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A stand-alone ‘addition’ to an existing family beach house located on a secluded coastal site on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. Our brief was to design a guest house so discreet and sympathetic to its context that you would barely notice it is there.
Seen but not Seen
We started the design process for this project by finding our ‘site’. So often an addition is placed in the most obvious location to the rear or abutting an existing building. The sleepout occupies a small slither of land between the tennis court and main driveway.
Our design approach contemplated the building and semi-submerged garage as landscape elements nestled within the existing vegetation. A rectilinear timber pavilion clad singularly in weathered acetylated timber is an unassuming backdrop to the existing tennis court and main driveway.
The scale of the building is deceptive. Accommodation for two families is spread over 5 levels, yet the building appears as a simple single storey form. A central living space is positioned just above court level and three separate bedroom zones are located at lower and upper floors.
A concealed roof deck provides private open space for guests to enjoy views over the property and hills beyond. A custom engineered operable façade can be opened up to provide views to the court, or closed to achieve total privacy between the sleepout and main house allowing its inhabitants to be seen but not seen.
This image provides an exterior view of the front of the house, with a portion of the adjacent tennis court visible in the background.This exterior shot highlights the use of rectilinear timber in the house’s design, as well as the spacious tennis court located beside it.
This rear photo of the building showcases its unique design featuring rectilinear timber and horizontal window grills.
This rear shot of the structure features some open horizontal grill window and a pleasant view of the outdoor area filled with trees.This is a close-up shot of the open horizontal grill windows.This is a close-up shot of an intact horizontal grill window.This focused shot highlights the rectilinear timber, which is an integral part of the design.This image shows a narrow entrance going into the house, walled by furnished wood on one side and a huge glass wall on the other.
This interior shot showcases a spacious living room featuring huge glass walls and vertical wood elements in some portions.This image shows a spacious living room featuring a large glass wall that allows natural light to flood the space.This is an interior photograph taken near the dining table, showing the horizontal window grills.An interior photograph of a spacious living room with high ceilings and large glass wall panels that provide a pleasant view of the outside.A detailed photograph of the living area, showcasing the prominent use of wooden materials in the decor.
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A portrait photograph of the interior section of the living room, highlighting the use of wooden planks as both the flooring and wall paneling.
A close-up photograph of the wooden steps leading to the second floor, demonstrating the continued use of wooden planks in the designAn elegant staircase design that incorporates a combination of wooden planks and glass, complemented by wooden hand railings.A photograph of a man ascending a staircase, captured through full-height glass panels.A photograph of a staircase leading up from the lower ground floor to an open area.A photograph of a continuous U-shaped staircase design inside the house, featuring a guard composed of glass panels and a handrail made of wood.A photograph of a continuous U-shaped staircase design inside the house, featuring a guard composed of glass panels and a handrail made of wood.
A focused photograph of a wooden door constructed using wooden planks.A close-up photograph of a portion of the staircase, highlighting the glass panels used as a guard.A focused photograph of the handrail on the staircase.Close shot of a wooden planks of the staircase.
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A detailed photograph of a section of the floor grill.An exterior photograph of the handrail on the staircase.
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Jon Dykstra
Jon practiced law before launching his online publishing career, bringing analytical rigor to everything he builds. Home Stratosphere combines that precision with a lifelong obsession with residential design — architecture, interiors, landscape, and furniture.
His current focus is AI-driven design analysis, using artificial intelligence to study patterns in color, layout, and material choice across thousands of homes. His Personality Type Home Design Guide applies personality frameworks to interior aesthetics, helping readers design spaces that reflect how they actually think and live.
His favorite piece on the site is the 25 Most Popular Designs, is a daily-updated ranking of the top designs over the last 30 days, driven entirely by visitor activity. The feedback is invaluable for understanding what resonates most with readers. LinkedIn
