Renovating
Stickybeak of the Week: An Edgy and Elegant Sea-Change Home
A couple builds their dream home, after a sea change from the big smoke to the tropical coast
“I want this to be an award-winning house.” This was homeowner Grahame Tuckey’s initial brief to Lee Foster and Scott Falconer, directors of building design at Aboda Design Group. Tuckey and his wife Debbie had recently relocated from Sydney to Coolum Beach in Queensland after their grown children had flown the nest, and were looking forward to the chance to live in a brand new home, just for the two of them. The Tuckeys wanted a forward-looking design that made a strong statement.
What they were given was a carefully considered, low-maintenance home built all on one storey, with an open plan, a focus on ease of living and a celebration of raw and refined materials. Timber features heavily both inside and out, in furniture, flooring and the exterior screening battens. Off-form concrete also makes a striking statement in several spaces, creating a confident yet comfortable contemporary home, purpose built to meet the couple’s needs.
What they were given was a carefully considered, low-maintenance home built all on one storey, with an open plan, a focus on ease of living and a celebration of raw and refined materials. Timber features heavily both inside and out, in furniture, flooring and the exterior screening battens. Off-form concrete also makes a striking statement in several spaces, creating a confident yet comfortable contemporary home, purpose built to meet the couple’s needs.
Originally, the Tuckey’s block of land was vacant, so they began the build with a blank canvas. Aboda Design Group pitched its first design in February 2016 and by March 2017 construction was complete. “The site was flood prone, so the building had to be raised – a council requirement – to mitigate future flooding,” says Foster.
The gentle grade of the land is reflected in the angle of the garage door, though this is almost a singular exception to the strong rectilinear quality you see throughout the rest of the home. The vertical timber battens of the facade create a rhythmic effect and screen the interior of the home like a permeable skin.
Timber battens: Gowan Lea Timbers
The gentle grade of the land is reflected in the angle of the garage door, though this is almost a singular exception to the strong rectilinear quality you see throughout the rest of the home. The vertical timber battens of the facade create a rhythmic effect and screen the interior of the home like a permeable skin.
Timber battens: Gowan Lea Timbers
Step inside and this timber element is continued. But while the timber battens of the exterior have a raw, organic feel, the timber floorboards and joinery of the interior bear a more refined polish.
To reintroduce that streak of rawness, Falconer and Foster used off-form concrete for several accent walls, which command your attention from the moment you swing open the wide pivot door and enter the home.
“The juxtaposition of raw and refined finishes balances the two to achieve a bold yet comfortable beach house,” says Falconer.
Glass pivot door: SC Glass & Aluminium
To reintroduce that streak of rawness, Falconer and Foster used off-form concrete for several accent walls, which command your attention from the moment you swing open the wide pivot door and enter the home.
“The juxtaposition of raw and refined finishes balances the two to achieve a bold yet comfortable beach house,” says Falconer.
Glass pivot door: SC Glass & Aluminium
In Aboda Design Group’s initial design, hidden concrete elements were intended to play a bigger part. But after pricing up the project, Falconer and Foster found they could reduce the cost of the build by using alternative materials and deliver the savings straight to the Tuckeys’ hip pocket.
“It was identified that a considerable cost could be saved by swapping the floor slab and foundation walls to timber,” says Foster. “The same approach was used in swapping the concrete roof and glass atrium for conventional framing.”
Timber floorboards: Queensland Timber Flooring; windows and louvres: G. James Glass & Aluminium
“It was identified that a considerable cost could be saved by swapping the floor slab and foundation walls to timber,” says Foster. “The same approach was used in swapping the concrete roof and glass atrium for conventional framing.”
Timber floorboards: Queensland Timber Flooring; windows and louvres: G. James Glass & Aluminium
The Tuckeys wanted a low-maintenance home designed around a single level, so the kitchen, dining room and main living area are adjacent to one another and linked by wide walkways. Instead of using walls to delineate these separate areas, Falconer and Foster embraced open-plan living and employed subtle cues, such as timber room dividers, to split these spaces without interrupting interior sightlines.
Timber dividing screen: Ian Callaghan at Fauna Homes
Timber dividing screen: Ian Callaghan at Fauna Homes
Varying ceiling heights help to further define these separate zones. Here, the ceiling kicks up at the boundary of the kitchen and rises to greet the living and dining spaces, which fill pockets at polar ends of the floor plan.
Kitchen joinery: Nambour Creative Kitchens
Kitchen joinery: Nambour Creative Kitchens
“There is a strong north/south axis along the kitchen,” Falconer says of the linear quality that runs through the space. “The open-plan living, dining and kitchen area is arranged to maximise north-eastern exposure and the view and access to the pool.”
The master bedroom suite is tucked out of sight at the northern end of their home too, where it basks in natural light. Two other bedrooms serve as guest quarters and are separated from the master suite on the western side of the home.
The master bedroom suite is tucked out of sight at the northern end of their home too, where it basks in natural light. Two other bedrooms serve as guest quarters and are separated from the master suite on the western side of the home.
Central to the home is an alfresco deck, which seamlessly blends into the interior by virtue of flush sliding glass doors on all three sides, and welcomes the sea breeze inside.
Sliding glass doors: G. James Glass & Aluminium
Sliding glass doors: G. James Glass & Aluminium
Together with the Tuckeys, Falconer and Foster were eager to let the furniture, artwork and other interior finishings complement the home’s pared-back tones without competing with the bones of the building.
Windows: G. James Glass & Aluminium; pool: Jack Boyd Pools
Windows: G. James Glass & Aluminium; pool: Jack Boyd Pools
“This project was a strong contrast to their previous home (Edwardian),” Foster says of the Tuckeys’ new abode. “The brief was modern (mid-century) and explorative (expressionist).” Raw yet refined, edgy yet elegant, the build is far removed from an empty nest and instead sets the stage for the next chapter of this couple’s lives to unfold.
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More
Love seaside living? Check out last week’s Houzz Tour of a stunning beachside home.
Tell us
What do you like most about this home? Share your thoughts in the comments below and like, share or save this story.
More
Love seaside living? Check out last week’s Houzz Tour of a stunning beachside home.
Who lives here: Grahame and Debbie Tuckey
Location: Coolum Beach, Queensland
Size: 607 square metres; 3 bedrooms, 2.5 bathrooms
Budget: $500,000 to $750,000
Design: Aboda Design Group
Of the numerous design statements this house makes, the one most noticeable from the street is the slope of the garage, seen here on the left. “Doors often dominate facades on narrow or suburban sites, and given the opportunity, we will minimise the dominance of the door,” says Falconer. “In this instance it was not possible, so the door was embraced. The angle of the door allowed the dimension of the garage from the front boundary to be relaxed.”