The Indoor Outdoor House

Rosslyn and Ian de Souza embrace the outdoor room in a truly organic dwelling that grows and changes with them.

- Bronwyn Phillips

Behind the imposing limestone wall that encloses the block is a dwelling unlike anything else. Organic and fluid, the home of Rosslyn de Souza and her artist husband Ian is deeply connected to his creativity. It’s a place where boundaries between outside and inside, the domestic and artistic, blur and intertwine. It’s a house inside a garden, a garden inside a home.

Inspired by the Oriental homes of Ian’s childhood, the de Souzas’ property comprises a studio, converted railway carriage and a rammed earth cottage, connected by courtyards, passageways and gardens. Sliding glass panels and cafe-style blinds slide and roll away, creating completely open spaces that take advantage of the natural light, soft breezes and warm Western Australian climate. “My husband does not like restrictions,” says Ros, who curates Ian’s exhibitions and publications, designs, and also manages two boutique accommodation properties. “The whole place is like an artwork for him – it changes with the seasons, and the limestone wall is like a frame around an artwork.”