3 stunning award-winning homes perfect for a holiday

Many of us watch Grand Designs on television or flick through glossy architecture magazines and daydream about one day living in a stunning home in an amazing setting.

Making that dream come true might well feel a way off yet, but that’s no reason you can’t live the Grand Designs lifestyle for a long weekend, a week’s holiday or a summer vacation.

Here are three beautiful, award-winning homes in Western Australia’s South-West that are perfect retreats for lovers of architecture, good design and all our most famous tourism region has to offer.

Picquet, Eagle Bay

With the idyllic white sands of Eagle Bay stretching out in front of this beautiful contemporary home, the architects have been inspired to use sympathetic materials, like timber and limestone.

Standing out over the sand dunes from the beach, but not dominating the skyline, Picquet is respectful of its landscape — while taking full advantage of the world-class ocean views. It was enough to win the property the WA Building Design Award in 2007.

This house oozes luxury, with a superbly appointed open-plan kitchen, dining and living area. It is spacious — with three king-sized bedrooms — and two twin-king single bedrooms, and three bathrooms.

An enclosed French wood fire adds a welcome charm to the main living space — ideal for feeling cosy in chilly winter months. Yet the house is designed to take full advantage of the summer sea breeze, too, with expansive windows and double doors that open onto the pool and deck.

And while you’re living in luxury, there are great practical nods to the fact this is still a beach house and holiday home: There is an external shower and fish cleaning area, conveniently located close to the beach entry to the property. It’ll feel just like those carefree summer holidays you used to have when you were a kid.

Piquet, Eagle Bay

Jahangir, Eagle Bay

High on a hillside overlooking Eagle Bay sits one of the South-West’s most opulent homes — the contemporary Balinese-influenced home, Jahangir.

This spectacular five-bedroom luxury home won a WA Design Award in 2008, recognising the high standard of its architecture. Classically-styled, the property is meticulously configured to take full advantage of the spectacular views of the ocean and the surrounding area, from as many vantage points as possible.

The Balinese-inspired rooflines are the first element of this home to capture your attention. Timber has been used to great advantage, helping settle the building beautifully in its natural bush surrounds.

Inside, marble floors blend perfectly with more rich timber features to create lush, light, spacious rooms opening onto timber decking for alfresco entertaining. The soaring ceilings give you a sense of space that’s as great as the spectacular views.

The bedrooms have been strategically positioned around the residence for maximum privacy and effect.

Jahangir, Eagle Bay

So if you’d like to experience a “grand design” of your own, even if it’s just yours to call home for a short time, please take a look at these or any of our dozens of other stunning South-West homes in our portfolio.