Lara Maeseele, originally from Belgium, was instantly captivated with this treed site at Killora Bay on Bruny Island, in Tasmania, creating with Tanner Architects the Killora House. While the rich fern-covered terrain came with its distinctive color and texture, described as a soft grey, it was the potential view over the bay that excited the couple, who have three young children varying in age from two to eight.
Single level and entirely clad with stained Silvertop ash (selected for its robustness and fire protection properties), the Killora Bay house is divided into two wings. The wide entry portal, which receives the afternoon sun, doubles as a mudroom, with generous built-in storage for the family’s wet gear. However, rather than feeling enclosed, there’s a large picture window that offers unimpeded sightlines into the bush. On one side of the elevated front deck are two bedrooms and a shared bathroom.
And on the other side, occupying the second wing is the main bedroom and ensuite and, a few steps below, an open plan kitchen, dining, and living area. Rather than treating the home’s exterior and interior as two separate entities, the house clearly ‘reads’ as one. Dark stained timber was used for the kitchen joinery and on the floors, and white in situ concrete was selected for the kitchen bench and splash back.
The tone could almost be described as ‘sepia’ with many of the dark timber furniture items such as the Ercol vintage armchairs appearing to be ‘carved’ into the living room rather than being an afterthought. Likewise, the grey-colored tiles used for the bathrooms pick up on the tones of the eucalypts.