Interior

The first floor is constructed primarily from sawara cypress, a species of wood native to central Japan this is cultivated for its high-quality timber.

The large wooden deck, crafted from Japanese red pine and chestnut timber, extends the living space into the forest. A view from the deck shows the curved interior and the roof structure.

Just off the kitchen, the sitting room is encircled with custom steel joinery that frames the full-height double glazed windows and looks out on the pool in the middle of the garden-filled courtyard. The restored vintage Parker three-piece lounge set is from Australian midcentury furniture purveyor, Juliet's Balcony.

A pair of Milk sofas bookend a Thomas Hatton Muebles cypress coffee table.

Emerald-green paint outfits the cabinetry, making the wood fronts pop. The wine-colored, velvet sofa was custom designed by Reath.

“We left anything that was wood, wood,” says Merrill. “All of those things begin to shine and look more beautiful when the things around them have been polished.”

The hanging textile, which is used as a room divider, is by artist Nathalie Van der Massen.

Interior Living Space and Fireplace

Interior Living Space - Open Area

Master Bedroom Entrance from Open Living Space

Timber has been used for both internal and external cladding, joinery, furniture, and door handles throughout the home. The entry nook features built-in display storage with brass detailing, which is echoed in the kitchen counter.

At the far end of the “living shed” is a fireplace and concrete bench, which offers a contemplative space for reading and watching the bushland through the windows.

The ground floor is where the clients spend most of their time. The main living space opens up to the waterfront via sliding glass doors, and the floors are burnished concrete to complement the board-formed walls.

The library/study space opens to the sunken courtyard on one side, and offers views through the living room to the water on the other side. “This transparency within the dwelling’s core provides an interconnectivity between these contrasting edges, allowing the clients to experience an ever-changing quality of lights and atmosphere,” says architect Fraser Mudge.

The bedroom/living space is enclosed by large glass windows framing the treescape. “I think one of the most successful experiential aspects of a building is how intimately involved it is with the site,” says architect Ant Vervoort. “An expensive view has the effect of divorcing one from the site. In House of the Tall Chimneys, the views are very close and intimate, which makes you part of the site.” The timber used throughout is Eucalyptus saligna, which is native to Australia and sustainably grown and harvested in South Africa.