Top Ten Homes of 2017 · Mount Martha Beach Shack

Continuing on our TOP TEN homes of 2017, today we revisit the Mount Martha weekender of Jeff and Mariko Provan.

This beautiful, bare-bones little beach shack is the ultimate summer retreat, not too polished, totally carefree with an ever-open door for friends and family.

Written

Lucy Feagins

Supported by Dulux

The façade of the Provan’s Mount Martha beach shack. Jeff has added awnings and pergolas to the existing site. The garden was designed in collaboration with Mud Design and Mowed in Australia. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

View from the living area, looking into the main bedroom. Jeff’s collection of windsurfing sailboard fins from ‘yesteryear’, IKEA kid’s kitchen, and a green Eames chair are on show. The green surfboard in the main bedroom belonged to Jeff in the 1970s. ‘I just can’t part with it no matter how hard I try!’ he explains. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

The living area of the Provan’s Mount Martha home. The floor is polished and lined, and the space features an early 2000s Jardan couch, 1960s vintage cone chairs, Ni.Ni.Creative leather cushions (designed by Jeff’s daughter Nina), and Japanese noren fabric door curtain in indigo blue. Photo – Eve Wilson. Production – Lucy Feagins / The Design Files.

After downsizing from their long serving family home in Melbourne, Jeff and Mariko Provan were keen to find a coastal retreat. After discovering this two bedroom fibro beach shack just metres from Mount Martha beach, they bought it on the spot.

Originally, the pair had grand plans for re-building on this generous site, but it wasn’t long before they reconsidered. Soon after taking possession, it was clear that this humble shack had a special charm worth preserving. ‘Now, we love this place so much and it works so well as a beach shack, that we are keeping it exactly as is’ says Jeff.

Inside, an accumulation of furniture and objects collected over Jeff and Mariko’s 40 years together gives this place a unique, ad-hoc charm.

For the full story and many more photos of this perfect little summer retreat, do revisit the original story!