The Power of Imagination – Hinterland House and Collection Launch by Daniel Boddam

In celebration of his eponymous furniture collection, Hinterland House is a speculative project by architect and designer Daniel Boddam. It serves as a vehicle for experimentation and an exploration of the principles that run through both his architectural and furniture designs.

Set in remote Byron Bay, Hinterland House is envisaged as a sustainable retreat in the spirit of the early modernist movement. The housing structure itself comprises two locally quarried, rammed-earth structures that are linked via a glazed entry walkway. The material anchors the house to the rural landscape and offers pragmatic benefits such as thermal efficiency. The rich colours throughout the rammed earth’s palette hark back to the local topography.

The housing structure itself comprises two locally quarried, rammed-earth structures that are linked via a glazed entry walkway. The material anchors the house to the rural landscape and offers pragmatic benefits such as thermal efficiency.

Offsetting the volume of the rammed earth, a diamond-shaped gridded ceiling that was inspired by local water reflections and palm tree bark elegantly reveals itself throughout the building as it casts ephemeral shadows across the interior floor. The diamond motif is one that is revisited consistently throughout, also appearing in the kitchen oak and travertine bench and the timber entry door.

Sympathetic to the surrounds within which the speculative home is set, views across the landscape are encapsulated through a series of timber-framed structural bays. Seamlessly connecting indoors and out, the glass expanses invite enviable outlooks to the pool from the main living area. A double-sided rammed earth fireplace grounds the main living space, servicing both the lounge and dining room, whilst the entry spine – crafted from the same material – conceals the home’s services and offers privacy for a tranquil bathroom and ceremonial open-air plunge pool.

The new lighting collection has two new brass sconces – a leaf sconce and a double leaf sconce, which are depicted in the bathroom and bedroom.

This connection to nature at every turn is an entirely deliberate strategy, Daniel explains. “The architecture reads as part of an agrarian vernacular – a play on the storage shed that celebrates the simplicity of functions, with a refined sensibility.” That sentiment equally applies to the artwork – prints, taken by photographer Kelly Geddes, of surrounding areas of Byron Bay that will be for sale as limited editions – and the tastefully appointed furniture throughout.

In addition to the Malibu Table Collection, Geo Drum and Hinterland Stool from the studio’s existing furniture ranges, several new pieces are presented in the house for the first time. The new lighting collection has two new brass sconces – a leaf sconce and a double leaf sconce, which are depicted in the bathroom and bedroom. The floor lamp, Totem, is also another new piece and is shown in the living space, whilst the Alhambra Coffee Table and a bed, easy chair and sofa from the Booham range – an extension to the studio’s seminal Booham chair – also appear.

In Daniel’s own words, “I wanted to offer an antidote to eclecticism. We approached the furniture as a series of collectible, heirloom pieces to be cultivated over time. Pieces that sit comfortably in their own right and can be easily interchanged with other items from our collection.”

An explorative pursuit, Hinterland House serves as both an interrogation of the possibilities of rural living and a rigorous test of foundational design principles away from client and budgetary constraints. It is a building closely tethered to site and one that prioritises a sense of calm and relaxation above all else.