The Story Behind Barnwood Escape
Some places begin as buildings.
Barnwood Escape began as a dream.
Long before there were architectural drawings, timber beams or a winding driveway through the trees, there was simply the idea of creating somewhere our family could return to—again and again.
Margaret River has always held a special place in our hearts.
It's where we've celebrated weekends away, explored forests, wandered beaches and found ourselves naturally slowing down. As children, and now as adults with our own family, we've returned time and time again to immerse ourselves in nature and reconnect with what matters most.
Over the years, that dream slowly grew into something bigger. Not simply a holiday house.
A place that felt like home. A place where family and friends could gather, where conversations lingered around the dinner table, where children could explore freely, and where life naturally found a slower rhythm.
Barnwood Escape began as that dream.
The Land That Started It All
When this piece of land came onto the market, everything happened unexpectedly.
It was a rainy weekday that I happened to have off work. Almost on impulse, I bundled our children into the car, picked up my mum and drove to Margaret River to meet the selling agent.
Andrew was still at work.
I still remember watching our very city children disappear into the bush, racing towards the creek, happily covered in mud and completely absorbed in exploring a world so different from home. They felt free in a way I'd rarely seen before.
Standing there, I realised this wasn't simply a beautiful block of land. It was a place where memories would be made. I called Andrew that afternoon and told him we'd found it.
We bought the land that day—before he'd ever set foot on it.
Fortunately, once he finally arrived, he understood exactly why I'd fallen in love with it. Sometimes a place simply speaks to you.
Designing a Home That Felt Like Home
From the beginning, we never wanted to build a house that simply looked beautiful.
We wanted to create somewhere people could truly settle into.
Working alongside the incredibly talented team at Reside Studio, we designed what would become our family's home away from home—a place that felt contemporary and elegant, yet warm enough that you could immediately kick off your shoes, curl up with a book or spend hours talking around the dining table.
A barn-inspired home always felt right for the landscape.
Its simple architectural form sits quietly within the surrounding bush, while natural materials, generous windows and carefully framed views blur the line between inside and out. Wherever you are in the house, the landscape remains part of the experience.
South West Building Co then brought that vision to life with extraordinary care, craftsmanship and attention to detail. They poured just as much love into building Barnwood as we had imagined while designing it, and the finished home is something we're incredibly proud to share.
Every Piece Has a Place
Every piece inside Barnwood Escape was chosen personally by Andrew and I.
Not because it matched a trend, but because it felt right. The interiors are intentionally layered with both contemporary pieces and older finds, creating a home that feels collected over time rather than perfectly styled. We wanted warmth over perfection. Character over uniformity.
More than anything, we wanted guests to walk through the front door and instantly feel comfortable. Like a warm hug.
Because the most memorable homes aren't necessarily the most extravagant. They're the ones that invite you to stay a little longer.
The Heart of the House
If you asked us to choose one favourite place, we'd both give the same answer.
The fireplace.
Wrapped in natural stone and surrounded by floor-to-ceiling windows looking out across the bush, it has become the heart of Barnwood Escape. It's where winter mornings begin with coffee.
Where afternoons slowly drift into evenings with a bottle of Margaret River wine. Where children play nearby while conversations continue long after dinner has finished.
Somehow, everyone ends up there. Exactly as we'd hoped.
Finding the Right Name
Naming the house proved almost as difficult as designing it.
It needed to feel timeless. It needed to belong.
After countless conversations, we landed on Barnwood.
"Barn" reflects the home's simple architectural form.
"Wood" is our tribute to the beautiful bushland surrounding the house—the very landscape that first captured our hearts and inspired this dream.
Like naming a child, when we finally found the right name, we simply knew.
More Than a Place to Stay
Barnwood Escape has become the backdrop to some of our family's most treasured memories.
Long lunches that turned into evenings. Children discovering nature. Quiet mornings watching the light filter through the trees. Conversations around the fire that nobody wanted to end.
Those moments have always been what this home is really about.
While we're incredibly proud of the architecture and interiors, what matters most to us isn't the house itself. It's what happens inside it.
Our greatest hope is that one day your family will leave with memories that feel just as special as ours.
Maybe it'll be children discovering the creek for the first time. A bottle of Margaret River wine shared long after dinner. A slow morning by the fire.
Or simply the feeling of breathing a little deeper than you have in a long time.
Because in the end, the most beautiful homes aren't remembered for how they looked. They're remembered for how they made you feel.
From the Barnwood Journal
Thank you for taking the time to read our story.
We hope that when you arrive, Barnwood Escape feels less like checking into a holiday home and more like being welcomed somewhere that has been thoughtfully created, deeply loved and generously shared.
We can't wait for you to make it part of your own story.