Ceramic artist Sophia Legoe lives and works on Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula, at the edge of a mangrove thicket bordering the Barwon River. She and her husband Matt Walsh, a barrister, bought their idyllic block – located on Wadawurrung Country – in 2014 and have since expanded its 1970s-era brick dwelling with a two-storey modern extension clad in timber and honed masonry blocks.

Prior to this, the couple and their three children, now aged 19, 17 and 13, were living in a smaller house just around the corner and looking to expand. “Matt said if we’re going to spend the money doing an extension, we might as well look for something slightly more interesting geographically,” says Sophia.

Jack Russell Tilly keeps Sophia company as she shapes a new piece. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

They found a single-storey home hidden by a wayward garden but backed onto protected parklands and the river, which appealed immensely to the nature-lovers.

“I grew up on a farm south of Adelaide, and that connection to nature has always been with me,” says Sophia, who met Matt when they were students at the University of Adelaide.

The couple aligned on what their new property needed. “A major priority was to open the house up to that view of the mangroves and the river system,” says Sophia. “Matt also wanted a comfortable open kitchen, living and dining room where we could all be together.”

Soaked in sunshine and positioned for garden views, the American oak built-in seating is finished with upholstery by Abbode Interiors and cushions from Bonnie and Neil. “It’s a great summer house, but I think the living room is really nice in winter, too,” says Sophia. The handwoven pendant light is by Skye Lightly and the artwork is Pears by Harley Griffiths. Find a similar armchair at Life Interiors. Rug from HMC Carpets. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

Cheminées Philippe woodburner warms the living area in the cooler months. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

A collection of Sophia’s ceramics adorn the American oak dining table from Auld Design. Dining chairs from Stylecraft and Mayu pendant lights by Coco Flip complete the setting. “Sophia said, I love colour and texture, just go to town on it. She was happy to look at anything bold,” interior designer Amber says. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

Knowing it was solidly built, Sophia, 50, and Matt, 60, were keen to retain as much of the old house as possible, which posed a design challenge for Murray Britton, the Adelaide-based architect they engaged. “We needed the addition to tie in with the existing roof form,” says Murray, who has been friends with the couple since their uni days. “The question became, ‘How do we connect it delicately without adjusting that roofline?’”

After several design iterations, Murray landed on an elegant solution that connected the extension at the north-east corner of the original footprint with a minimal roof link and an internal barn door marking the transition from old to new.

Earth and sky: Sophia and Matt were drawn to the home’s picturesque setting. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

The new wing, constructed by SouEast Homes, incorporates the open-plan living/kitchen/dining area on the ground floor and an upper-level parents’ retreat with a roof terrace offering Barwon River views.

The breezy space leading to the main bedroom incorporates oak flooring, American oak and rattan wardrobe joinery, and linen curtains from Lewis Interiors. The Murobond Cactus paint colour has a slightly textured finish. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

Beachy textures are at play in the bedroom. The art panel is made of Oh La La wallpaper by Feathr, supplied by Abbode Interiors. Rattan lamps from Rigby’s Homewares. Bedding and cushions from Society of Wanderers and Bonnie & Neil. (Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)

The 1970s part of the house remains untouched, but its floorplan will eventually be revamped to include three bedrooms, a bathroom, laundry and living space. The home’s new social hub reflects the relaxed, natural beauty of the endless verdant views lying beyond each window. Blackbutt-panelled ceilings, limestone-like masonry walls, and polished concrete floors create a neutral canvas for colour pops and brass accents.

The tiled kitchen wall takes centre stage, resplendent with tiles made by Sophia in earthy shades of green, blue and smoky charcoal. “The colour palette was directly inspired by the Barwon River, the mangroves, and the colours of the changing sky,” Sophia says.

The kitchen features tiles handcrafted by Sophia and plenty of American oak, left natural for the island and stained black for the cabinets. The shelves hold ceramic art by Fiona Hiscock (top shelf), along with pots by Sophia and figurines by Sophia’s children. Stools by Dowel Jones. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

The scullery cabinetry is finished in Absolute Matte Black by Laminex and shelving in oak melamine. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

For the tiled servery window bar, Sophia created an idyllic colour story of blues, greys and pinks (“like a rockpool”). Upstairs, the primary ensuite is a soothing sanctuary clad in shimmering eucalyptus green.

Sophia’s ceramics sit on a floating shelf made of American oak with brass supports. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

“Sophia’s tiles really solidified the whole project,” says Amber Lewis, the interior designer from Murray Britton Architect who worked on the spaces. “The fact that something so custom and bespoke came from the client is unheard of, really.”

Each tile is cut, rolled and glazed by hand, and some tiles were subject to multiple firings, giving their surfaces a rich depth of colour.

In the ensuite, the eucalypt-green tiles are complemented by Sage Limestone flooring by Tumbled. Sheer curtains from Lewis Interiors and Kip & Co towels soften the scheme. (Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)

“It’s very labour-intensive,” Sophia explains. “I did a lot of glaze experimenting for the tiles, which has fed into my work going forward because now I’ve got hundreds of test tiles and colours that I’ve been mixing up.”

Sophia has been creating ceramic artwork since high school, and her practice has instilled patience and an appreciation of process. She feels strongly connected to her work because of the time, labour and care she pours into each piece.

Sophia works on a ceramic piece in her home studio. ((Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson)|(Photography: Jessica Bellef | Styling: Sami Johnson))

Perhaps for this reason, the artist is enjoying the process of her home’s staged transformation. “We were living in the old part of the house during the 18-month build, so we were really connected to the site,” says Sophia. When the family moved into the freshly completed spaces at the end of 2020, they settled down instantly. “It felt comfortable and familiar right away. It felt like home immediately,” says Sophia happily.

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