Punctuated with boulders of a Jurassic scale, it is no exaggeration to say this site is something special and the house that sits upon it equally impressive. When interior designer Thomas Hamel and his partner George Massar came across the home, they saw the magic in the landscape and in the house itself, although, as designers each with discerning eyes for detail, a personal touch in the form of an interior redesign was required to make the house their own.
The starting point for the design so came from their individual histories and travels. “The style and the mood somewhat evolved from all the incredible treasures and souvenirs that I had collected in my life and George separately had been collecting in his life,” says Thomas. “We certainly used the boulders and location to inform us about how the palette should work inside the home. With all the materials, we wanted everything to have a natural cohesion.”
"We certainly used the boulders and location to inform us about how the palette should work inside the home. With all the materials, we wanted everything to have a natural cohesion."
The desired flowing, organic look was achieved partly through custom plaster textured wallpapers and rough-hewn timber furnishings, as well as through carefully chosen flooring sourced from Eco Outdoor. Gregorius Pineo, the manufacturer of the wallcoverings, supplied the perfect complement to the flooring, and the relationship between the materials results in a calming ambience.
“We were immediately drawn to Eco Outdoor’s Technifirma, a porcelain-based material,” says Thomas. “It was fascinating to me as it came in various sizes, and as a porcelain material, we thought it was a wonderful choice because it's robust, it's hardy, but it still has that natural texture with none of the issues of worrying about sealing and staining.”
This material is used for all the living areas, kitchen and bathrooms, where it creates a softly aged look akin to natural stone. Being a man-made product, however, Technifirma can withstand heat and high traffic zones and will not discolour if exposed to moisture.
“We were immediately drawn to Technifirma, a porcelain-based material, a wonderful choice because it's robust, it's hardy, but it still has that natural texture with none of the issues of worrying about sealing and staining.”
As the couple also enjoy the warmth and natural variance of timber floorboards, it was decided to use these in the bedroom areas. At our Sydney showroom, they were struck by Willow Wood, which delivers an earthy grey patina and rich texture.
Willow Wood is made from French oak and hand-finished using a traditional process that creates an authentic weathered look without the need for artificial dyes.
Willow Wood flooring is hand-finished using a traditional process that creates an authentic weathered look without the need for artificial dyes.
For Thomas and George, this personal project represents a successful meeting of design minds. The result is a beautiful refuge away from the hustle of the city that allows them the space and time to focus on sculpting the garden and taking in the expansive and ever-changing view.
