Finca Talluca
Finca Talluca is an earthy, luxurious family home in Queensland’s Currumbin Valley, enhanced by a mix of new and vintage furnishings curated by Ellison Studios.
All good things take time, and Finca Talluca is no exception. A project five years in the making, the residence was created by Harley Graham of HGA Studio for fashion designer Megan Ziems and her young family. Located in Currumbin Valley in the verdant Gold Coast hinterland, the home brings together two unique styles – tropical brutalism and mid-century modernism – with a distinctly Australian twist.
Ziems wanted Finca Talluca to be a calming and luxurious home, at one with the surrounding landscape. Graham drew inspiration from the property’s outlook, as well as contemporary Brazilian architecture, to create a home defined by angular geometries and authentic, natural materials such as rammed earth, terracotta, timber, stone and textured concrete. Soaring ceilings, clerestory windows and angular window seats frame views to the property’s freshwater creek – a favourite swimming spot for the children – and allow light to filter in during the day.
The home’s spectacular setting and generous internal spaces required something special for the interiors. For the furniture selection, Ziems turned to her long-time friend and creative collaborator Leigh McKeown, founder and CEO of Ellison Studios. McKeown took cues from the landscape and architectural style, as well as from Ziems’s own personal taste, to curate spaces that support the family’s lifestyle and champion a sense of laid-back luxury.
Ellison Studios is renowned for a modern and playful aesthetic that reimagines aspects of the past for a modern era. A nostalgic atmosphere permeates Finca Talluca, which abounds in retro flair. Curved forms, warm hues and rich textures – from shag-pile carpets to bouclé, velvet, leather and rattan – contrast with the raw materiality of the architecture. “We approached the interiors with our signature balance of refinement and relaxation,” says McKeown. “We knew the space needed to have a softness to make it a family home. The contrast of our collections paired with the angular and geometric architecture has proven to be one of the most successful elements.”
A key piece is Ellison Studios’ Float sofa, which occupies a corner of the 1970s-style sunken lounge room. “It was Megan’s first non-negotiable for the project,” he says. Upholstered in a creamy bouclé fabric, the Float not only adds visual depth and acts as a conversation piece, but its deep seat and large size can comfortably accommodate the family. The rounded form of the pillowy, leather Glove occasional chair opposite offers a through line of both the shape and proportions of the Float. Demarcated by moss-green carpet and a planter brimming with flourishing monsteras, the spacious zone feels both comfortable, practical and sophisticated.
In the main bedroom, the distinctive spherical feet of Ellison Studios’ Yoko bed in rich walnut sink into a luscious area rug. The Isola coffee and side tables – modelled from beach pebbles found in Byron Bay and finished in a high-gloss chocolate lacquer – sit in the second living area alongside a Float sofa upholstered in deep-brown velvet.
McKeown was also inspired by Ziems’s love of travel and boutique hotels to source an eclectic range of vintage furnishings from Europe and South America. These include a 1970s patchwork leather beanbag from De Sede, a Fantasma floor lamp by Tobias Scarpa for Flos and a mid-century Antti Nurmesniemi plastic wicker lounger – all centred around a Brazilian rosewood coffee table set, also from the 1970s. Other mid-century pieces, such as the striking caramel leather and Lucite chair by Marzio Cecchi in the foyer and a cowhide Baffo chair by Gianni Pareschi and Ezio Didone in the second living space, contribute to spaces feeling both curated and lived-in.
For McKeown and Ziems, Finca Talluca is an incredibly personal collaboration, built on friendship, trust and a mutual design language. It is also emblematic of Ellison Studios’ ability to create a cohesive narrative by layering its signature furniture pieces with iconic vintage items. With a global outlook and down-to-earth sensibility, Finca Talluca is a home that feels innately Australian yet suitable for the world stage.
Architecture by HGA Studio. Build by Mactech Constructions. Furniture curation by Ellison Studios.
