In an age when everyone and everything is laying claim to ‘green’ credentials, it’s refreshing to meet a couple like John and Jan Farnan, who’ve lived the dream for most of their lives.

For 25 years they made their home in a rambling farmhouse called Summerhill, about 10km outside Torquay on Victoria’s Surf Coast, commuting to Geelong to run the thriving Wholefoods cafe. People would come from far and wide for the sourdough bread John baked.

Six years ago, with sons Joel, Gulliver and Nino and daughter Frances grown up and gone, the couple sold the cafe and left Summerhill for a 1950s fibro beach house at Torquay. They moved in after a quick re-paint, erecting a shed to store all the furniture that moved with them from the farm, then focused on achieving their life-long dream of opening a bakery.

Zeally Bay Sourdough bakery opened its doors in Torquay two years ago. This wholesale outfit, the first certified organic bakery in Victoria, now supplies bread to restaurants and retailers in Melbourne and the community that has figured so large in the Farnans’ lives.

“If you look at a map of Australia,” says John, “this is the place that has got it all. It’s close to schools, work and all the facilities you need”.

Son Joel, now an architect, recalls many summer weekends spent looking for the ideal surf. Like their father, Joel and his siblings all surfed and grew up loving the changing moods of the coast through the seasons. And, when John and Jan were ready to renovate their home, it was only natural to call in Joel’s firm, Farnan Findlay Architects.

“The house was a simple fibro shack with four rooms, a bathroom and a sunny sleepout along the northern side,” says Joel. “The rest of the house didn’t get the benefit of sunlight.”

His parents wanted to keep the house to a modest scale, befitting the spirit of the classic Australian beach house. Joel’s solution was a two-level addition, clad in spotted gum, which wraps around a sunny and wind-protected deck. This doubles the usable space while at the same time subtly shifting attention to the outdoors.

The kitchen and dining area are in the older part of the home, along with two bedrooms and a study. Glass sliding doors open from the kitchen directly onto the deck, a favourite place for lazy weekend breakfasts or alfresco lunches. A hallway with a large window to the deck on the eastern side follows the slope of the land. Down a step is the large living area, where glass sliding doors open to the garden and take advantage of the northern aspect.

Following on from Joel’s experience with green and sustainable building practices, the construction of the addition is reverse brick veneer. With insulation, this gives greater thermal performance than conventional brick veneer or double brick. Interior walls have been rendered and painted white, the ceilings are limed plywood and the timber floors are recycled spotted gum. Next to the living room, a new staircase leads up past angled walls and opens out to the new main bedroom and ensuite. Here, large glass doors access a balcony with views to the ocean, coastline and cook’s garden below.

“The garden is a major part of our lives, so it was important that we could not only see it but easily walk out into it from the living area,” says Jan. “Our meals start from the garden. We see what is ready for harvesting and that informs what we’ll have for dinner. With the views we have of the garden, it’s visually as well as productively rewarding.”

The current crop includes romanesco broccoli, broad beans, black kale, red brussels sprouts, radishes, cauliflower and herbs. There are also mulberry, peach, lime, lemon, fig and apricot trees on this property of 800 square metres, as well as many plants indigenous to the area.

Landscaping projects have included a new retaining wall made from local sandstone, at the perfect height for sitting in the sun, while the paving is randomly laid Castlemaine slate.

With its friendly and unassuming atmosphere, this home is imbued with the spirit of Australian coastal life, so it’s not surprising that many guests join the Farnans at their table.

“Keeping it scaled down was important to us, although there’s always an influx of visitors,” says John. “We often think we need more space – if only to put them up for the night.”  
                       
Farnan Findlay Architects, Redfern, NSW; (02) 9310 2516. Zeally Sourdough Bakery.