OPEN & SHUT

A shape-shifting holiday abode that caters for a few or many

- WORDS CARROL BAKER PHOTOGRAPHY PETER BENNETTS

This holiday home is filled with inviting light-filled spaces and clever design flexibility.

The existing dwelling was a 1970s architecturally designed abode that sat alongside a swimming pool and tennis court.

The homeowners’ brief was to provide spaces that would cater for the influx of friends and family at certain times of the year so happy holidaymakers would have ample room to be comfortable. As well as a requirement to add more space, there was a sense of disconnect in the design that needed to be addressed.

Enter Timmins Architecture, which ably took on the challenge. “We really wanted to connect all the built parts on the site that originally felt independent of each other,” explains Sally Timmins. The tennis court and pool fencing were removed to create a sense of unity, and the outdoor bar was given a facelift. “Now a new sauna room with a spherical skylight sits behind an organic timber-battened screen nestled into the landscape,” says Sally.