LOCAL KNOWLEDGE: By locals for locals
By Alice O’Brien
Port Fairy has become known for its rich history, stunning natural beauty and vibrant cultural scene. Having started out as a whaling village in the mid-1800s, the town is characterised by numerous 19th century buildings, with more than 50 classified by the National Trust. Today, the region is known for its artistic community, with numerous galleries, craft shops and local markets making it a lively place to visit.
Located around 28 kilometres west of Warrnambool and 190 kilometres from Melbourne, this picturesque region is celebrated for its stunning beaches, historic architecture and lush, rolling landscapes. It’s also home to some of Victoria’s most beautiful coastal homes — a place where designers and builders can showcase their creativity while crafting dwellings built to endure the coastal elements.
James Taylor Building is a family-owned business that specialises in custom new builds, renovations and extensions tailored to each client’s unique vision. The team prides itself on seamless communication, transparent budgeting and exceptional craftsmanship, guiding clients from concept to completion to create homes that are both stylish and highly functional. The team has strong, long-standing relationships with local architects, builders and sub-trades, bringing a deep knowledge of the local area, coastal conditions and design requirements to each project, ensuring every home built is crafted with quality, efficiency and lasting style.
The team has noticed a trend in Port Fairy homeowners embracing indoor-outdoor living, open-plan layouts and clean, modern interiors that suit both summer and colder winter months. They’re favouring durable, low-maintenance materials like timber and concrete, as well as aluminium cladding elements, and outdoor spaces designed to be sheltered from coastal breezes. These choices are driven by a desire for homes that work year-round, balancing relaxed summer living with cosy, comfortable winters while maintaining modern style and functionality.
James Taylor building responds to the unique character of the coastal setting by using its knowledge of local climate, coastal conditions and landscape to design homes that are functional, comfortable and responsive to their surroundings. Through careful material selection, thoughtful layouts and seamless indoor-outdoor flow and attention to detail, James Taylor building creates homes that feel tailored, practical and in harmony with the natural coastal environment.
James Taylor Building stresses the importance of considering both the environment and lifestyle when building a coastal home. Think about sun orientation, breezes and outdoor living as much as interiors, and choose durable, low-maintenance materials suited to coastal conditions. Working with local builders, designers and traders who understand the area ensures your home is not only beautiful and functional but also built to last. Finally, collaboration and clear communication throughout the design and build process is key – it’s best to create a home that truly reflects your vision, your lifestyle and the unique character of the coastal setting.
Coming up to their 13th year in operation, Tom Taylor Building is a family run building company specialising in custom residential building solutions with work local to Port Fairy and surrounding districts. Emphasising the natural beauty of Port Fairy, most building projects by Tom Taylor Building are within meters of the coastline. With this also comes the experience of designing specifically for the harsh coastal environment. Tom Taylor, the director of the company, grew up in Port Fairy, so he is familiar with the community and the true needs of the town when it comes to building their future homes. He’s a local for locals to trust.
Having worked in the Port Fairy region for multiple years, Taylor and his team have noticed several building trends that stuck. A building trend which thrives within the beautiful but rugged coastline environment and is low maintenance. This means natural timbers, unpainted or pre-finished external solutions and more cement-based cladding solutions. Having this lower maintenance focus means the external facade lasts longer and ensures it bods consistently well against the harsh environment. Following this, there is a trend focusing on lower energy use, such as investing in green electricity solutions through solar PV arrays and batteries. But most importantly, having a wholistic approach to building a home is one which will never grow old. The team at Tom Taylor prides themselves on being able to convey the intended outcome of each client in their projects. This is successfully done because the team offers the whole package; instead of only being engaged for the house building project, the team is there until the site is totally brought to a level of finish where owners can simply move in. The only worry left being what colour the pillows will be. It’s an approach that is successful in more regional areas as it creates a community feel within a building project, a feel which is reflective of the town. Tom Taylor Building is a company which prides itself on community focused engagement, a trend that’s always present around Port Fairy.
