It didn’t take much for Prue Dimond, founder of Rocc Naturals, and Raff Rocchi, general manager of construction company I&D Group, to pack up their lives and move from Melbourne to Torquay.

Having grown up on a farm outside Daylesford, Prue found herself yearning for a similarly small town to raise her daughters — a place where kids ride their bikes to the neighbours, and people often stop to talk on the street.

Torquay is close enough (under 90 minutes) to still regularly commute to Melbourne, but offers this more relaxed lifestyle, including daily beach visits and walks into the main street.

‘It sounds simple, but that sense of genuine community is what made such a big move feel immediately like home,’ says Prue. ‘After renting fully furnished holiday homes down the Surf Coast with friends, we decided we wanted to try living coastal with our little family.’

Prue and Raff found a block that made this possible, complete with 180-degree views of national parkland. ‘That’s what made it so compelling — it had the convenience of being situated in old Torquay, the cafes, the coastline — but step outside, and you felt completely enveloped by nature,’ says Prue. ‘It had the feeling and outlook of a remote property without the isolation. For us, that combination was impossible to walk away from.’

After building a townhouse in Kew a decade earlier, Prue and Raff felt confident in taking on a bigger personal project with the luxury of more space.

‘With this house we had the freedom to design the opposite of that,’ says Prue. ‘It’s the fifth home we’ve designed together — our side hustle is property development — and the distance between the first and this one tells its own story. You make mistakes along the way, too many to mention, but with each project you learn something, and slowly you start to develop your own creative confidence.’

Prue and Raff engaged Studio Kennon to design the home, inspired by the 2007 cliffside ‘Razor House’ designed by Wallace E. Cunningham in La Jolla, California. You might know it from Alicia Keys’ Architectural Digest tour.

Indeed, references to Razor House are evident in the similar use of curving concrete walls and rich timber. Where it differs is the more daring use of colour, which Prue and Raff have become more confident to experiment with over the years.

‘There are over 150 trucks of concrete in this house. Alone it’s striking, but cold and masculine. We knew from the beginning that the interiors needed to work against that — to create something that felt like a genuine retreat,’ says Prue.

Japanese plaster, carpet, and cork in soft beige tones quietly anchor every room, layered with pops of colour drawn from the landscape framed by floor-to-ceiling windows. Mustard yellow reflects the tone of eucalypt bark caught in late afternoon light, and dark green stone introduces depth without heaviness. ‘For me, those colour pops are an unexpected moment — a personality for the house that reflects who actually lives here,’ says Prue. ‘A playful, feminine energy that balances the weight of the concrete, while the palette keeps returning to the landscape beyond the glass.’

Luxury features including a wellness area with a sauna and ice bath, cinema room, and a home bar are tailored to Prue and Raff, while others are for their six-year-old daughters Coco and Molly. ‘This is a home built for long evenings and good conversation, not just school runs and early bedtimes, ‘explains Prue. ‘The concrete structure is a sculpture in itself, but inside this feels like a family home — playful, never precious. Which in real life means, yes, the kids are jumping and doing gymnastics on the couches. Their energy is woven through every room, and honestly, I love that.’

Prue and Raff couldn’t be happier with what Studio Kennon have achieved — an architectural feat they’re reminded of every day when opening the full-height, fully retractable sliding windows that open the living spaces directly to the treetops.

‘The breeze moves through, birds and branches are ever present, and in summer the home feels open, breezy, sandy-footed and alive,’ says Prue. ‘In winter, the same space closes around a burning red gum fire, the park held quietly beyond the glass.’

Prue spends plenty of time indulging in the home’s wellness features, but it’s the top level living spaces she’s most fallen in love with. ‘The kitchen, living and dining area feels like a treehouse — and I mean that literally,’ she says.

‘Making breakfast and talking with my girls, I can witness all four seasons play out: pink sky sunrises, pelting rain, magical golden light and moody grey skies. It still takes my breath away.’