks – roaming paddocks, caring for animals on her mum’s mini-farm, visits to the seaside – but by the time she was a teenager, she couldn’t wait to hightail it out of there and head for the city. It wasn’t until Alex and her partner Bobby stayed with her parents at her old family home a few years ago (when renovating their Melbourne home) that things started to change.
“A seed was planted when we were down here, and then when I had [daughter] Quincy I really felt a pull to get out of the city,” says Alex. “When you have a kid you suddenly have a longing for space and something a bit more peaceful for them.” When her mum decided to sell the family’s nearby vineyard – a dream project she had carefully brought to life over several decades – Alex knew that embracing the past was part of her future. “I felt quite attached to this block because of the family history and I couldn’t imagine it going to someone else who might rip the vines out,” says Alex, who began planning a new build on site.
Originally designed as a weekender and investment property, the home features an earthy suite of new and recycled materials including rustic timbers, concrete, bricks and even an old railway bridge. “I didn’t want everything to feel shiny and new,” says Alex. “I wanted it to feel like this place had been here forever.” Picture windows throughout the home frame views of the valleys, rolling hillsides and grape plantation. As co-founder of designer homewares and fashion label Kip & Co, Alex wove her love of colour and texture into the interiors with an eclectic twist, combining vintage items and op-shop finds with custom-built furniture, luxe statement pieces and textural touches. Wanting to celebrate rather than compete with the natural setting, however, she had to exercise restraint. “In our last house we had coloured walls and gold cabinets, there was a lot going on,” she explains. “Here, I wanted something calming, that was my overarching vision.”
For Alex and Bobby, it was about creating a warm and relaxed home where they can work, rest and play as their two little girls grow. One of their favourite things to do together is gather kindling for the fire and forage for wild pine mushrooms, which Bobby whips up into risottos and stroganoffs. “I don’t really cook, but Bobby has totally embraced the MasterChef role in the house,” laughs Alex. Joining the region’s fresh food movement, they have also planted a growing vegie patch filled with lettuce, turnips, rhubarb, kale and garlic. Successful harvests and baked goods are regularly traded with neighbours. “It’s a beautiful community,” reflects Alex. “I see it in a completely different light now.”
KITCHEN After creating a similar statement bench with Rutso Concrete in their Melbourne home, Alex was keen to take it up a notch. Instead of one colour, this time she wanted three. “You never know what colour you’re going to get with concrete, so it’s a bit of a gamble, but I love it,” she says. “It now feels like my thing to do – big weird benches in whatever house I’m in,” she says. Cement Light Grey tiles from Earp Bros on the splashback match the polished concrete floors within the home. Around the custom mosaic dining table from India, Kip & Co cushions in autumn shades top leather and rattan Jungle stools from Rustique. A pair of glass pendants echo the natural environment, as do the vintage pot and untitled motif by artist Esther Olsson.