Cheshunt House

Point Lonsdale, Victoria, Australia

A coastal home of interconnected indoor and outdoor spaces, shaped by the colours and textures of Point Lonsdale.

Jill and Peter approached Bower to design their forever home — a place to live fulltime in retirement, and to gather children, partners, grandkids, grand-dogs and friends for long summer holidays and celebrations. Active members of the Point Lonsdale community and enthusiastic entertainers, they sought a home that would feel generous and joyful when full, yet intimate and restorative when it was just the two of them.

Click the image below to see a video of Peter & Jill’s home, and their journey with Bower.

I’ve I felt comfortable from the first day I moved in. I just love it. I love living in Point Lonsdale and the house is just fantastic. And never having lived in a new house before, I’ve got to pinch myself it’s just so great.

Jill Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

The architectural response is a carefully sequenced journey of spaces that expands and contracts, drawing people together while offering retreat. From the tall, screened entry walk to the central gallery that connects living, dining and garden rooms, the house reveals itself gradually.

We loved the whole process of working with Bower and it felt easy. Communication with the team was excellent and continued with the builder Tim

Peter Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

Coming from our previous Victorian house, the feeling of walking into light is extraordinary as you enter our home. My favorite moment is when I move through the house from our bedroom towards the living spaces every morning: the opening up of views, light, high ceilings and textures of the brick and timberwork is magic!

Peter Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

The kitchen, dining and living areas open seamlessly to outdoor entertaining zones, culminating in a playful bridge above that keeps guests visually connected to the life of the house.

Views to a sculpture courtyard and borrowed light from above animate the interior. Operable openings between levels allow family members to see and speak to one another across spaces — grandchildren calling down to their grandparents below — while still enabling privacy when desired.

Zoning and adaptability were central to the brief. The main bedroom suite sits quietly on the ground floor, oriented to coastal planting and separated from the entertaining wing. A flexible guest room doubles as study or games room, while upstairs bedrooms and a home office connect to a sheltered sun deck and planted roofscape. A concealed stair and lift ensure the home supports graceful ageing in place, with generous circulation, considered door widths and provision for future needs.

A lovely aspect is our ensuite which has a high window all around and when you look out through that in the morning you see the trees out the front. And there’s always a breeze so they’re always blowing in the wind. And that’s really lovely to see.

Jill Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

I feel like I’m on holidays all the time, our home is my happy place. The Bower team absolutely succeeded in their dual goals of creating a home we love, and an enjoyable journey from start to finish

Jill Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

Materiality grounds the house in its coastal setting. Soft white Accoya shiplap, sand coloured Krause bricks from Stawell, Castlemaine slate paving and sandy Geelong concrete floors echo the beach and sandstone cliffs. Taj Mahal quartzite and muted bathroom tiles continue the palette indoors. Green roofs and elevated planters will soften and drape the façade over time — allowing the home to settle naturally into the village landscape of Point Lonsdale.

The sliding screens create a lovely shadow play that varies how the house feels if they are open, part open or fully across the windows.

Peter Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

We love the sun streaming into the house and how toasty warm the house is in winter: thermally the house is fantastic

Jill Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

All our guests rave about the upstairs shower!

Jill Heinz, Client, Cheshunt House, Point Lonsdale

The house is fully electric powered by a large rooftop solar array and battery. The house is carefully planned for good passive warming in winter and cooling in summer including shade pergolas, adjustable and fixed battened screens, concealed electric sun shading blinds and generous internal thermal mass in the concrete floor and internal brickwork. All the glazing is high performance double glazing, the home is meticulously sealed and the wall cavities are oversized to accommodate extra insulation.