As one of Tasmania’s most architecturally celebrated homes, Trial Bay House offers unparalleled seclusion overlooking the D’Entrecasteaux Channel and Bruny Island, all while retaining the everyday convenience of being just half an hour from the heart of Hobart. Situated on the block at 3101 Channel Highway, Kettering, this four-bedroom and four-bathroom private family residence was awarded the 2010 Robin Boyd Award for Residential Architecture thanks to a meticulously executed renovation of the original 1981 dwelling.
The original home was constructed more than four decades ago by Australian architect Ray Heffernan, responsible for a number of distinct homes in Tasmania and despite retiring in 2007, was closely involved in the renovation of Trial Bay House that was completed in 2010. The current owners of the home first purchased the property back in 2002 and decided to add to Heffernan’s original design with the construction of a new living room, courtyard and garage, as well as changing the internal walls and internal and external openings.
While the timber ceilings and external walls of the original home have been maintained, Trial Bay House now brings a more contemporary interpretation of the 20th-century modernism that Heffernan was influenced by (specifically Richard Neutra, who designed the famed Kaufmann Desert House for the same client who enlisted the services of Frank Lloyd Wright to create Fallingwater). The renovation was overseen by architect James Jones (when he worked at the firm that Heffernan jointly founded), who worked closely with the structural engineer to ensure the precast concrete walls and ceiling elements of the additional living room were fabricated to such a high-quality, that they could serve as the facade of the new structure.
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Known as the Channel Room for its positioning overlooking the sparkling waters beyond the tip of the small peninsula, it’s a light-filled space that neatly integrates with the original dwelling and effectively adds a second wing to the residence. The focal point of Trial Bay House is the elongated original living room and kitchen spaces, with a bedroom at the end of the structure, while the other wing features two levels as you approach the garage, with a bedroom on each level complete with an ensuite and modest balcony.
The property at 3101 Channel Highway, Kettering, also features an entirely separate guesthouse that enjoys a living area, kitchen and even a terrace, adding to the capacity for the home to entertain significantly. As you might expect from a secluded home that respects its environment in the way that Trial Bay House does, the home has been fitted with a 10-Kw solar array and attached Tesla battery, meaning the reasons to leave the 42-acre property are few and far between.
Arriving on the market for the first time in more than two decades, this award-winning home that the current owners have enjoyed for 13 years at 3101 Channel Highway, Kettering, is currently seeking expressions of interest via Forbes Global Properties, with a price guide in excess of $9 million.
