A lake house with modern design on the Mornington Peninsula
Inspired by her love of horseriding, Imogen Tutton started a new business designing equestrian wear from the light-filled office in her striking home.
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First impressions are often the most lasting. For Imogen and James Tutton, it was partly a large and brimming lake that brought them and their two children Cassius, 14, and Harper, 13, to a new life on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula.
The six-hectare property at Bittern had beautiful old trees and vineyard views but the lake took centre stage when they first laid eyes on it in the spring of 2008.
"We had just come back from living in America and I think we were open to a change," Imogen recalls.
"We were at the point where we needed to buy a new house in Melbourne, then we came across this ad for a block of land — we drove down and thought 'oh my god, this is amazing' — it had the lake, and that was it. We bought it the next week."
In 2009 they moved to the peninsula, an hour's drive from Melbourne, and rented nearby while they worked through designing a new modern lake house.
Saddler Peter Horobin custom-made the cover for this butterfly chair in the main bedroom.
There was no doubt where to site it. "The house site was almost a no-brainer in that it needed to engage with the lake," says Imogen.
"It cantilevers over, so that when you're in the main bedroom you don't see the ground, you see the water, the birds and the trees — it's really magical. It's like a beachfront property and has a little beach; it gets super deep quickly so you can launch yourself off without putting your feet in the mud. The lake really makes the place."
A garden with its own private lake on the Mornington Peninsula
Chyka Keebaugh's leafy Mornington Peninsula weekender
During the build, Imogen studied horticulture — she has a background in law and advertising — and so before they did anything she came every day and started laying out the garden. "I was on quite a native garden mission and I had this beautiful canvas to do it on, so it was my shovel, my mower, and my dog and me, bit by bit."
The lake house was designed by innovative firm, MAArchitects, based in Cremorne, Victoria. The exterior is clad in teak wood that will fade to grey as it ages.
Harper and Imogen sit with Maci on the back steps.
Maci the Hungarian vizla waits patiently for Imogen to finish work in her home studio.
The end of the deck features an outdoor kitchen complete with a custom-made barbecue.
A 'Tio' coffee table and easy chairs from Luke Furniture sit on the main verandah overlooking the lake.
Everyone's boots have their own place in the mudroom which boasts plenty of built-in storage.
Thonet bar stools in bright red add a pop of colour against the dark marble kitchen. The kitchen with dark marble and timber draws on Imogen's country memories and is a contrast to the light-filled living room. "I grew up in Kyneton and the kitchen was always a cool place with a slate floor and timber in the thick bluestone part of the house and I wanted that feeling. This kitchen is a really cool space, and it sinks into the back of the living room."
The large artwork in the lounge room is by Dale Frank, while the piece on the top right is by Adam Cullen. "The building and interior design was more James's labour of love than mine. I'm more outside. But I'm happy with colour," says Imogen. "The whole colour palette of this farm is green and yellow, with all the wattles and coastal banksias."
"It was all about the house being a vehicle to experience the landscape," says Imogen of the design. "The house itself is terribly simple with high ceilings and full sliding windows and doors to let the breeze come through. It's clad in certified rainforest teak and the long-term plan is for it to weather the colour of the gum trees and sink down into the landscape."
Imogen's love of horses and riding naturally evolved as a classic case of "needs must" into a new business that she started nearly three years ago, designing and selling her Mrs Tutton range of equestrian wear.
A Tom Dixon 'Void' pendant light hangs over the Knoll Studio 'Saarinen Tulip' side table from Dedece.
Imogen loves the casual country feel in what is a very modern, but earthy structure, and it's a house that is equally inviting for the dogs, Maci the Hungarian vizla, and Charlie and Millie, both rescued greyhounds. "I love it when I go to a hotel room and you have three days of crisp and tidy, and that's fabulous, but I'm not really like that as a person."
A 'Horizon' table designed by Chris Connell takes centre stage in the dining room, surrounded by 'No.B9 Le Corbusier' and 'No. 18 Thonet' chairs from Thonet. Tom Dixon pendant lights hang above the table.
Imogen describes herself as a "late bloomer" where horses are concerned. "I didn't start riding until I had babies and one morning I woke up after another dream about horses and thought 'this is ridiculous'. I started ringing around until I found a riding school who would teach an adult, and that was that. I have been overcompensating ever since!"
Imogen wasted no time mastering the discipline and now competes as an eventer on her stockhorse Trooper, who, she adds, "does a pretty nice dressage test". "I like jumping things big and fast and go out as many times a year as I can."
With the house settled in and "good for a while", Imogen's next project will be outside. "Something on a big scale in the garden," she says. "I want to put in some hedge lines following the curve of the drive, some broad acre planting."
Home tours,
House tour,
writer: Virginia Imhoff
photographer: Marnie Hawson
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