From the shacks of yesterday to the sculptural sanctuaries of today, Australia’s coastal architecture has matured into a global benchmark for design.
4 min
In the land down under, the beach is in our DNA. So is it any wonder that Australian architecture is leading the world in luxury coastal design?
With about 85 per cent of our population living within 50 kilometres of the coastline, we’ve perfected the art of the beach house. Yet over the past two decades, there’s been a sophisticated shift in the traditional coastal cottage.
The residential revolution that has washed over our most valuable waterfront locations has replaced the original weatherboard “shacks” by the sea with a contemporary design movement shaped by admiration and respect for the natural environment.
No longer simply about the view, today’s coastal architecture is about creating beautiful homes that perform seamlessly in an increasingly volatile climate while meeting the rising tide of high-net-worth buyers who want it all.
From infinity pools to wellbeing spaces that connect with nature, one-time weekenders have been transformed into permanent escapes, providing year-round indulgence.
An island home
Belgian-born, Tasmania-based architect Lara Maeseele believes the quintessential coastal home has become a finely tuned instrument. With more vacant land to experiment with, and lower entry prices, she says the Apple Isle is perfectly placed for architects and homeowners to explore the new-age beach house.
“A highlight in Tassie is you can find these amazing vacant blocks on the coastline, and still be blown away by the unexpected views,” she says.
Having studied in Belgium and worked in London, Maeseele brings a northern European minimalist sensibility to the Australian beach house.
“Our way of life is so complex. When we get home, it’s nice to slow down, to declutter and find some peace and quiet.”
Nebraska House on Bruny Island took home the 2025 HIA Tasmanian Home of the Year and earned a commendation at the Houses Awards, but Maeseele still affectionately refers to her design overlooking the D’Entrecasteaux Channel as a “shack.”
“What we tried to do was make sure that from the foreshore, it was kept small and consistent with the neighbouring properties, and that’s the luxury element that I see in the shack. It sits quietly in its setting.”
With a water backdrop from most rooms, she says the ocean was a primary player when designing the house, but light was just as important for the clients.
“Both the western and eastern elevations slide wide open so it feels like a bit of an umbrella,” she says. “Then in winter, it’s fully insulated and glazed. When the sun sets, you have the most beautiful evenings, feeling cosy and sheltered while watching the wind and water outside.”
True to her European roots, Maeseele believes that when it comes to aesthetically pleasing and functional coastal design, the less-is-more approach should drive every project.
“We’re on an island, so we’re very aware any build leaves an impact,” she says. “We chose lightweight materials so, in the end, the house could be dismantled and the timber reused.”
Thriving by the sea
Sydney architect Jon King, who has designed both beach houses and boutique hotels, says the new generation of coastal design is a balancing act between luxury and environment.
Even in today’s dazzling designs, he believes comfort should still overshadow spectacle.
“If you’re going to make an exceptional beach house, it has to adapt. It needs to be beautiful when the sun is shining and the whales are jumping out of the water, but the next day it needs to withstand horrendous southerlies and wild storms,” he says.
“The material choices are vital because they need to look great, but last in that salty environment and in extreme winds and rain.”
What was once the domain of fibro cottages has developed into a sea of enviable, state-of-the-art designs.
“For a long time, we lived simply in beach environments because the land was cheap and our buildings were unsophisticated. But now, living on the coast has become coveted, even fetishised. People are making statements through architecture, and that changes everything.”
He says that in an effort to connect with nature, the temptation can be to build with vast walls of glass to capture the ultimate panorama, but subtle design can be more successful when it gives the dramatic backdrop a curated cameo.
“Most coastal locations are suburban in nature with small blocks and neighbours either side, so you can’t always get the view you want,” he says.
“But you can frame it beautifully rather than opening everything up to the elements.”
Cheyne Fox of White Fox Gold Coast, who has recently listed one of only two houses on Hayman Island in the Whitsundays, agrees that Australia’s coastal homes are unparalleled.
“Gone are the days when people wanted their properties to stand out and look at odds with the surrounds. Today’s luxury designs are very much about fitting in,” Fox says.
The Residence at Hayman spans three levels and offers more than 1,400 square metres of internal and external living space.
Designed by the late, internationally renowned architect Kerry Hill, it also features breezeways, terraces and an infinity pool designed to embrace the subtropical environment.
