DRAMATIC scene

This smart family home on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula deftly blends town and country, and indoors and out.

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While it may be home to milliner Fleur and her family, there's nothing remotely old hat about this inspired hideaway, hunkered among the moonahs and tea trees on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, with beach and breakers mere minutes away. Paradoxically perhaps, rustic and refined, the home touches the earth lightly and offers an alluring blend of country, coastal and city sophistication.

When Fleur and husband Damon bought the property in 2021, it was occupied by a ho-hum weatherboard. “We fell in love with the block, with its open rural energy, quiet and full of sky, and yet minutes from the best beach,” says Fleur.

“With views across horse paddocks and trees, it felt like you were on a farm.” But widespread mould spelled the demise of the original house, which made way for a smart new build by Gillianne Griffiths of interior architects Studio Griffiths, with DX Architects.

In the couple's brief, the practical needs of the family, with two children - Cora, now seven, and Betsy, three - were clear. “We wanted something that worked hard for family life - open-plan spaces, good flow, finishes that could handle the chaos of the kids' daily mess and loads of storage for the Barbies!” she says. Plus, a dedicated home office, gym and atelier for Fleur. “A mudroom, laundry and a separate courtyard added to the family-centric layout,” says Gillianne.