NORFOLK

ARCHITECTURE & INTERIORS
Travis Walton

DEVELOPMENT & BUILD
Agushi 

FURNITURE ART & OBJECT
Simone Haag 

LANDSCAPE

Nathan Burkett

PHOTOGRAPHY
Sharyn Cairns

Named for the almost century-old Norfolk pines that stand sentinel across its coastal site, Norfolk is a deeply contextual residence that perfectly reconciles Brutalist architectural characteristics with a curation of design gestures to establish a striking and cohesive raw elegance.

Into the modular concrete composition and expressed materiality of the Brutalist style Norfolk dovetails a myriad of complimentary visual narratives. Through a seamless collaboration between Travis Walton Architecture and Agushi Group, the residence has emerged as an impeccable archetype for the potential of typically elemental, robust materials to be imbued with resonant luxury. Inside and out, a reductive palette of concrete, steel, stone and glass is sculpted and arranged in a meticulous constellation that forges a poetic alignment with the mercurial force of the elements that have shaped the jagged coastline and gnarly Moonah trees of the Mornington Peninsula. It is into this alchemy of strength and poise, climatic energy and patinated expression, architectural fortitude and expansive spatial volumes that Simone Haag has layered a styling language that unifies every facet to render an atmosphere of sanctuary.

In alliance with natural and ambient light, furniture, artwork, light and collectible objects have been selected and curated to articulate the natural surroundings. Just as the architecture engages with the landscape, so does the styling converse with the interior architecture. Allusions to the archaic are found in the crafted artistry of woven straw and turned cork stools, in the flat weave of rugs and hand-painted furniture elements, in the tribal-esque iconography of upholstery and the underlying earthiness of the palette. In unity, this narrative gives prominence to the pattern language and tactility of acid-aged brass, honed travertine and exaggerated board form concrete with its fossilised timber impressions. Against the rawness of natural materials, clean sabres of sunlight are directed, drawing attention to the sculptural form of furniture pieces leavened by the clean geometry of the interior architecture. A gentle give and take is tangible, a carefully modulated approach to the arrangement of pieces evident in the layering and overlapping of soft upon hard, tonal upon monochromatic so that contrast becomes a primary feature.

Underpinning the residence’s visual language is a deep commitment to sourcing and procuring pieces that look and feel made for this particular space. This dedication to pieces that resonate with the soul has become a signature of Simone Haag, rendering often hard-won outcomes that are unlike any other. At Norfolk, the beautiful composition of a Snow Sofa from Note Design Studio impeccably emulates this intent. First seen from behind, the sofa’s elegant form and compelling tactile allure coax closer inquiry and invite limbs to sink within to soak up the atmosphere and view. Two Mestiz Chirimoyo chairs from San Miguel de Allende reinforce the concept of this being an exquisitely bespoke beach house designed, built and styled specifically to speak to the hearts of those who spend time within it. 

Norfolk demonstrates that not everything needs to have an overt dynamism to produce a sense of indomitable purpose. It is a beach house that exerts a primal eloquence through a dedication to furniture, lighting and objects selected almost as a matchmaking process where their singularity carries equal weight to their placement within the comprehensive design scheme. They come together to produce something that sits on the threshold between private beach houses and luxury hotels, regional residences and city pads and between art and design to intoxicating effect.