Port Fairy is known for its environmental landscape, but when it comes to balancing this and a client’s personal lifestyle, Tom Taylor Building always uses the clients’ ideal outcomes as a base reference point for each decision. By identifying negotiables and non-negotiables, the team can gather an understanding of what is most important to the client and create ideas to suit. It’s a true collaboration between owners, designers and builders, and Tom Taylor Building believes the more collaboration, the better the outcome.
Sam Thompson started Manna Gum Building because he wanted to create homes he would be proud to put his name on, and that people would be proud to call their own. Based in Warrnambool and reaching areas across South-West Victoria, Manna Gum Building specialises in new builds, extensions and renovations. The team also takes great care in ensuring each client and builder partnership is one built on honest communication and open collaboration, so every idea is understood and the vision fits the outcome. This personalised approach starts at the very beginning of the project.
Working with local businesses in the local area, like Manna Gum Building, means the professionals understand the unique climate and environmental conditions of South-West Victoria, and therefore select the most appropriate materials and construction methods. In areas in these regions, homes need to be built to withstand coastal conditions. This belief is followed by Manna Gum Building through the use of local trades and supplies to guarantee consistency and reliability. Developing such strong local relationships means Manna Gum Building is able to deliver practical cost benefits through reducing travel time, shorter transport distances for materials and better scheduling for a more seamless building process.
A known costal trend is light, modern, minimalistic and open-plan homes, but Manna Gum Building has noticed homeowners are experimenting and becoming more confident with colour and texture. There are more homeowners branching away from the white and neutral palettes and leaning more towards bolder materials, such as Shou Sugi Ban charred timber and feature elements, like a cork wall to give their home more character. But one coastal design trend that will never go out of style is the use of large windows. They capture the natural light, create framing views of the gorgeous coastline and most importantly maximize the connection to the costal outdoors; one of the many reasons people choose to live in such areas.
For a company that has both local roots and legacy, MM Hearn is one with more than 40 years of costal construction experience. Operating in the Southwest of Victoria, this family business specialises in residential, commercial, healthcare, community projects as well as design and build, renovations, education facilities and extensions. Their projects range from tiny homes right up to large commercial spaces all over the surf coast, giving them great knowledge of townships within the region. This is seen through the emphasis placed on connecting clients and their outdoor spaces to the landscape which speak truth to the character of the coast.
MM Hearn is a building company with locals in its heart. Believing in and supporting local builders and future builders to come. Having employed over 40 apprentices through their local southwest Tafe, MM Hearn is helping local areas and towns thrive. More than that, MM Hearn with Michael Hearn at the helm contributes to the thriving local economy expanding further than his own business. He spoke passionately to ABC News regarding the near closure of Brookes Hardware Store, saying it provides a start for young children in the area. Having branched out on his own at 21 years old, Hearn is well aware of the importance of having local businesses support the training of young adults. It’s not a stretch to see the personal connection on why he and MM Hearn employed over 40 apprentices. Having roots deep within the region, it speaks to the practice of the company using local materials and an understanding of the materials needed to withstand the coastal environment.
Coastal trends, in particularly the area of Port Fairy, are those of light, neutral colours paired with natural materials which can create an indoor-outdoor living space. One feature many homes MM Hearn have worked on centres around connecting with Port Fairy’s beautiful environment. Think windows framing the view of the beach, river, walks and overall landscape. Speaking of broader trends of lifestyle living, MM Hearn noted the rise of people wanting to live more sustainably. Yet, MM Hearn was already on this trend, having always built sustainably by using good materials and an eco-conscious vision. MM Hearn looks more deeply than just building martial trends, but how people interact with their homes. The hub of the home being the kitchen is a trend MM Hearn aims to uphold through premium quality bespoke joinery. By knowing how their clients live, MM Hearn designs homes which speak to their owner’s lifestyle and do it with pride.
