Carefully placed above the sand dunes of St Andrews Beach in Victoria, the understated holiday home of Nik Karalis, CEO of Woods Bagot, was designed to evolve and grow along with its occupants.
Almost 25 years since the first structure was built in 1997, the initial form of the house – two small volumes separated by a breezeway – has remained legible across three subsequent stages of development. Over that time, the building has transformed from a simple shack to an expansive villa on an exposed and fragile coastal site. Nestled in behind the foredune and tracing its long, low form parallel to the coastline, the beach house is clad almost exclusively in short lengths of jarrah, now weathered by the sun and sea.
Photography: Derek Swalwell
Styling: Jess Kneebone
Architecture: Woods Bagot
Where the waters meet. Photography © Derek Swalwell
Photography © Derek Swalwell
The family living room Photography © Derek Swalwell
Photography © Derek Swalwell
B&B Italia Tufty-Time Sofa and Foscarini Twiggy Wood. Photography © Derek Swalwell
The iconic B&B Italia Foot features in under croft. Photography © Derek Swalwell
