Amid a soft, neutral palette and a natural selection of materials, Ocean House by Georgina Jeffries encapsulates the beauty of the land and seascape of Victoria’s surf coast.
Silver Banksia, sand, seafoam, grass and bleached and burnt ochres and browns lend an atmosphere of coastal calm within the fluid spaces that make up Ocean House. Located in the seaside enclave of Lorne on Victoria’s Great Ocean Road, the home intuitively draws on its native context to find an aesthetic narrative that borrows from the beauty in its surroundings.
Home to a family of five, what was originally a tired beach shack has undergone a resurrection that has coaxed it into contemporary relevance. The client brief called for a cosmetic upgrade throughout, one that would prove resilient to beachside living with three young children while incorporating a larger bathroom downstairs, a fireplace upstairs and as many beds as feasible.
The dining space features a John Bastiras custom table and pendants from artisan Doug Johnson.
The living room features a Little Petra Armchair and sisal rug from Halcyon Lake. Artwork by Greg Wood from Otomys.
Poised above the sea to take in the majesty of its aspect, Ocean House is laid out to leverage a panorama of endless blue tones. The expansive views imbue an atmosphere defined by a strong sense of place. Embracing views across the ancient rocky coastline, Lorne Pier, Louttit Bay and Aireys Inlet Lighthouse, the qualities and colourways have naturally seeped into the interior spaces. From the russet colours of the Petersen bricks surrounding the fireplace to the artisanal imperfection of handmade tiles and pendant lights, the home is a spectrum of complementary and juxtaposing hues and textures that seamlessly evoke nature.
Ocean House weaves together myriad tonal sentiments, distinguished by Georgina Jeffries’ definitive mastery of light. Filtered through gauzy curtains, light pours into the open-plan first floor to illuminate a space of fluid refinement. Engineered pale oak floors are contained beneath soaring white ceilings with the in-between distinguished by an expanse of glazing, which brings the sight and the sounds and smells of the ocean right into the heart of the home. A curation of furniture, art, and lighting amplifies the context of the home without losing sight of their primary role in creating a nurturing family home to deposit memories.
Feature artwork by Kathryn Dolby at Otomys.
Throughout Ocean House, the coastal ambience instilled through palette and materiality is tilted towards an Australiana resonance through accents of eucalyptus and outlooks onto vast skies remarkable for their silvery quality of light. Singular to Australia’s southern states, this tone is slightly washed out, bringing to mind the softness of a well-worn pair of jeans. A languid blur at the edges of the built environment, land and seascapes is carried through the interiors at Ocean House so that harmony between nature and man-made is respectfully evident.
Artwork, textiles and finishes harness a similar quality, linking the ocean’s behaviour and appearance and how it affects the location. Right down to the colour of the dining space joinery, which immediately brings to mind a briny saltbush shrub so common to the Great Ocean Road region, Georgina Jeffries has thoughtfully treated each space from the perspective of how it will be felt and experienced by those who reside here.
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