Lapito House

It’s often said that it’s the simple things in life that are the most extraordinary. This adage was on my mind when I first visited Lapito House, quietly perched on the hilltop at Myponga, bordering the Heysen Trail.

The recently renovated Lapito House sits upon a hilltop bordering the Myponga Conservation Park and the Heysen Trail.

The peeled-back feel of the property stood out to me; a pareddown environment consisting of three elements: things worth keeping, things which have meaning, and the practical necessities.

Lapito House is owned by the Nowland family; John Nowland is a graphic designer and his wife, Yvonne, designs textiles. An extension of any designer’s style is their home, and the couple has spent their careers committed to making things of beauty that last. There is a restrained simplicity in both their creative work and in their environments.

It wasn’t necessarily in the master plan for the Nowlands to buy a rural property – they already had a beach house at Port Willunga – but John likes to keep busy. And one weekend, while he was doing a bit of beach house maintenance, he ran out of things to do. So, he drove out to a friend’s newly-built home at Myponga Beach and explored the area. ‘It was an adventure,’ he says. He found himself criss-crossing and traversing the rural roads of the Western Fleurieu and, after some meandering, began to wonder what might be for sale in the area. He came across a property up on the hill by the Myponga Reservoir. ‘I looked at it and thought … it has good bones,’ he says. ‘And the house is very simple.’

The stripped back interiors are offset by the more frivolous pendant lights that hang over the dining table. A hand-printed linen table runner by Yvonne and handmade napkin holders add a personal touch.

The Nowland's dog Hugo awaits the next excursion.

A beautiful collection of furniture and art adorns every room. Yvonne's hand-printed and hand crafted pillows are a lovely addition.

The home is nestled in the hills above the Myponga Reservoir.

Photo by Pia Nowland

It appealed to John, and after various discussions with Yvonne, they decided to buy it. ‘The property was very bare,’ Yvonne says. The first number of years were spent just planting trees. She tells me it was hard work but with the help of their three (now grown-up) children – Lara, Pia and Toby – as well as friends, and Trees for Life, they were supported in their cause. ‘Our goal was to leave the property in better condition than how we found it.’ John says.

The old stone farmhouse was set a bit lower and up a bit further was what they called ‘the tower’. ‘The wind would just blow through there,’ Yvonne says. The house, I’ve been told, had a really old feel, but the stone walls remained intact and beautiful. The family made a few modest improvements but continued to use the home as they found it, while enjoying the property and developing the land.

When they decided to renovate, John and Yvonne called upon an old friend and architect, Phil Burton, who suggested a new site for a new build. But John felt there was a lot of energy in the original building and wanted to retain its integrity. They decided to stick with the farmhouse and restore it. As the construction equipment came up the hill, down came the north wall of their farmhouse, opening up an impressive view across the grand landscape. While parts of the original house were gutted, many aspects were recycled, including the building’s original wooden beams; John used them to make five beds, adding a sentimental touch to Lapito House.

Phil’s brief was modest: two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a laundry and living space, all created while connecting the ‘tower’ to the main house, and retaining the old stone walls. In addition, it also became important to raise the ceiling height to let in more light, and take full advantage of the vista. Eventually the home will be pretty much off-grid, with large holding tanks for water already in place and solar power to come. Wide sliding glass doors lead out to a spacious wooden deck where one can sit and watch the kangaroos, or even the odd echidna. Using local trades has helped the family form ties with the local community. The result is a home which is humble, uncluttered and relatively maintenance free. There is a real peacefulness here.

The vaulted ceilings in the main entryway are an open metal and wood stairway lead up to the studio where all the manner of creative pursuits take place.

In between the paintings and objects sits furniture made by John's father as well as his own refurbished collectors items.

The result is a home which is humble, uncluttered and relatively maintenance free. There is a real peacefulness here.

If you pick up any object in this house, there will be a story behind it. John and Yvonne both have an eye for collectables and art. John refurbishes old furniture and Yvonne recovers some of these finds in her textile designs. In between the paintings and objects sits furniture made by John’s dad as well as himself. John tells me some of the works of art dotting the walls have been left by friends. ‘We have a yearly retreat called Artback,’ he says. ‘We go outback to do art.’ It grew out of a group of artist friends wanting to take time to pursue their drawing and painting practise. They sometimes travel interstate, taking up positions in the landscape to draw, paint and have shared meals while giving each other feedback. ‘It is not a holiday, we actually really work,’ John says. More recently, Laptio House has hosted Artback. ‘The nice thing is that we ended up with a few pieces of artwork that are in the collection at the house,’ John says.

Lapito House has become part of the Nowland family. Last year, their daughter Pia spent her thirtieth birthday on the hill. ‘Everyone helped cook a feast; it was perfect weather and a beautiful day,’ she tells me. During that feast, people started to tell her that they would love to spend more time at the property, and commented on what a great place it was for small events, or for people to stay overnight. While they had not previously considered it, the family agreed it was a nice idea to share their cherished piece of the Fleurieu. >

Each room has a view and lovely furnishings. The beds were made from the hold farmhouse beams by John.

Pia and Yvonne Nowland love spending time at Myponga as a family, but also love sharing their house on the hill with others.

John Nowland spends his time restoring auction finds in the shed.

One could sit for house just watching the light move across the landscape.

‘It is a win-win for all of us,’ Yvonne says. Pia looks after the home’s marketing and promotion; she started up an Instagram page before placing the home on Airbnb. Yvonne and John work behind the scenes, maintaining the property. The business is slowly evolving and interest has been growing; Pia is looking forward to expanding their offerings to weddings, location shoots and even yoga retreats.

The property is also dog friendly, so it’s a great option for those being at a loose end with their furry friends.

I ask John and Yvonne how the place differs from the beach house in terms of how they spend time. They tell me it’s a nice place to cook and to have long discussions; it’s a place to contemplate.

Story by Petra de Mooy. Photography by Robert Geh.