Called the Baker Boys Beach House, this award-winning house is situated in Minjerribah, which is home to some of the best surfing conditions in South East Queensland, Australia. The beautiful holiday home was designed by Refresh Design for three distinct families who wished to share the house at different times of the year. Refresh Design needed to cater to and take care of each family’s requirements and preferences while creating a contemporary space that is in tune with the island’s beach personality.

Designer: Refresh Design

Meant to embody calmness and simplicity, the Baker Boys Beach House, allows its residents to fully immerse themselves and truly enjoy the experience of being at the beach. The home is designed to be more of a shelter, than a luxurious and complex abode. “It was obvious that the connection between nature and the shelter is more important than a more luxurious house, commonly found in cities,’ said Monika Obrist, creative director of Refresh Design.

The home was inspired by local campsites, wherein cooking, sleeping, and gathering take place under one common roof. Hence the home was designed to be a communal space, where all the shared areas are placed on one compact level. It makes the residents feel as if they are staying at a light shelter, rather than spending the day inside a house. The site’s extremely steep slope made this plan quite challenging to execute. To tackle this issue, the back of the house was anchored to the ground, while the other end is cantilevered to provide stunning views of the water, and function as a sheltered space for storage and car parking.

“The experience and connections are totally different depending on where you are. The back of the house is sheltered and very private; it backs onto the nature reserve which naturally cradles the fireplace at the back. The front of the house, in contrast, has sweeping ocean views, presents itself very proudly to its surroundings, and gives access to sunlight throughout the day,” said Monika.

All the rooms were arranged cleverly so as to provide maximum privacy to the residents, while also gifting them with immersive and enthralling views of the beach and the water. The entire home was clad in charred timber, and amped with sturdy steel roofing to create an exterior that perfectly blends with the nature surrounding the house.