My Houzz: A South Australia Home Comes Down to Earth

Artist Winnie Pelz wanted her home on the South Australian coast to maximize views of the sea and meld with the colors and textures of the coastline. The property needed to accommodate space for entertaining and a workspace, yet provide a cozy retreat that would withstand the rugged coastal elements. "The design is very simple, based on the traditional gable-roofed cottage of Australian pioneer housing, and the materials of earth and Colorbond iron link back to that early vernacular architecture," says Pelz.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Winnie Pelz and her Labrador-mastiff Bristle
Location: Cape Jervis, South Australia
Size: 96 square meters (about 1,033 square feet); 1 bedroom, 1 bathroom
Cost: $200,000 Australian (about U.S.$184,920)

Pelz worked with David Roberts of Stabilised Earth. The house is built primarily out of rammed earth and limestone. The earth came from the Rapid Bay quarry, about 20 kilometers away. "I chose to not use the earth from my own land, as it is quite dark reddish in color and would have been too visually heavy," says Pelz. The area has harsh weather conditions, so Pelz wanted to eliminate the need to paint external surfaces. The veranda posts are untreated aluminium.

Pelz prioritized environmentally sustainable elements to keep maintenance and utility costs as low as possible. Her home has no air conditioning and is heated naturally using locally sourced wood.


Pelz says that watching birds splash in the pond, or having a gin and tonic or two while watching the sun set is her favorite thing to do on the front veranda.

A rammed-earth wall at left here meets one made of limestone. The deck is made of plantation pine.


The kitchen is light filled and cozy; it has rammed-earth walls and corrugated Lysaght Mini Orb ceiling panels. The floor is concrete. Storage is provided by a salvaged country kitchen cabinet, topped with a collection of star sculptures, one of many around the home.

Pelz says, "The one thing I would change if I built again: I'd make the kitchen bigger. I entertain quite a lot, and it's a bit squeezy when I have more than six people for lunch or dinner."

Sink: Villeroy & Boch; red star: Industria


The house design is essentially one open-plan kitchen, living room and dining room with a bedroom and bathroom attached. Pelz says, "Spatially the open living space works well for me. I love the simplicity of the space — the high textured walls and the large windows open to the sea views provide a sense of inside-outside. When the weather permits, I have all the windows wide open."

Timber in the house is mainly plantation pine. The wooden horse sculpture is by Jason Monet.


One of Pelz's favorite places to be is sitting in front of the fire reading and listening to music. Bristle the dog likes it here too. "The house has a sense of serenity," she says, "but also one of coziness when the open fire is burning and the storms of winter are howling outside."

The low jarrah table by the couch, custom Douglas fir shelves at the end of the room, geometric chair and tripod stool are by South Australia furniture designer Justin Hermes.


Pelz has been collecting art for more than 40 years, and the collection is very eclectic. She says, "Choosing artworks is a very personal thing. I usually look for a sense of soul ... something that speaks to me, strikes a chord. I love paintings that have a strong painterly textural quality. I also like humor and quirkiness in art —particularly in sculpture."

She found an old pallet that had an interesting texture and hung fish collected from her travels over the years. There are fish from the Aolian Islands, the Aegean Islands, Spain, Norway and Australia's own Port Lincoln and Kangaroo Island.


The bedroom also has corrugated Lysaght Mini Orb ceiling panels, exposed beams, rammed-earth walls and some beautifully textured second-hand furniture finds. An old wooden printer's drawer is used to display a collection, and two small landscape paintings by artist Morgan Allender. The painting above the sofa is by Pelz. She says, "The bedroom has a very calm, serene feeling and also catches the rising sun in the mornings — a lovely way to wake up."

Couch: Freedom Furniture; gallery wall artwork: Rita Hall, Stephanie Crase, Sue Michael, Seth Barker and a Picasso print


The back of the house overlooks a deep valley, relatively protected from the weather and populated with the local river redgum trees (Eucalyptus camaldulensis). Pictured here Morag ab Cruachan MacLadanae, one of a group of roaming Highland cattle. Pelz also has two llamas.

URL: My Houzz: A South Australia Home Comes Down to Earth http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-18337.html