SUN RANCH

LARGE-SCALE RESTORATION

The original ranch homestead was renovated and is now a rustic, solar-powered longhouse with five guest rooms and entertaining areas. Six further two-bedroom, barn-style guesthouses were built, overlooking a 25-meter pool constructed from the basalt rock found on the property. As well as renovating the built environment, the team has begun re-planting thousands of native plants to support and rehabilitate the surrounding ecosystems, which include some of Australia’s most beautiful indigenous flora and fauna.

Location: Byron Bay, Australia

Project Type: Boutique Hotel

Photographer: Dave Chatfield

Architect: Balanced Earth

Interior Designer: Julia Ashwood & Jamie Blakey

Landscaping: Land Company

HOMEY & HIGHLY FUNCTIONAL

Each of the barns was designed as a home-away-from-home, with a suite of Fisher & Paykel appliances, including a cooktop and rangehood, refrigerator, a single DishDrawer™ Dishwasher, and washer-dryers. The appliances fit discreetly into a design that combines timber interior details and recycled brick, creating spaces that are both homey and highly functional. Fisher & Paykel’s human- and design-centric values permeate these experiences, enhancing guests’ experiences of the ranch.

Fisher & Paykel Contemporary refrigerator

Fisher and Paykel Integrated DishDrawer™ Dishwasher

VISUAL SIMPLICITY

The hotel entertains on a large scale, so high-quality kitchen equipment was essential to facilitate the communal dining experiences, says Jamie. His personal experience with Fisher & Paykel products guided the team to specify its appliances in the Longhouse Kitchen, which he describes as “the heart of the home”. This is complemented by custom joinery created by local cabinetmaker Magicaxe, which seamlessly conceals larger appliances like the DishDrawer™ Dishwashers and Refrigerator-Freezer.