Otsu House is located on the beachfront row in Northern New South Wales, Casuarina.
We love the location of the site because of the easy access to be able to just walk down
onto the beach and be able to look north and south and not see anyone, which is really amazing.
Being so close to the ocean definitely had big influence on the colour palette that we chose and
not only the colours but the products we used. We had to have something that would be very enduring,
that would survive the harsh environment that we do live in being so close to the ocean.
Casuarina, it's a coastal town and it gets smashed by the elements and what we wanted to bring here
to Otsu House was that we didn't have to worry about maintenance; the house looks after itself.
The theme for Otsu House was really light and air. We worked with Sam from Story Design
Collective and we wanted to create these open spaces through the house. As soon as you walk
through the front door, you're greeted with this huge void. As you walk through the house,
these open spaces continue right through the backyard. We really wanted to bring
the textures and the colours to life, that's why we chose the Rockcote Japanese Otsumigaki.
The thing we loved about Otsumigaki was a subtle nature
its reflective qualities; it wasn't overbearing,
doesn't stand out with direct light but reflective and side light, it gives off a really nice lustre.
In using the Japanese clay and the raw concrete, it really helped connect with the Casuarina feel
in being by the beachfront. We weren't saying that could endure the raw elements of the salt, sun and
just being able to have the kids running through the house. It was a really durable product.
It's got the attention to detail with warmth even though it is a raw product like concrete.
Once the form work was up and we were up and running with the suspended slab,
it was really critical that the sheet patterns from the formply
were aesthetically pleasing because that now has become the finished ceiling and as you can see the
results is quite amazing, it's architecturally pleasing. Think about the thermal barriers
and the thermal properties, you can't hear footsteps up above,
perhaps music, whatever it may be, it's really created this real warm quiet and peaceful place.
The courtyard has created a space which is like a light well and it creates a really visual
connection between all the rooms in the downstairs area but not only that, when we open the doors
the breeze flows through, creates beautiful patterns in the curtains, the shadows, the light.
We love not having too many colours in the house. We love to have a really neutral palette.
Things like the linen curtains to provide that softening element
and the beautiful colour that it brings. It balances the concrete on the ceiling
beautifully and then in the bedrooms when the linen curtains meet the carpet on the floor,
it's a lovely combination and it's been really, really beautiful to see it all come together.
The way that that garden draws your eye out being the same level as the alfresco area, it's a very
intimate and private space and not being able to see any back fence creates an infinity edge to the
garden. We actually used imported Japanese trowels on the finish of the pool area which gives it a
really soft feel under your feet but also gives it a burnished look but ties in all those Japanese
design elements in Otsu House. Josh come up with the idea of putting in the helical staircase.
To get the shape right was quite challenging, we drew it up on the floor, did it in CAD programs
and in the end yeah, it kind of evolved out of the ground almost in a sense with Josh's ideas and
putting it all at work. It's when people first enter and they open that door, they draw their eye
up and they can see the dash render and they see the shadow on the walls and then they kind of
look across and they see more of the Japanese clay render and it kind of plays almost like the ocean
effect, like with the light. It's amazing, you know, how much texture is actually in the house.
After living in the house for a few months, I have a few surprising favourite spaces. One of
the things that took me by surprise was watching the sunlight dance on the top of the brush brass
shower heads through the skylight and the ensuite bathroom. Using the rectangular mosaic tiles has
also accentuated the curve in the ensuite shower and it's just a really nice space to be in.
Josh and Rachel wanted to use concrete again in their kitchen. That's in the work I've done in
Stone and Wood, in the micro brewer environment, so we chose a soft colour and again, we used those
imported Japanese trowels that we used on the pool area to achieve the finish in the kitchen benches.
Dan and I have been working for quite a few years now on different projects
and houses in the past, but Otsu House has been the accumulation of all those ideas and finishes
and textures come together and we're super happy with how it's turned out.