Building a space is one thing, but designing and constructing the inner workings of a space is another. Richardson Joinery in Warrnambool, run by co-owners and brothers, Luke and Zaac Richardson place weighted importance on their client’s vision, whether the vision is fully custom designed kitchens and bathrooms to advice on how to design a laundry. In other words, Richardson Joinery specialises in custom, bespoke joinery.
The Richardson brothers work closely with local businesses and as a result know traders on a personal level. This deep connection means there is an ease of contact and communication between all working parts to build, design and create custom joinery. They take this personal approach to their clients as well. Before any design process is undertaken, the brothers offer a free face-to-face consultation which includes a customer quote to suit the needs. From the beginning of this dedicated approach, the brothers want their clients to feel confident in turning their vision into real tangible results. From there, the team designs the vision. If the custom, bespoke joinery includes a kitchen design, they use state-of-the-art 3D kitchen design software. This means clients are able to see exactly what the finished product would be ahead of time. Finally, and only after open, constant communication does the construction begin. Spending personal, dedicated time with their local clients before construction means the brothers deeply understand their needs and wants.
The trends of coastal joinery reflect those of external builds. Light, natural and more modern features play a constant role in Richardson Joinery. From whitewashed kitchen cabinets to wooden panel benches, the calm nature of the design mirrors what can be the calming effect of living within regions by the coast. Being familiar with these trends means the brothers know in advance what local clients could be looking for. However, that is not to say they stay away from more eccentric visions. Their goal is to follow the client’s vision, trending, or not. To make your house feel like a home, it includes the way the interior is designed, crafted, and cared for.
For residential coastal homes around Port Fairy and the southwest, Shape Building ensures it is a boutique design studio that suits every homeowner, from a retiring couple to a young family or a multi-generational household and whether it’s for new builds, renovations or extensions. The core goal is the same no matter who or what: creating homes that feel relaxed, functional, and timeless. If your dream is to have a home with a touch of quirk, or need help creating a vision, Shape Building is there for every step of the way.
Ryan Adamson and Leigh Delaland strive to achieve that real sense of pride they feel when delivering quality work for the local community. This extends to working with local builders and tradespeople who know the coastal climate, and which materials will stand against the salt, wind and weather. It creates a sense of community when working with local businesses for local homeowners as there is constant communication, collaboration, and a process which runs a whole lot smoother. A process which they believe starts at the very beginning through good planning and an understanding of how their client’s live day to day.
Having spent years working within the Port Fairy region, Adamson and Delaland have noticed serval design trends of popularity among homeowners. There is a massive lean towards natural, low-maintenance materials, like bluestone, cladding, timber, and fiber-cement sheeting. Living in a harsh environment comes with the need to constantly uphold materials if they are not built for extreme weather, but the lower the maintenance of a material, the easier it is to withstand the environment. There is a constant lean towards incorporating more natural features, which Adamson and Delaland see through the use of large windows and skylights, where natural light can be brought into the home. However, Adamson and Delaland try to understand the why behind trends, and they believe these choices are driven by lifestyle changes. People are spending more time at home, hosting more visitors and looking for calm, easy to live in spaces that feel connected to the surroundings. There comes importance in understanding the reasons behind design trends, as that results in a deeper understanding of the needs of homeowners. Shape Building aims to know how its client’s live day to day and most importantly, what they want from their home.
The Great Ocean Road, with the town of Port Fairy at the end, deserves picturesque buildings. A goal that boutique building company Simon Knee strives to. With over 15 years of experience, Simon Knee, with director Simon, is a company which attacks builds from new architectural design through to heritage restorations. It’s a company with a building range matching the range of changing landscapes of the Great Ocean Road. Working closely with clients, designers, and interior designers such as the Shape Design team by maintaining regular team meetings.
