Karijini House: Australian Home Inspired by National Park Grandeur

A new private home in the Perth suburb of Wembley Downs, Western Australia, draws its design from the dramatic landscapes of Karijini National Park. Named Karijini House, the 409 sq m residence spans two above-ground levels and a basement, featuring 7m-high rammed-earth walls and expansive glass windows. Designed by Tenille Teakle, design director at Studio Gritt, the house aims to evoke the solitude and natural connection of the park. Teakle explains that horizontal banding in weathered face brick mirrors Karijini's rockfaces, while undulating rammed concrete walls echo the rockface's tactility. Burnished concrete floors and soffits reference blackened sand, and lighter hemp render upstairs replicates emerging onto plains from a gorge hike. The home incorporates recycled rammed concrete walls, repurposed second-hand local materials, and native gardens to support local wildlife, reflecting sustainability principles. Teakle identifies scale, grandeur, light and shade, horizontal banding, and privacy as key features distilled from the Karijini experience. The property is set within a dense urban context but designed as a sanctuary for everyday living.