See inside this modern beach house on Stradbroke Island

Reminiscent of the beach shack vernacular, as was typical for Minjerribah (North Stradbroke Island) in the 60s to 90s, this home has been designed by Brisbane-based architects, REFRESH*DESIGN, to embody the island’s calmness and simplicity.

As it’s a holiday home for three families, who share the island escape at different times, the house can comfortably accommodate up to ten people — but sleeping and bathing spaces have been kept deliberately small, confined to ‘pods’ beside the central living area.

Instead, the focus is on communal areas. Taking influence from local campsites, where cooking, gathering and sleeping zones are united under a large tarpaulin, the architects have translated the concept into an elegant butterfly roof to act as the ‘tarp’.

The open-plan living space, with simple yet contemporary furnishings and fittings by Flokk Interiors, has a sense of being opened up, welcoming its occupants to immerse in nature completely, bathed in sunlight throughout the day, and drinking in the sweeping views of the sea and surrounding bushland.

“Due to the location, we opted for a pre-manufactured structural steel skeleton that was transported for installation and bolting together on site,” explains Monika Obrist, creative director of REFRESH*DESIGN, of the inherent challenges of building a contemporary home like this on the island. “Diligent coordination between our builder, Bespoke Constructions, and structural engineers, NGS Structural Engineers, was essential for the location of trusses within walls, minimising the structural steel member sizes, and achieving the 4.5-metre cantilevered front deck.”

The local Jandai word Moongalba, meaning ‘sitting down place’, sums up the simplicity of spending time in the home, affectionately known as the Baker Boys Beach House. It inspires a feeling of escape from everyday life, where its inhabitants can retreat to spend time in nature with friends and family.

“We love the simplicity of the spaces and materials, which allow us to simply BE in the bush and near the beach,” says one of the homeowners. “When we visit, we enjoy cooking, eating, laughing, playing games, reading books, bathing outdoors, coming together and quiet time. It feels like we have a permanent camp on the island, and we can forget about our lives back home when we’re there. It’s the ideal holiday escape.”