“When you get to Hayman Island, you get calico bags. There are no plastic bottles or even cars. There is a true respect for the environment, being so close to the Great Barrier Reef. And as such, the architecture reflects that ethos.”
She says high-net-worth buyers will pay top dollar for such indulgent and considered coastal designs.
“This is a once-in-a-lifetime proposition for a purchaser, but also a once-in-a-lifetime proposition for an agent.”
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The actress, who felt a ‘spiritual calling’ to the Harrison, N.Y., property, is asking $4.99 million for the home.
3 min
Two years ago, fed up with the long drive to the Hamptons, the actress and daytime talk-show host Drew Barrymore started looking for a weekend home in Westchester County.
When she saw a circa-1700s mansion for sale, Barrymore said, she felt a karmic connection to the Harrison, N.Y., property.
“I walked in, and I was, like, ‘I know my family’s been here. I know that I have to work on this house. I know that I’m supposed to be doing this,’” said Barrymore, 51 years old, who lives primarily in Manhattan with her two daughters. “It was like a strange, spiritual calling.”
It turned out she actually did have a connection to the area: Her great-aunt, the late actress Ethel Barrymore, had a home in nearby Mamaroneck, where an enclave known as Barrymore Lane is widely believed to be named for the family.
Barrymore bought the roughly 12-acre estate for $4.4 million, according to property records. She did an extensive renovation; she has a deep interest in interior design and has considered pursuing it professionally. “Between Pinterest, thrifting and a can of paint, there’s nothing you can’t do,” Barrymore said with a laugh.
But roughly two years later, the actress is listing the property for $4.99 million. The renovation took longer than expected, she said, and the family’s lives have changed in the interim.
The estate includes a roughly 5,600-square-foot, five-bedroom main house, a pool and a poolhouse with an additional bedroom, according to Kori Sassower of Compass.
Barrymore said she previously owned a home in Sagaponack, N.Y., but the distance from the city and the weekend traffic to the Hamptons became untenable as her children’s schedules filled up with social and sporting activities.
Harrison, by contrast, offered accessibility and charm. The property, located roughly an hour from Manhattan, is a short drive from picturesque Rye and Bronxville, while nearby Bedford has drawn celebrities. The median sales price for a home in Harrison is around $1.1 million, according to Redfin.
The property’s expansive acreage gave Barrymore a sense of being close to nature. “It’s really like being in your own personal park,” she said. “There are tons of deer. There are pheasants, there are ducks, there are rabbits.”
When she purchased the home, Barrymore said, she thought it would need only a cosmetic renovation. Instead, it turned into a “complete internal gut,” with much of the plumbing, heating and air conditioning replaced, she said.
Barrymore also revamped the ground floor to open up the kitchen, which felt dark and boxed in. “It took a year of engineering to figure out how to accomplish it,” she said.
Barrymore declined to comment on the exact costs of the renovation, but compared herself to actress Shelley Long’s character in the 1986 film “The Money Pit.”
Some of the rooms have maximalist patterned wallpaper, elaborate art walls and heavy, old-fashioned draperies. Others are minimalist. “Every little corner gets scrutinised for what it could be,” she said. “If I see a closet, it’s probably not a closet, it’s going to become some secret hideout for my kid, or I’m going to take the door off and turn it into a sculptural piece.”
In the home’s living room, Barrymore said she cycled through multiple paint colours, including pink and green.
“I painted it all green because I was dying for greenery. And then the summer came, and I was, like, ‘Oh, God, everything is green!’”
She spent time at the property even while it was under construction. When they didn’t have a kitchen, the family cooked dinner on a grill outside and drank boxed water, she said.
When workers were redoing the pipes, Barrymore couldn’t shower. “I lived in the house in the most primitive of scenarios,” she said. “It’s some of my favourite times and memories.”
When Barrymore celebrated her birthday at the property in February, she and two friends decided to grill for old time’s sake, even though the kitchen was fully functional.
“There we were in zero-degree weather with parkas, hoodies, gloves and face masks. But we were, like, ‘We gotta do it. It’s the tradition.”
Barrymore, who grew up in Los Angeles, stars in films like “Never Been Kissed,” “Riding in Cars With Boys” and “Charlie’s Angels.” Her eponymous daytime talk show launched in September 2020.
Sassower is listing the property with her colleague Brian K. Lewis in New York City.
