Balancing Brutalist sensibilities with refined detailing, a striking coastal residence by Travis Walton Architecture is softened by interior decorator Simone Haag’s pared-back aesthetic, resulting in a space of raw yet cohesive elegance.
Located in Sorrento on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Norfolk is a coastal retreat that rises above the treetops, framing views across Bass Strait and towards Melbourne’s skyline. A rich material palette and considered furnishings throughout create a calm, tactile environment that echoes the coast’s weathered beauty, offering a sanctuary of quiet luxury and enduring design.
With a brief to maximise Sorrento’s beauty while creating a retreat that stands in contrast to the owner’s city residence, layered materials, soft textures and sculptural forms deliver a moody, hotel-like atmosphere.
The home sits sensitively within its environment, reconciling robustness with refinement through landscape and materiality. Architect Travis Walton said the coastal setting was both muse and anchor. “Board-formed concrete bears the imprint of timber grain, a gesture that mirrors the textures of Moonah trees and weathered coastal rock.” Inside, the connection to place deepens, as “the dramatic coastal setting became a cue for the interiors, with its shifting tones and rugged beauty reflected in materiality and atmosphere throughout.” Walton adds. Simone Haag’s styling and furniture selections extend the architecture by layering earthy textures, crafted objects, and collectable furniture that reference the home’s natural surrounds. Furniture, art, objects and styling all take a reductive approach, mixing vintage and modern styles.
“We wanted to bring pieces in from all four corners of the globe that haven’t been seen before, as well as pieces that you wouldn’t ordinarily associate with a beach house.”
– Simone Haag
Rather than overdecorating, the home features bold, singular pieces and “a really quiet palette that doesn’t take away from the environment that surrounds the house.” Soft textures and sculptural forms define this living room. Haag said the Snow sofa by La Chance was conceived as much a sculptural statement as a piece of comfort. “Due to the scale and orientation of the room, the sofa was primarily going to be seen from behind, so the back detail was integral in the decision making. We were drawn to the two-tone design of the Snow and, as enthusiasts of new design, we loved being early adopters and we were thrilled to be and one of the first to specify it in Australia. Whilst the client couldn’t sit on it to try it, we were able to interact with La Chance via a video call with the team in France so that the client could establish a true sense of the scale. They couldn’t sit on it, but they had that personalised experience and felt confident with our decision.”
Featured: The Snow sofa by Note Design Studio for La Chance.
“Rather than having multiple sofas in the room, the Snow is a single piece that has space for several people and allows for conversation. There was a strength in the singular bold approach to the room, which suited the brutalist architecture of the home. It has a contemporary unique and playful feel to it rather than being too serious.”
– Simone HaagDesigned by Note Design Studio for La Chance, the curved 30° elements of the modular sofa design allow for the creation of a circular sofa reminiscent of the conversation pit of the 70s and conveys the idea of relaxed opulence typical of the era.
“There is something poetic in the way a snowfall can drastically transform the landscape within just a few hours. It’s one of those “all sense” sort of experiences where the landscape and architecture appearance changes drastically with the sheer volume of the blinding white snow along with the silence that comes with the sound absorbing effect by thick layers of snow. It's astonishing how the small snow crystals that are so fragile and light can become so heavy and thick.”
– Note Design StudioThe result is a bold, robust home that reinterprets the beach house vernacular.