Working with local builders means a thorough understanding of the local municipality. Each municipality comes with specific rules, for example the Moyne Shire has rules around costal overlays, heritage restrictions, bushfire/vegetation management, height limits and setbacks. By working with local designers and builders, there comes a reassurance that they know these rules and restrictions inside out. For client benefits, it means approvals are sped up; redesigns are reduced and non-compliant work is prevented. It means owners save money and can build trusting relationships. In specific reference to the Great Ocean Road area, local builders actually know how people use beach homes, having this experience themselves. For example, a mudroom for those sandy feet, outdoor showers to rinse off sea water, durable finishes for wet surfing gear, smart storage for fishing gear, sheltered outdoor areas for strong costal winds and developing that breezy indoor-outdoor flow to connect to the natural beauty of the costal environment. These are things Simon Knee understands. This is the type of local known knowledge that external building business may not even factor in. Speaking to the local needs of the surfing coast is best done by locals of the surfing coast; and speaking is what builds reputation in smaller communities. Simon Knee is more motivated to do quality work, communicate clearly and support clients long-term because they could very well become neighbours.
The style that speaks to homes along the coast is a modern coastal minimalist, according to Simon Knee. This is a more contemporary take on beach house living which leaves homeowners, visitors or passer-byers feeling fresh and refined rather than stepping into a themed home. This is seen through open and uncluttered layouts with an integration of natural textures and a prioritisation of eco-friendly design through rainwater harvesting, passive solar energy and high-performance glazing. Rather than being only about environmental creditably, it’s a trend which has become long-term because this type of design reduces running costs and improves comfort year-round, both physically and mentally as homeowners know they are doing their part to help the environment. An environment which is one of beauty and the center attention in the Great Ocean Road area, and one Simon Knee knows backwards, forwards and inside out.
Having turned 50 last year, Bamstone is a proud Victorian bluestone company specialising in quarrying, processing and finishing bluestone in all forms. The company handles the extraction of bluestone boulders all the way to the finished products in homes. But what is bluestone?
Bamstone extracts and uses a Victorian bluestone. What makes it so special is that it’s a naturally occurring rock type and known to be the purest form of basalt in dimension stone sized boulders with no secondary materials. It’s a stone which is iconic to the City of Melbourne and Victoria on a whole because of its porous and hard appearance in each rock formation through vesiculation and cats paws. Bamstone operates its own captive quarries and source their own raw material specific to an order. The journey of a bluestone product through Bamstone looks a little bit like this: Beginning with extraction from the earth, the rock is then taken through a primary sawing process at the quarry, then sent into the factory and allocated to a production area that the rock is suitable for (paving, kerb, pitched walling, feature stone blocks, honed cladding and flooring). From there the stone is processed to the dimensions required, quality checked and ready for dispatch.
Stone has been used for centuries as a building material. Sam Steel, the general manager at Bamstone, sees stone as a reliable yet aesthetic choice. It provides great insulation for properties, incorporation of a natural material creating a connection to the environment within the home, it’s long-lasting and suitable to span and support heavy loads and it ages with beauty by developing a patina. That is why the demand for bluestone is always constant according to Steel.
What makes Bamstone unique is the fact the company have an approved and registered dimension stone quarry which contain extensive quarry management plans. This means Bamstone follows policies involving reclamation and rehabilitation of the land, environmental protection guidelines and cultural heritage management plans collaborated with the local indigenous community. More than that, Bamstone is a company which can confidentially pride themselves on sustainability within the building industry having installed a 200kwh solar panel system, whole recycled water, a zero stone waste policy and most importantly an understanding and appreciation of the natural environment which creates and sustains the beautiful bluestone.
Steel encourages all homeowners to just go for it when it comes to building with any type of stone. A recent Bamstone project called ‘The Promenade’ was awarded the 2025 National Contract Home Award and Master Builders Victoria Build of the Year for 2025 with features of bluestone in the stairs, rooftop spa, basin, fireplace hearths, stepping stones and more. With a commitment to the client, this family run business is here to help you design and custom cut bluestone to fit any and all environments, rather than making the environment fit the stone.