The kitchen features Miele appliances, Miyazaki oak bar stools by Inoda + Sveje and a Taj Mahal honed quartzite splashback paired with custom oak joinery by Samantha Leigh Interiors.
Spanning three levels, Elystan is a reinterpretation of the traditional Queenslander, shaped by natural light and a continual relationship with its subtropical surrounds, expressed through earthy interior choices.
The vision for the home began long before the owners had the keys, having lived opposite the leafy Brisbane corner block for years before it became available. Arriving with a clear understanding of the home’s potential and how they wanted to occupy it, a collaborative relationship with Samantha Leigh Interiors was formed from the outset, further strengthened by the owner also being the builder.
The brief for Elystan was to arrive at the intersection of contemporary Australian living and subtropical design, and influenced by tropical Brutalism. With the pool and lawn positioned as the centre of the home, sliding door panels dissolve the boundaries between interior and exterior, where materials are highlighted by the occurrence of natural light. Nowhere is this more apparent than in the garden room, where travertine paving was used throughout, “so when it’s open there’s genuinely no visible line between inside and out,” founder Samantha Leigh says.
The Brutalist sensibility is expressed through extensive use of concrete, which, as Leigh explains, gives “presence and strength, but it needs something to balance it, to add softness and warmth, otherwise a home of this scale risks feeling cold or austere.” That balance is achieved through tonal interior choices that introduce warmth, depth and restraint. Warm terracotta tones sit alongside muted slate, while Venetian plaster adds softness and subtle movement against off-form concrete. Further inside, materiality remains consistent while textures shift across the home. “French oak runs throughout underfoot, and the joinery is American oak that’s been lightly wire brushed and stained for texture and depth,” Leigh says.
The dining room pairs a custom handwoven wall hanging by Dahab Artisana with the Baxter Miss Rope chair and a custom pendant light by Transmitt Co, further warming the interiors.
In the living room, soft forms and tonal finishes temper the home’s concrete framework. A Jardan Thursday modular sofa anchors the space, paired with ‘Lazarus’ by Andre De Vanny, the Edra Cipria occasional chair, vintage G23 Hoop lounge chair by Toffoloni and Palange from 506070, an Armadillo Umbra rug in Myrrh, Dusty Deco Bamboo Bracelet coffee table and Hase BL floor lamp.
The home features Graupa French oak from Tongue & Groove. Pictured: ‘Untitled II (Burnt Umber Light)’ by Natalie Lavelle from Jan Manton Gallery, vintage sculpture from 506070, Herman Miller Capelli stool and a Bitossi Merlate vase by Patricia Urquiola.
Existing curves within the architecture extend into the sculptural staircase, with a timber handrail softening the plastered finish. Studio Henry Wilson Wall Relief Study edition hangs on the adjacent wall, adding a textural layer.
The material continuity extends into the home’s more refined details and moments of craftsmanship. Throughout the day, shifting light activates the plaster, stone and timber surfaces, creating interiors that feel continually responsive to their environment.
Rather than relying on overt gestures, Elystan comes together through layered subtleties and emotional resonance, resulting in a family home that feels immersive, enduring and grounded. “Every junction, proportion and material choice is visible,” Leigh explains. “That discipline pushed us to be very precise,” she says, a consideration that ultimately gives the home its sense of calm, where nothing is concealed and the architecture is defined by clarity, intuition and changing light.
Pictured: Barbera Design Fermat bronze door handles, artwork by Drew Connor Holland from Nasha Gallery, a Steve Lees vase from Craft Victoria and ‘Head VII’ (2025) by Malcolm Greenwood
The garden room opens on three sides, dissolving into the landscape when the stacked doors retract, grounded by a custom fireplace by Samantha Leigh Interiors. Pictured: Vintage Karakter Scarpa 925 lounge chairs, Vitra Akari 24N lamp designed by Isamu Noguchi upon a custom-designed brutalist sideboard, vintage Elm coffee table from Tigmi Trading, Tacchini Sesann sofas and the Herman Miller Capelli stool.
Pictured in the bedroom are the PP Mobler Circle chair by Hans J. Wegner, a vintage Italian timber stool from Tigmi Trading, the Armadillo Perilune rug, Cultiver bedlinen and a Society Limonta throw.
Pictured: Acerbis Due Piu armchair.
The bathroom centres around a custom concrete bath by Relik, balancing the rawness of the architecture with softer materiality.
The pool and lawn extend everyday living outdoors. Scala Crazy paving by Eco Outdoors and Pale Blue pool tiles by The Pool Tile Company establish a new material palette, softening the threshold between inside and out.
