Main Ridge Farmhouse
Set in the Mornington Peninsula hinterland, Main Ridge Farmhouse by J. Kidman Architecture is designed to feel ‘of the earth’, with ASKO appliances complementing the home’s relaxed minimalism.
For one of the owners, who grew up in rural New South Wales, Main Ridge Farmhouse was an opportunity to return to the countryside and give their young family a similar upbringing. The brief to J. Kidman Architecture called for a house that balanced ease, functionality and generosity, with private corners for parents, children and guests, and shared central spaces that feel as comfortable for four as they do for 40.
The client’s childhood homestead, a 1920s Arts and Crafts house by architect Robert Hamilton, provided a useful jumping-off point for James Reid, director of J. Kidman Architecture. “Several of its features – the dominant pitched roof form with deep eaves protecting a wrap-around verandah, the drive-through porte cochere, the inglenook fireplace – were incorporated as starting points,” explains Reid. As the clients wanted to avoid too many decorative elements, the project took its cues from rural modernist architecture such as Robin Boyd’s Mitchelton Winery and the quiet, elemental work of Paolo Zermani.
Positioned just below the peak of Arthurs Seat – the highest point of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula – the home has rare south-western views across Gunnamatta Beach to Bass Strait. Incorporating both the views to the south and the natural light from the north was a core challenge for Reid, as was protecting the dwelling from inclement weather. The solution was to design the house to run across the slope of the hill, effectively reducing it to two elongated frontages. “This long skinny form is then captured by masonry ‘bookends’, with a weight and gravity that grounds the house into the site,” says Reid, “providing it with a sense of immutability and comforting constancy.”
This sensibility also carries through in the materiality. “We didn’t want the exterior to feel foreign to the site – we wanted it to feel ‘of the earth,’ and that informed the intentionally limited palette of bagged recycled bricks and naturally weathered timber.” The transition from outdoors to indoors was also deeply considered and designed to be more experiential.”
Inside, the palette is similarly tactile and earthy: cobblestones line the entry, mudroom, laundry and spectacular walled garden, while timber floorboards are wire brushed and tumbled to give them the appearance of well-loved antique boards. The travertine crazy paving in the bathrooms “feels barely removed from the act of walking on the ground itself,” while micro-cement walls are reminiscent of beach sand and grass-cloth cabinetry inlays recall a carpet of pine needles. Ceramic entry sconces by Sarah Nedovic and woven artworks by Emma Shepherd of Sundance Studio bring additional texture and warmth.
The kitchen follows the same approach, with elegant walnut joinery and storm-grey cashmere travertine, mirroring the pattern of the wood grain. ASKO appliances were chosen for their exceptional performance and ability to complement the home’s laid-back minimalism. The owners selected a sleek induction cooktop, oven and combi-steam oven in discreet anthracite black, as well as a fully integrated dishwasher. “The ASKO aesthetics suit the relaxed spirit of the house,” says Reid. “They have a simplicity that feels unfussy and not too assertively modern … There is something very humanising about an oven with knobs rather than a touch screen.”
Integration was also particularly important to the home’s overall atmosphere. “The integration of the ASKO dishwasher in this project specifically was so valuable because of the ‘barefoot minimalism’ that we were trying to achieve, which would’ve been undermined by having the ‘tech’ of the house too frequently and obviously on show. The dishwasher can be part of the crew rather than the cast – making everything work without stealing the spotlight or needing to be seen.”
Ultimately, the ASKO appliances become part of the broader architectural ambition: to design a house where every element feels functional, generous and timeless.
Architecture and interior design by J. Kidman Architecture. Build by Pattison Built. Structural engineering by Webb Consult. Flooring by Eco Outdoor and George Fethers & Co. Stone by G Lux. Appliances by ASKO. Lighting by Lana Launay and Sarah Nedovic. Artwork by Sundance Studio.
