Stealth Beach House

There has always been a quiet pull between the bush and the ocean for us - a gentle tug-of-war between the calm of the valley and the freedom of the coastline. When a rare opportunity arose to secure land in the tightly held pocket of Old Dunsborough, just steps from the water’s edge, we felt that pull grow stronger.

The site was generous, bathed in coastal light and anchored by the familiar rhythm of waves meeting the shoreline. It felt like a place where mornings slow down, where sand is swept in with bare feet, and where the day begins and ends with the tide.

Here, we wanted to explore our alter ego - what our version of a beach house could be. What would it look like to translate our love for design and architecture into a coastal setting? How do you create something that feels inline with us, yet inherently of the sea?

To bring this vision to life, we engaged Studio Derickx, whose international sensibility paired beautifully with the local coastal vernacular. Together, we imagined two standalone residences that honoured the materiality, textures and tones of the environment surrounding them.

The design leaned into a coastal palette - calm, airy and light-filled, balanced by the strength and permanence of rammed earth. This grounding material, reminiscent of windswept trees lining the coastline, created a sense of endurance. Soft, layered interiors opened up to framed views of ocean and sky, capturing the essence of beachside living.