Brown houses & other obsessions

This newsletter won’t be about us, but for anyone who doesn’t know the backstory, here’s the short version. In 2020, we (Jess and Sean) bought a 1969 Alistair Knox-designed home on the outskirts of Melbourne, drawn to the area’s distinctive architecture. Once we settled in, we realised the story behind these houses was largely untold. This bushy outer suburb — more like a country town, really — is dotted with mid-century homes built with creativity and resourcefulness by a community of independent thinkers. As a photographer and an art director, it felt natural to want to document them, and before long the idea of a book took hold.

That might sound simple enough, but in reality it was a huge undertaking, and a transformative one. In our day jobs we’re often photographing and styling homes that are shiny enough for magazines — so stepping into these scruffier, handmade houses was a total gear shift. It changed how we think about architecture: who it’s for, how it gets made, and what lessons we can draw from this earlier, humbler, perhaps more ‘human’ era of design.

As we got deeper into research mode, we realised something else: many of the things that make this local movement feel unique also connect it to others — from the Pueblo Revival in Santa Fe to self-built houses by the back-to-the-landers of the 1970s. And, honestly, so many other so-called ‘weird houses’ besides.

Off Beam is an expression meaning ‘a little wrong’, or not quite following the usual path — which feels just right for the kinds of architecture, and stories, we’re drawn to; unconventional, imperfect, and deeply connected to the landscape. So Off Beam is our experiment. We don’t know exactly where it’ll go, but we’re taking this opportunity to look beyond our backyard.

But now, some book updates: we’re two months out from our official launch on November 4 (!), and have been busy spreading the word. During the pre-sale period, we’re offering signed copies through our very own website. It’s a great way to support the project directly, and to show there’s an appetite for this admittedly VERY NICHE topic.

For now, Bush Modern is an Australian release only. But we just know there are folks overseas who can get on board with our brand of ‘brown house’ content. If that’s you, don’t be shy — show your enthusiasm in the comments and consider placing a pre-order through our website (sorry about the shipping costs!) or Amazon. With enough interest, we may just convince the publisher to take it international.

On Instagram, we’ve started sharing *exclusive* previews of some of our favourite homes from the book, and the positive response has helped counteract all those ‘why are we doing this again?’ moments from the past couple of years.

To tell you a little about our criteria when scouting homes; we weren’t just looking at the architecture—we were looking for a certain frisson between the resident and their home. Take, for example, the first two homes previewed, Redfern House and Borrack House. Though the residents are generations apart, the homes share a layered, personality-driven décor style that brings the architecture’s down-to-earth elegance to life.

Redfern, designed by Alistair Knox in 1967, is notable for its lofty layout, anchored by a towering central fireplace. This barn-like home in the bush might not seem like a natural home for postmodern Italian design classics (or an ‘80s neo-baroque bed), but somehow, here, the not-making-sense of it is the point. (Can confirm that the resident has top-tier personal style also — some people just know what’s good.)

The second home previewed, Borrack House, was designed by Sibbel Builders in 1970 for landscape artist John Borrack — a living legend aged in his 90s who still paints daily — and his wife Gillian, a teacher and artisan. Built from recycled brick and timber, the home sits low on the hillside, reflecting John’s belief (he’s a big Frank Lloyd Wright fan) that homes should ‘amalgamate’ with the landscape. John and Gillian’s 55 years in the home comes through the sheer volume of art, books and objects covering every surface, which lend the simple home such warmth.

Of course, this is just a teaser — the book goes much deeper into the stories of these homes. We’re looking forward to sharing a few more in the run up to publication, including (soon) a rough-cut gem with a backstory you couldn’t make up — stay tuned.

To finish, here are three things I (Jess) have enjoyed lately that feel very Off Beam:

• Catherine Schroeder’s 1950’s Ibiza home, from the most recent issue of Apartamento (#35). Definitely worth picking up.
  

• We love a good house museum and the Wharton Esherick Museum in Pennsylvania has been been on our radar since it appeared on the cover of Handcrafted Modern by Leslie Williamson. That staircase! Wonky perfection.
  

• I just picked up a second-hand copy of ‘Back From The Land’ by Eleanor Agnew (2004). Behind the crunchy-looking cover is a compelling tale of why millions of idealistic young Americans decided to give up middle-class life to live like ‘pioneers’ in the 1970s. Reading it now, with everything going on in the world, is giving me a strange sense of déjà vu.

Until next time.