Top Ten Homes of 2017 · Eco House Western Australia

Western Australia featured heavily in our homes section in 2017 – there are just so many amazing homes out West!

Today, we revisit Tanya McKenna and Peter Chadwick’s ‘Eco House’ in Perth – an inspired example of super stylish, urban, sustainable living.

Written

Lucy Feagins

Supported by Dulux

Inside the WA home of Tanya McKenna, Peter Chadwick and Henri the boxer. The forest green bottle grinders by Menu were gifted to Tanya by her best friends; the vintage amber wine glasses were found at the local tip; the original 1970’s teapot was gifted to Tanya by Peter in Copenhagen; and the handmade hanging plywood light was by Peter. Photography – Dion Robeson, styling – Anna Flanders.

The height of the interior coupled with the soaring window ‘mosaic’ give the home it’s airy, relaxed feel. The forest-green door was purchased privately by Tanya and Peter from a demolition sale (and is said to be from a mansion once owned by Alan Bond). They painted it Forest Green to match their living room wall. The woven baskets were gifted to Tanya by Carla; the white metal coat hanger was sourced from France on Ebay; the staghorn plant was gifted to Tanya by her parents and reinforced to eco-ply sheeting by Peter. Photography – Dion Robeson, styling – Anna Flanders.

‘This is our urban retreat away from the hustle and bustle of life, but still close to everything we love and need. We’re always on the go with busy lives, but we’re always relaxed at home. We love to cook, put on a record and just relax, or host long-table dinners in the courtyard. It’s nice having a smaller space that doesn’t require as much maintenance, too,’ says Tanya. Photography – Dion Robeson, styling – Anna Flanders.

The kitchen is made from custom pre-finished plywood cabinetry designed by Carla at Etica Studio and made locally by Raw Edge Furniture. Tanya and Peter sourced the Oregon benchtops from a salvage yard. Fridge and appliances are by Smeg and Miele. The oregon staircase and custom metalwork balustrade are by Customised Metal Works , while the light was designed and handmade by Tanya and Peter. Original Danish wall sconces and rattan stools were sourced privately by Tanya, and white tapware is by Astra Walker. Photography – Dion Robeson, styling – Anna Flanders.

This area is one of the most beautiful areas in the home, where light floods into the space and hits the clean surfaces to add a wonderful warmth. Tanya and Peter bought the original 1960s table from Roofpocket; the pendant light was made by Kira and Kira; and the chairs were sourced privately by Tanya and Peter. Henri also gets to eat in this area, where you can see his dog bowl by Mog & Bone. Photography – Dion Robeson, styling – Anna Flanders.

Writer

Lucy Feagins

27th of December 2017

We continue our TOP TEN homes of 2017 by revisiting the swoon-worthy Perth home of Tanya McKenna and Peter Chadwick.

Tanya and Peter are one dynamic duo – she’s a sustainability consultant, and he’s a trades manager for a Perth renovation company. The pair joined forces with Tanya’s architect sister Carla Karsakis of Etica Studio to bring their home to life.

Despite a limited footprint, the house has been cleverly designed to accommodate three bedrooms and two bathrooms, set over one level plus a mezzanine. Referred to affectionately as their ‘Nature-Inspired Eco House’, this home really is a physical manifestation of Tanya and Peter’s life philosophies.

‘How we live is not only important for us as human beings, but also for the world,’ says Tanya. ‘If we design living spaces with a lesser environmental footprint – with the earth and our comfort in mind – we’re not only creating beautiful healthy spaces, but we’re doing our bit for the climate. For us, our home demonstrates what is possible.’

For the full story and many more photos of this inspired home, do revisit the original story!