Hidden Valley Retreat

I am simone, Master architect student and home renovator.

My husband and I bought our first house back in 2013. A tiny beach shack, we did a modest renovation, then sold, and that was the beginning of the rest of our lives.

I changed my career to architecture, we bought and sold a few more houses and In 2021 we stumbled across the biggest project we have taken on. Not only we’re we pregnant with our 4th baby, moved to a new state, starting again with all new tradesman, this project was huge. A 3 acre property with a house, a converted shed and storm damage throughout. Not ones to shy away from a challenge, we took it on and got cracking.

What drew me to this house specifically was the history. When we went for our second inspection we were given this great big folder, it’s contents were everything this house was, it’s whole story. What it’s gone through, the original plans. Every owner had added its own piece of history over 30 years but what I found most spectacular was the precedents images that were given to the origional architect by the first owners of this land. Their original vision was handed to me. I ad chills. There was almost this unspoken duty there that I had to uphold. It was so far from what it was supposed to be, but the bones were there and I felt I could do it justice.

As a history buff and fantasy book lover, I started daydreaming the successful recreations of classics, but not just in an architecture way. I thought of greats books like recreations of Peter Pan and beauty and the beast. The general theme was how to appreciate something so classical in a modern world, to breath new life into something and create a place that could resonate with all generations. There is a huge contrast of styles and I never wanted to fall into either category although at times it was tempting to just dive into one, the challenge was trying to walk the line between the two.

During the project I always felt like I was on this tightrope, walking the line between the past and the present and if I fell off at any moment I may at one point end up too far in one time zone.
To combat these feelings, I retrained my perspective of my position as the faciliatator of this space. That my part in this was to focus more on being the glue, I’d literally sit there and imagine myself as a cohesion between time travel. It’s pretty trippy really. But hey the 70’s was a pretty trippy time.

I really respected this house and tried to keep so much of the original while trying to introduce newer materials too. This took a certain amount of disregard to modern expectations and certain amount of fearlessness a young architect doesn’t always have. You know everyone’s opinions come into play. “Oh you’re going to do a green bathroom” and you’re leaving that old dark timber when you have new oak in here as well? Or with the brown leather, “that’s the old one right you’re replacing it”.

As a young designer, I have felt growth beyond anything here. To trust my vision and keep going, and I have found if you believe in something enough, people actually start to believe in you too.

It’s been an incredible journey and I am so thankful to have this story as apart of my journey through architecture. I think you really have to back yourself as an architect and that’s always been a hurdle of mine. I feel pride today learning to follow my instincts and staying true to the vision. I think we’ve created something truly unique.

Hidden valley we’ve called her. She walks her own path and challenges modern expectations. She’s not trying to fit in and we’re here for it.