Glass and Oak House with View of the Great Australian Bay

The owners of this house, Lizzy and Wes Burns, moved to the Melbourne suburbs for their sons Elliott and Angus so that their childhood would be spent in silence, forests, and fresh air. Just like their father's childhood: Wes grew up on the western coast.

We have been striving all our lives to find a place in the countryside that would open new horizons for our family both literally and metaphorically.

The couple was looking for land to build on, and when a few years ago they saw an isolated plot for sale, they immediately knew: this is what they needed. The plot was located on a rocky cliff with a view of the wild coastline, and around were huge oaks that seemed to cling to the edge of the cliff.

We already now understand how lucky we were to find this land. Very lucky.

Now, the house with fully glass walls reflects the sky and trees surrounding it, and the view of the bay opens from all rooms. Large-scale glass helps the house blend into the natural landscape, making it almost invisible and floating above the ground.

Currently, the house includes a living room, kitchen, children's rooms, a couple's bedroom, guest room, two bathrooms, an office, a beautiful veranda, and even a basement. Only three materials are used in the house’s interior: natural stone, wood, and glass. For example, all walls are panelled with American oak, and the floor is paved with stone.

Interestingly, all technical equipment and storage spaces are hidden behind wooden panels that open with a light touch. According to Lizzy and Wes, this makes the space easier to keep clean.

This is a wonderful house for living in. Almost every day we go to the beach, and we call the walk to the beach a 200-step stroll because that’s how long it takes. We don’t understand what we did to deserve such happiness.