CHESTER HOUSE, TENERIFFE
Chester House is the latest in a long line of homes designed for a long-standing client — each one a reflection of their evolving lifestyle and strong Mediterranean roots. This project involved reimagining a 110-year-old Queensland cottage that had lost its charm after a series of unsympathetic renovations. Disconnected from its yard, poorly oriented, and lacking cohesion, the home needed both restoration and reinvention.
The design approach honours the home’s original character while introducing a warm Mediterranean sensibility. The journey through the house unfolds like a palace enfilade, beginning at an external vestibule, flowing into a timber-lined cellar room, and opening into a dramatic two-storey dining space wrapped around the pool. This central hub is flooded with natural light through arched windows, creating a deep connection to the outdoors.
A curved staircase rises through the two-storey void, leading to the upper-level bedrooms housed in the restored cottage. The master suite, set at the rear, offers privacy and sweeping city views.
Clad in a combination of traditional weatherboard and Mediterranean-style render, softened by draping greenery, the home feels timeless, refined, and deeply personal.
At the heart of Chester House is the pool, which forms both a visual and physical anchor. Inspired by Roman bathhouses, the pool is surrounded by robust concrete columns and viewed through expansive windows from the adjoining living and dining areas. This sculptural centrepiece brings a sense of calm and grandeur, turning everyday movement through the home into an immersive, resort-like experience.
