Introduction

Nestled within the lush expanse of Currumbin Valley in the Gold Coast hinterland of Australia, Finca Talluca is not merely a home—it’s an evocative dialogue between heritage and modernity, texture and form, emotion and structure. Designed for Megan Ziems, founder of Grace Loves Lace, and brought to life by Harley Graham (HGA Studio), Mactech Constructions, and interior curator Leigh McKeown of Ellison Studios, this residential project is a nuanced study in vintage luxury fused seamlessly with contemporary architectural language.

More than five years in the making, Finca Talluca combines robust, site-responsive architecture with a personalized, emotionally resonant interior palette—forming a rich case study for architects, builders, and design-savvy homeowners alike.

Historical and Cultural Context

The design foundations of Finca Talluca rest on the bedrock of mid-century modernism and tropical brutalism, interpreted through an authentic Australian lens. These stylistic precedents—characterized by bold forms, expressive materiality, and indoor-outdoor spatial continuity—find fresh expression in the dwelling’s architectural language.

Ziems’ frequent travels to Portugal and her admiration for Brazilian modernist homes (notably those designed by Oscar Niemeyer and Lina Bo Bardi) played a critical role in shaping the home’s relaxed ethos. The design dissolves the traditional divide between formal architecture and lived-in experience, embracing a “forever summer” attitude of openness, light, and tactile luxury.

Interestingly, the original property featured a barn, guesthouse, and formal residence with curated gardens—all of which were cleared to create a more holistic, landscape-responsive approach to residential design. This reflects a prevailing trend in Australian architecture and beyond: moving away from compartmentalization toward immersive, nature-integrated living.

Architectural Principles and Building Techniques

Site Integration

The home is sited across a generous acreage with over a kilometer of private creek frontage and multiple natural swimming holes. A deliberate commitment to a low-slung, single-story configuration allows the architecture to blend into rather than dominate its setting.

Expansive glazing frames uninterrupted views of native vegetation, while monolithic forms and curved rammed earth walls echo the site’s topography. The built form “lets the outdoors in” through operable glass walls, deep overhangs, and transitions between indoor and outdoor rooms. It’s a spatial strategy rooted in environmental clarity and design humility.

Material Palette and Construction

Materiality is central to Finca Talluca’s architectural identity. Not only does it establish a rich visual language, but it also plays a technical role in the building’s sustainability and comfort.

• Rammed earth and cream-hued concrete form the primary structural and cladding elements, offering thermal mass, insulation, and textural depth.
• Crazy paving in natural stone floors both interior and exterior thresholds, reinforcing the blurred boundaries between built and natural environments.
• Timber-lined ceilings, spanning significant interior volumes, add acoustic warmth and vertical rhythm, softening the monolithic language of the lower materials.
• Curved courtyard walls, constructed in rammed earth and bordered by olive trees, introduce sculptural softness and create microclimatic outdoor rooms.

Sustainability by Design

Sustainability in Finca Talluca is inherent to its design language. Beyond the aesthetic or tokenistic, choices here support passive climate control and long-term energy efficiency. Rammed earth walls, in particular, offer low-embodied energy and exceptional thermal performance throughout varied seasons.

Site orientation, generous overhangs, natural ventilation, and extensive planting were all orchestrated to reduce reliance on mechanical systems. These strategies provide a roadmap for architects and builders seeking to integrate sustainability without compromising on aesthetic or spatial ambition.

Interior Architecture: Curated Vintage Meets Contemporary Comfort

The interiors, curated with precision and passion by Ellison Studios, express a tangible sense of lived-in luxury. There’s a strong emphasis on personal storytelling; objects are not ornamental, but emotional. Interventions emphasize contrast and complementarity—against a backdrop of bold architectural gestures, furnishings are warm, tactile, and often vintage.

Signature Pieces and Styling

• The Float Sofa: Anchoring the sunken lounge, this sculptural sofa in camel-textured fabric provides comfort at scale. It’s both an architectural feature and a social magnet.
• Vintage Accents: A 1970s De Sede patchwork leather beanbag, Flos Fantasma lamp by Tobia Scarpa, and the iconic Brazilian rosewood Costela chair contribute layers of narrative and craftsmanship.
• Custom Designs: Bespoke pieces such as the Yoko bed in walnut and Arch dining chairs in glove leather are tailored responses to both aesthetic desires and ergonomic needs.
• Living Greenery: Indoor plantings, including a commanding five-meter palm tree, help dissolve the boundary between architectural interior and the landscape beyond.

Spaces are neither showrooms nor museums—they are tactile, adaptable, and emotionally charged. Vintage objects are curated not to match, but to speak; the resulting aesthetic is layered and timeless rather than trend-driven.

Technical Specifications

Notable Design Features

• Sunken Lounge: A sun-drenched conversational pit anchored by the Float sofa, creating an inviting social focus within a voluminous architectural shell.
• Entry Sequence: A mix of full-height glass and rammed earth establishes a powerful, tactile arrival experience.
• Natural Creek Integration: Not a backdrop, but an active part of daily life, the freshwater creek with swimming holes deepens the home’s connection to site.
• Guest Accommodation: Retained barn and guest structures support a culture of family gathering and hosting, bridging old structures and new living philosophies.

Insights and Educational Takeaways

For Architects

Finca Talluca highlights the architectural possibilities achieved through material authenticity, geographic responsiveness, and creative collaboration. The project models how a monolithic architectural form can be humanized through thoughtful interior intervention—revealing new rhythms between mass and texture, permanence and play.

For Homeowners

This home redefines luxury—not through excess, but through intentional, emotionally guided curation. Custom pieces, vintage items, and natural materials come together to create living spaces that feel lived-in rather than staged, reminding us that the soul of a home resides in its details.

Cross-Regional Lessons

While quintessentially Australian in its vegetation, siting, and orientation, Finca Talluca’s core principles—material grounding, passive design, and timeless furniture integration—are applicable across regions including North America and Europe. As climate-conscious building and authentic storytelling grow in popularity globally, Finca Talluca offers a valuable design prototype.

Conclusion

Finca Talluca stands as a masterclass in residential architecture—melding vintage luxury with modernist restraint and tropical sensibility. In its balance of monumental materials with intimate interiors, its ecological awareness with aesthetic discipline, and its narrative depth with functional elegance, the home provides a blueprint for artful, future-forward residential design.

For those invested in the practice and appreciation of residential architecture, Finca Talluca is not just a home to admire—it is a home from which to learn.