Japanese style and nautical design merge in a home by the water

This Sandy Bay beachfront residence shows the charm of simplicity and exquisite design.

The owner and architect Stephen Firth bought the property in 1988. At that time it was the garden of the house next door.

Mr. Firth spent about four to five years carefully thinking and planning what he wanted to use the land for.

“I spent years solving it, researching how to maximize the space and make it easy to build,” he said.

“I have always liked the idea of ​​living on the water, which of course influenced the design. And I also wanted a fairly small place without a big garden to take care of and so on.”

Although Mr. Firth’s riverside scenery was designed and built decades ago, it still gives a modern feel.

He described the site as “quite limited” and requires imagination to find the best way.

“I spent years simplifying the design and then simplifying it again,” he said.

“The floor plan is a basic square, but a bathroom and bedroom are added upstairs to stand out from the crowd.

“The focus is always water; you open the front door and you can see it immediately.

“The deck on the riverside of the property is lower than the level of the house, so you won’t have railings blocking the view of the living room.

“When you pass through the gate, you are on an axis leading to the water.

“The street door is aligned with the front door and the door on the outer deck of the restaurant, and the door on the upper deck of the owner.”

The living space, dining room, kitchen and library corner are all on the lower floor, with the bedroom on the top.

The wood heater heats the lounge, and the heat gradually rises from here.

Mr. Firth said he can turn off the fire at night, the upper floors will stay warm, and the lower floors will slowly cool down.

The house is double-glazed-unusual for buildings in the early 90s-and is also fully insulated.

Mr. Firth wanted a feeling of openness and spaciousness, which was achieved through gorgeous glass windows and high ceilings of 3m to 8m in height.

Go upstairs to the platform and find the laundry room and bathroom at home. The laundry room has its own water feature, while the bathroom is completely private and not affected by neighbors and the street.

In fact, due to the clever position and orientation of the windows… and the wide water feature that has received much attention, the neighbors are rarely noticed when walking through this house.

From the bathroom there is a deck and timber storage room under the garage. There is an access point on the floor of the garage for transporting wood. Just put it in, no need to push from one layer to another.

The master bedroom is the next destination, and there are several bedrooms and offices nearby to choose from.

The owner is an excellent space, taking full advantage of the location on the Derwent Riverfront.

Mr. Firth said that the house combines the influence of Japanese and nautical design.

“The deck downstairs is curved like the stern, and the captain’s deck is as sharp as the bow,” he said.

“Japanese designs often have things on display and things pushed away. This led me to put lockers in lockers. There are hidden storage rooms around the house. There are storage spaces behind the head of the bed. This means Keep the floor clean and tidy.”

Edward McKay, a representative of EIS Property, said that the seamless connection between the living space and the stunning outdoor entertainment area—albeit compelling—is only part of the family story.

“It can make you feel comfortable, these eye-catching ceilings and clever design language are what buyers will like,” he said.

“Once you pass through the portal, you will feel that this is your own private retreat.

“The execution of this property is excellent, and buyers often want things that others don’t have.”

Sandy Bay Sandy Bay Road 836a is listed together with EIS Property. It will be sold at the auction on July 10th at 1pm. An inspection will be conducted before the auction.