Studio Tate have completed a stunning renovation and restoration of a historic Tudor-style beach house in the Australian coastal town of Mount Martha. While retaining the hilltop home’s heritage detailing, the Melbourne-based interior architecture practice have reimagined the residence through a contemporary lens and added a sense of relaxed, beach-side elegance.
An overall concept of coastal textures was used to shape the look and feel of this home with a beautiful palette of white, nude and grey referencing the bleached coral and sand of Australian beaches. Crisp finishes and soft furnishings echo the brisk Victorian coastal climate, while layered timbers and marble call to mind the rugged coastal landscape.
Entering the house, a timber-lined domed ceiling above the stair void highlights the elegant volumes of this residence. Studio Tate reconfigured this stair to open up to the front door, enhancing the dramatic proportions of the entry. Timber treads were added to the steps while contemporary metal balustrades reference the diagonal geometries decorating the house’s front windows. Modifications to the floorplan including an enlarged ground floor have made significant improvements to the overall layout and functionality, including an expanded kitchen and dining area. Strategically placed joinery also directs circulation and demarcates the space while providing opportunities for display.
Custom-designed furnishings feature throughout, including a stylish banquette window seat with drawers fronted with metal mesh. Materials selected to evoke a sense of warmth and discreet elegance include the beautiful grey timber flooring, tan leather chairs like the iconic Børge Morgensen Spanish chairs by Fredericia Furniture, and white-washed timber veneer joinery. The gorgeous bathrooms feature marble and terrazzo floors offset with soft oak furniture. A truly thoughtful detail, Studio Tate have added touches of mint green concealed throughout the space in drawer and cupboard linings, as tribute to the clients’ favourite colour. Special attention was paid to retaining heritage details such as window architraves, while inserting complementary modern elements like the lining boards to make the space more comfortable to live in.
With future plans for an additional, contemporary residence on the same block, this beautiful home is destined to become the guest residence. I hope we get to see how stage two unfolds!