This week on our Home Life Series, we’re in Point Lonsdale to meet Chris Roberts and see inside his coastal home he shares with his wife Sarah, their two children and dog Gilly.

Designed by Madewell Studio and built by Kapital Construction, their home brings together curves and architectural details with open-plan living spaces designed to embrace the coastal lifestyle. After spending his working life on building sites and inside other people’s homes, Chris brought a practical eye to the 12-month build, considering the details that make a house work as beautifully as it looks.

From the timber walkway that gives the kids a world of their own to the alfresco made for long summer days, every space balances thoughtful design with everyday family life. We caught up with Chris to talk lighting, building from the ground up and creating a home that feels entirely them.

Hi Chris, thank you so much for welcoming us into your beautiful home in Point Lonsdale! For those who may not know you, can you tell us a little about yourself and the family who lives here with you?

I’m Chris, an electrician, and live here with my wife Sarah, our two kids and our dog Gilly. Work-wise, I spend most of my days on building sites and in other people’s homes, and at the moment I’m actually working on the new Kip&Co store, which has been a great project to be part of. So there’s been plenty happening both at work and at home!

What first drew you to this part of the coast, and how did you know this was the place you wanted to call home?

We’ve always loved the Surf Coast and the lifestyle that comes with being close to the ocean. Point Lonsdale feels really relaxed but you still have everything you need close by. It felt like the right place for us and to create a home that we could really enjoy as a family.

You spent around 12 months building the house. What was the vision for the home, and how did you go about bringing it to life?

We worked with Kapital Construction and Madewell Studio to bring the build together, and it took around 12 months from start to finish. We wanted the house to feel really considered but still relaxed and practical enough for family life.

For that year, we basically lived and breathed the house 24/7. I work in the industry, so naturally I was pretty hands-on and probably thought about every detail more than I needed to!

One of my favourite memories from the build was actually the simple moments. During the reno we were living close by at the time, and the family would come over with dinner and we’d all sit together on the steps and eat.

Your home is full of beautiful curves, from the curved walls to the shower. What drew you to this design?

We didn’t want the house to feel too hard or boxy. There are a lot of strong materials throughout, so the curves soften everything and give the house a natural flow.

You notice them as you move through the house rather than walking in and thinking, “there’s a curved wall”. They make the whole place feel calmer and a bit more relaxed, which suits how we wanted the house to feel.

The kitchen, living and outdoor spaces flow seamlessly together and feel made for long summer days. What does a perfect summer day at home look like for your family?

A perfect summer day is pretty simple for us. Being outside, swimming, cooking something easy and having friends or family around. The kids run between the pool, kitchen and garden while we cook, with plenty of food, music playing and people coming and going. It’s relaxed, a little chaotic and exactly how we like it.

Upstairs, a beautiful timber walkway creates a little world of its own for the kids. How did this playful detail come about, and what was it like seeing the architect’s idea become part of family life?

The timber walkway was actually an idea from the architect Madewell Studio, and as soon as we saw it drawn up, we fell in love with it. It felt like such a fun and unexpected addition to the house, and the kids absolutely love having their own little space upstairs.

As an electrician, you spend your working life inside other people’s homes. What have you learnt from seeing how people live that influenced the way you designed your own?

For me, it’s usually the practical stuff that makes the biggest difference. Good lighting, switches where you actually need them, enough power points, plenty of storage and thinking about how you’re going to use a room before you build it. They’re not necessarily the things people notice when they first walk through the door, but you notice them every single day when you live there.

Is there a detail in the house that might go unnoticed by visitors?

Definitely the lighting. Probably a predictable answer coming from an electrician, but it makes such a huge difference to the way the house feels. Our lights are fully dimmable and scene-controlled through the Legrand Excel Smart Home System and Apple HomeKit, so we can create different lighting moods for different moments at the touch of a switch.