Inside a Contemporary Forest Retreat

The Architecture of Less

Margaret River has its own natural logic. The karri and jarrah forest, the quality of light. Considered buildings here don't compete with the surroundings nor do they blend in. Less is More, a one-bedroom retreat set along the forest line beside the Margaret River, was designed to complement its surroundings. Picture-frame windows bring the treeline directly into the living space. The material palette is restrained and deliberate. What makes this project work is that the restraint is warm rather than cold, which is important as it's a retreat, a quiet place to stay.

The home's interior is built around neutral tones, natural light, and materials chosen for their honesty. Timber, stone, smooth plaster. Surfaces that age well and carry texture without demanding attention. Bathrooms and living spaces follow the same logic. Clean, uncluttered, functional, but not indifferent to craft.

Concrete Studio was engaged to deliver custom concrete basins alongside a matching countertop and fireplace plinth. The brief was consistent with the project's overall approach: pieces that sit quietly within the architecture and support the overall sense of calm, rather than acting as focal points.

Made for the Work It Has to Do

Short-stay accommodation asks more of its materials than most environments. High turnover, constant use, guests who accidentally may not be as careful as they would in their own space. Durability isn't a secondary consideration, it's fundamental. Each piece was handcrafted in our bespoke GFRC, a process that allows for refined edges and controlled profiles while producing a result that holds up to sustained use. The finish is smooth and matte, the tone sits comfortably within the home's palette of neutrals, neither too warm nor too cool.

Practically, the forms were designed to be easy to maintain and clean, with no unnecessary detail to trap grime or complicate care. In a short-stay property, that matters.

Local Making in a Regional Project

There's something appropriate about specifying locally fabricated pieces for a project this rooted in its setting. Less is More is embedded in its landscape in a way that makes the question of where things come from feel relevant, not just as an environmental consideration but as a design one. Manufacturing locally means reduced logistics, faster lead times, and pieces that reflect the region's material sensibility. It's a straightforward alignment between how the project was conceived and how it was supplied.

Read more about the project.