Promenade by Latitude 37

On Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, Promenade by Latitude 37 is a contemporary, split-level residence which embraces its coastal locale with a subdued palette and a strong connect between indoors and out.

Set in the exclusive locale of Mount Eliza’s ‘Golden Mile’, this contemporary home is imbued with a distinct, laid-back coastal feel. To achieve this, luxury builder Latitude 37’s considered design approach centred on a fine balance between privacy and openness, and a seamless integration between indoors and out. “Promenade is a special project for me as I live nearby … I’ve seen it come out of the ground from the very beginning,” says Doug MacLeod, Latitude 37’s founder and construction director.

“The split level is very much about following and working with the land, which created a great opportunity to get volume in and create some extra windows to drag in light.”

The home comprises five bedrooms, with a main bedroom that overlooks the pool and garden. It features two living areas – each with a built-in fireplace – including an expansive open-plan living, dining and kitchen space with an adjoining butler’s pantry, as well as a wine cellar and study.

The house sits seamlessly in its locale but construction was challenging due to the site’s steep gradient. “The development of Promenade dovetails with Latitude 37’s vision as a custom home builder – we provide stunning design solutions for often challenging sites and this is an example of that,” says MacLeod. Latitude 37 opted for a split-level design to overcome the gradient. “The split level is very much about following and working with the land, which created a great opportunity to get volume in and create some extra windows to drag in light,” explains Steve Wyatt, a designer at Latitude 37. “The split level also helped us create different levels of intimacy because of the different ceiling heights.”

“Being such a large parcel of land with a private outlook to the rear, it offered an opportunity for us to really engage with the landscape.”

Entering the house from the tree-lined street, there is a large transition space, introduced as a way of resetting as one moves into the residence. “This is why we called it the Promenade,” explains Wyatt. The design begins with low, more intimate spaces before opening up into larger volumes. “Entering this property, you really get a sense of luxury, tranquillity and relaxation,” says MacLeod. “When you come in the front door, there’s a sunken lounge that divides the house into two areas, so you have got a very public area to one side and a very private area to the other,” says Wyatt. “The private areas are the bedrooms and the main suite while, on the other side, you come into the more public side, which includes the main living space and the kitchen.”

Given its proximity to the beach, each room within the home encourages outdoor living through a strong connection to alfresco spaces, with large windows framing views of the garden and sky. “The site offers a fantastic opportunity for an indoor-outdoor lifestyle,” says MacLeod. “Being such a large parcel of land with a private outlook to the rear, it offered an opportunity for us to really engage with the landscape.”

The combination of the materiality, layout and connection to the outdoors creates an engaging and harmonious living experience.

Materials and finishes are dominated by a robust yet luxurious palette. Selections are restrained and understated to allow the residents to add their own style. “We kept it to really natural materials with monotone colours,” says Wyatt. A key feature is a concrete wall that acts as a central spine throughout the modern house. “The wall is beautiful as well as functional; it has a thermal mass that helps regulate the temperature of the home. As there are some large volumes, it slows down the changes of temperature.”

The combination of the materiality, layout and connection to the outdoors creates an engaging and harmonious living experience. MacLeod says is he deeply proud of the collaboration between all the teams at Latitude 37, from developing design concepts on the site to the high-quality delivery and the fit-out and finish by the interior design team. For Wyatt, it’s more simple: “I was amazed at how well it’s come up … and I hope that’s how other people feel, too.”

Architecture, interior design, build, styling and development by Latitude 37.