Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Aug 22, 2025

Mechanized Shutters Protect This Australian Home From Prying Eyes

Mechanized Shutters Protect This Australian Home From Prying Eyes

The timber-batten shell opens to lake views and then closes for privacy.

The multidisciplinary team at State of Kin, a Perth-based design studio, wanted to create a uniquely Australian home, one that incorporated a variety of both multicultural and local sources. The idea of such a mix, says State of Kin Director Ari Salomone, "is quite true to the Australian vernacular."



For Shutter House, the design began with an appreciation of traditional Japanese architecture, with its emphasis on graceful wood working and design elements that maximize natural light.



In keeping with this inspiration, the team created the defining feature of the home’s facade: Enormous timber batten shutters, which open and close mechanically to provide privacy while allowing for ventilation and unobstructed views of the adjacent lake.



Fully open, the shutters jut straight out to become awnings, filtering light to the spaces within. The shutters recall historic Australian homes, as well. Those homes, says Salomone, often featured "a wide veranda and deep eaves with shading mechanisms to create useable outdoor spaces."

Along with the challenge of marrying a Japanese facade to their overall concept, State of Kin initially struggled with the home’s site, which slopes steeply towards Lake Monger. Eventually, the slope became a key opportunity to bring outdoor living and light deep into the home.



Strikingly, State of Kin used the slope to incorporate multilevel gardens and patios at the back of the house. This allows each of the first floor bedrooms to have its own private courtyard, including one with a cutaway peak into the double-height swimming pool. On the second floor, the living spaces take full advantage of the pool deck and dining area.



Finally, the ground floor has space for a six-car garage, a wine cellar, and an opening for a dramatic glass-encased stairwell.



State of Kin built large retaining walls to keep the living spaces in the rear private. But the front of the house can be opened to wide views of Lake Monger, a historic heritage site traditionally known as Keiermulu to the Whadjuk Noongar peoples.



From the start, State of Kin knew the blank canvas of the walls-both the exposed concrete and the bright white-called for vibrant, oversized art. They were delighted to discover West Australian artist Elle Campbell fit their needs to a T. "We felt that Elle’s art suited the home perfectly," says Salomone. "It is vibrant, playful, and sparks a sense of joy."



Like the artwork, the furnishings were chosen early in the process to counter the exposed concrete and dark wood with softer shapes, color, and textured surfaces.



For the main living area, State of Kin worked with local furniture design company Mobilia. Together, they specified Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola’s new sofa to anchor the room. In a twist, the sofa takes its name from a Japanese word referring to stones rendered smooth by time and water, which are called gogan. "It is soft and organic and plays nicely against the hard lines of the architecture in this part of the home," says Salomone.



The team incorporated other subtle reminders of the Japanese theme into the project, with minimal furniture, low beds, and a large sliding screen to hide the understated kitchen.



In the kitchen, exposed concrete ceilings are matched by the heft of locally-sourced granite, quartzite, and travertine countertops, but there is nothing muted about these stones. Densely ribboned, the kitchen island stands isolated in the middle of the room, its utility easily mistaken for art.



When choosing what shades would go into the home's color palette, the design team drew heavily on the Western Australian landscape. "We looked to the Pindan red dirt of the Northwest, the luminous white beaches, the dusty eucalyptus greens," says Palomone. In the wet areas, the team used terra-cotta grout to offset the simple grid of Sugie tiles on the floors and walls.



One of the small, bedroom patio gardens captures the mixed-material style of the interior in a more understated way: An unpainted concrete block wall, a whitewashed brick wall, and dark-stained decking all contrast with the subtle gray-greens and pale pinks of the soft foliage and plump green chair cushions.



The wooden steps leading to the pool deck, and the rounded underwater steps in the pool play complement the rounded sofas inside.



"We have heard ‘Milan apartment’, ‘Japanese pavilion’, ‘Slim Aarons-style 70’s glamour’, among others, in reference to this house" says Salomone. "We really love the way that a visitor will project their own history, experiences, and style into their understanding of it."


Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
"Can You Hit Moscow?" Trump Asked Zelensky To Make Putin "Feel The Pain"
Nvidia Becomes World’s First Four‑Trillion‑Dollar Company Amid AI Boom
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
×