Latest news with #HaydenKidd
Daily Mail
06-07-2025
- Lifestyle
- Daily Mail
An enticing round door in a coastal Aussie suburb marks the entrance to a spectacular home quite unlike anything nearby: 'It's paradise'
A few blocks back from the breezy foreshore in a coastal Queensland suburb stands Lantern - a four-bedroom home that's a far cry from the sleepy beach cottages surrounding it. Designed by architect Nicholas Elias - better known for state infrastructure and cultural buildings than residential design - the home in Redcliffe, Moreton Bay, is a one-off in every sense. While the build draws inspiration from traditional Queenslander houses, raised for airflow and expansion, Lantern reinterprets that logic for a new era of 'sustainability, slow living, and local craftsmanship'. It's built to last - not just materially, but emotionally. 'Lantern's brief was to offer a fresh take on the Queensland tradition of raising a house, building underneath, and extending out the back,' owner Hayden Kidd told FEMAIL. 'We applied that tried-and-true philosophy with modern technology to create a home that's cutting-edge yet crafted with love.' From the street, Lantern is unmissable. Clad in ribbed shiplap milled from native Blackbutt timber, its textures respond to shifting light like skin - soft and matte in the morning, rich and golden by dusk. There's no plasterboard and no concrete slab. Inside, blind-fixed Queensland Walnut veneer lines the walls, creating warmth and cohesion that envelops rather than performs. Underfoot, cork flooring leads to a sunken lounge that opens to the garden. Overhead, etched glass pivot doors filter natural light. 'You feel the space as much as you see it,' Hayden said. 'Natural materials interact with light to shift the mood throughout the day. The house takes on different personalities depending on the time.' Even the bathrooms are immersive: handcrafted Japanese tiles, solid steel pedestal vanities, and soft acoustic fabric panels evoke boutique hotels more than suburbia. But Lantern isn't about luxury for its own sake. Every element - from locally made furniture to endemic landscaping - is placed with purpose. At the heart of the home is a kitchen designed for company, featuring a sculpted booth, garden planters, dual appliance suites, and a hidden scullery. Flowing outward, a natural plunge pool and sunken alfresco lounge extend the living space into the garden without hard boundaries. 'The interiors and garden are so integrated that the entire block feels like living space - which is how we all want to live in this climate,' Hayden said. Step through the round pivot entry door - custom-built and anchored with gallery-worthy precision - and you're immediately enveloped. The foyer opens into a dim, mood-lit space that guests often liken to a Museum of Old and New Art exhibit or a boutique cocktail lounge. With its local materials and hyper-specific details, Lantern is a house that couldn't exist anywhere else. 'Architecture is often seen as trend-driven,' Hayden said. 'But true architecture - and what we've aimed to create - challenges perceptions and enhances how you live.' The build took over five years, partly due to the level of detail, and partly because nearly everything was custom-made by local hands. 'Our tradies initially pushed back against the bold vision,' Hayden admitted. 'But they ended up so proud, they bring their kids over to show what they helped create.' Even the furniture has a story: built by nearby makers using regionally sourced timbers and fittings crafted by local steel fabricators. The entire project was overseen by Redcliffe-based Vanda & Sons Constructions, with a network of south-east Queensland businesses shaping the finished home. That community-minded ethos is part of what makes Lantern feel so rooted in its setting. Redcliffe, 30 kilometres north-east of Brisbane CBD, has long drawn weekenders to its historic jetty, swimming beaches, and café strip. Now, fresh energy is arriving: boutique coffee spots, Saturday markets, and young families seeking bigger backyards. Good schools are minutes away, and the marina keeps boaters happy. Lantern - with its timber ribs and garden-as-living-space - fits perfectly into this evolving landscape, reminding us that coastal homes can honour tradition while embracing the future. 'After living in a place for over 10 years, you gain a wealth of local knowledge to embed into a building's specifics, ultimately creating a beautiful way to live,' Hayden said. Given its detail, deep community ties, and years in the making, it's almost surprising the owners are now parting with Lantern. But for Hayden, the build was never meant to be a one-off - it was just the beginning. 'We've created an iconic home that's truly special - we call it 'living in art'.' 'The area is entering a rapid gentrification phase that will support many more architectural and luxury homes. With the team we've built through Lantern, we're excited to deliver more special homes and positive change for the Redcliffe Peninsula.' For now, the timber glows quietly on Greenup Street - a modern-day Queenslander raised not just on stilts, but on skill, intention, and place.
