Phoenix House

The house is also very much connected to the unique, vibrant Byron community Graham loves so much.

 Curated landscaping ensures privacy yet the home, raised 1600 millimetres off the ground, addresses the sporting fields across the road – where, on any given afternoon, you can hear laughter and conversation, as people walk their dogs, play soccer or tennis and workout – and the iconic beaches beyond.

It’s hard to believe that the architect had initially planned on relocating a 112-year-old cottage to the 500m2 block, renovating and selling it.

Life, however, took a dramatic turn and the dilapidated 1900s Queenslander, which had been stored in a cane field in Ballina for over a year, was to become the family home.

“I went out to see it and the veranda was in pieces on the ground,” recalls Graham. “It was full of water damage…I burst into tears and thought, ‘I can’t do this.’

 Later, as he drove home, Graham realised there were a lot of good elements and potential in the ‘beautiful old lady.’

The project become Graham’s own Phoenix moment.

Instead of repairing and renovating, Graham and his team decided to pull the house apart, throwing away the rotten pieces and reusing the remaining materials including the aged hardwood and patterned glass windows.

“The most difficult part was coming up conceptual framework,” Graham explains. 

“Once we agreed on framework to create sustainable remix and reuse every bit, it became a fun challenge.”

The living area was moved to the front of the home, and the old veranda was closed in to add additional space.

A hero skylight, a modern insertion edged in steel and lined with timber, has been added above the living area and is one of Grahams favourite design details, along with the aged hardwood timber throughout.

Graham has filled his home with meaningful pieces by Australian artists and makers including Micheila Petersfield, Jack Bailey and Tony Albert, whilst the couches were created by Tasmanian-based artisans, Simon Ancher Studio.

As the golden sunlight dances across the kitchen in the late afternoons, it’s hardly surprising that friends and family love to drop in, gather and connect in this warm place of togetherness, Graham’s most personal project yet.