News.com.au
15-06-2025
- Lifestyle
- News.com.au
Bogan to boujee: ‘Hobbit House' a work of architectural magic
Locals call it The Hobbit House thanks to its award-winning circular entry, and this architecturally-designed masterpiece at Redcliffe certainly turns heads. It is home to Hayden Kidd, a pilot, and Dan McKerrow, a veterinarian, and was designed by internationally acclaimed architect Nicholas Elias of Architectus, with its statement circular door the work of Frits Jurgens. 'When we first moved here we didn't really tell too many people where we lived because it used to be considered a bit bogan,' Kidd said. 'People judged a bit more back then but now the sentiment is that they wish they bought here before it became so expensive.' The couple have lived on the Redcliffe Peninsula for over a decade, starting out in more affordable homes that they renovated. Kidd said that with each sale, they moved close to the water. 'Eventually we were able to afford a new build,' he said. 'We engaged a family friend (Elias) who didn't usually do residential work but I think he enjoyed the project as it pushed boundaries.' And it is a far cry from the tired post-war cottage that it replaced, with the couple sharing their favourite features of the house. For Kidd, it is the lighting at night. 'The lighting creates a whole different feel,' he said. 'A few people have described it like a hug. 'It is a different world at night. It is more of a feeling.' Meanwhile, McKerrow's favourite feature is the 580sq m of blind-fixed Queensland walnut that envelopes the interiors. 'It is a single tree and you can see the grain changes as you move through the house,' he said. 'It feels like you are inside something living.' Located at 12 Greenup St in Redcliffe, Lantern includes cutting edge design and technology, including a solar system, EV charging circuit, dual-zoned ducted airconditioing, integrated smart lighting, irrigation, blinds and pool controls. 'From the floating upper level and sculptural steel staircase to the seamless interplay of light, timber, and stone, this is a home of artistic resolve and enduring elegance,' the listing by Place New Farm agent Heath Williams says. Inside boasts that walnut cladding, cork floors, sculpted Verde Alpi marble benches, and etched glass pivot doors. The kitchen features a sculpted booth, integrated garden planters, high-end appliances, and a concealed scullery. Flowing from this central hub, a sunken alfresco lounge and 1.9m deep natural-plunge pool extend the living zones outdoors, offering year-round lifestyle amenity. Every bathroom has handcrafted Japanese tiles, solid steel pedestal vanities, and rainfall showers, while the dual master suites offer flexibility for multi-generational living, enhanced by gallery nooks and custom wardrobe systems. Outside, the surrounding gardens require no mowing, and were inspired by Burle Marx. 'We had a lot of fun with this build,' Kidd said, 'We met some great tradies and tried to use local builderes and frabricators so we now have this wonderful network of people that we enjoy dealing with so we decided we were in a position to do more.' Brisbane penthouse bought for $10m, sold for $17.5m in 4 years Areas where Aussies are striking gold As for Redcliffe itself, McKerrow said the area had undergone significant gentrification. And while they are ready to let someone new enjoy Lantern, the couple are staying in the area. 'Obviously, Newport is also exhausted, no more land,' McKerrow said. 'So the next thing that is increasing is knock down rebuilds on the peninsula.' Kidd added: 'It's definitely not bogan anymore'. 'It is very much a case of people wishing they had bought earlier,' he said. 'We call it the northern beaches of Brisbane.'
