Megan Ziems, founder of Grace Loves Lace, discovered her family's dream property in Queensland's sprawling Currumbin Valley, featuring over one kilometer of creek frontage with multiple natural swimming holes. The idyllic landscape came with an old barn, a guest house, and an original main residence surrounded by elaborate gardens that "didn't really feel like us," says the fashion designer, referring to her husband Wade and their children Tallow, 7, and Luca, 11.
The family envisioned a completely different living experience for their new home. "We wanted a one-story home that could let the outdoors in," Ziems explains. "Sustainability was a big focus, as was blending the property in with the landscape." To achieve this vision, they made the bold decision to remove the existing home entirely and create a new residence that would properly celebrate the natural environment.
For this ambitious project, the Ziems family partnered with award-winning Byron Bay architects HGA Studio and builders MACTECH. The design brief emphasized "earthy, peaceful, down to earth luxury," according to Megan, and the family invested nearly two years in refining the architectural plans to perfection.
The home's design drew inspiration from multiple sources, particularly Megan and Wade's passion for open-air entertaining and their international travels. They frequently share the property's guesthouses with extended family members, creating a compound-style living arrangement. Modernist architecture from Portugal and mid-century modern homes in Brazil significantly influenced the home's dramatic scale and sculptural angles.
The finished residence showcases natural materials throughout, with rammed earth and natural stone walls providing a grounding, textural quality. Spectacular timber-lined ceilings and expansive glass windows frame stunning pastoral views, seamlessly connecting the interior with the surrounding landscape.
For the interior design, Megan collaborated with longtime friend Leigh McKeown, founder and CEO of ELLISON STUDIOS. Their shared history proved invaluable to the project's success. "Having grown up together, Leigh and Megan were perfect collaborators," the article notes. McKeown immediately understood that the home needed to feel warm and interesting while capturing the family's relaxed personality.
The interior design centered around creating comfortable, functional spaces for family life. "The entire sunken living zone was designed around the Float Sofa, and we dressed it in a textural camel-toned fabric to ensure it delivered on the cozy criteria needed for the kids (and dogs)," McKeown explains. Behind the plush sofa, a palm tree and indoor garden beds filled with lush monsteras perfectly complement the green carpet.
ELLISON STUDIOS contributed several key furniture pieces to the home, including Arch Leather Dining Chairs arranged around an enormous dining table and the Yoko Bed crafted in rich walnut. To achieve a perfectly layered aesthetic, McKeown mixed these contemporary pieces with carefully selected vintage items, including a 1970s patchwork leather beanbag by De Sede and an original Brazilian Rosewood Costela chair designed by Martin Eisler and Carlo Hauner.
As the construction project neared completion, the Ziems family moved into the property's barn so Megan could personally oversee every final detail. "I could be on site testing samples, color mixes, material finishes as we went," she recalls, demonstrating her hands-on approach to creating their perfect home.
After five years of planning and construction, the finished home, named Finca Tulluca, has exceeded the family's expectations. "We spend every night and every weekend cooking, playing music, having everything open, sitting around the table or the outdoor fire pit eating and spending quality time with people we love," Megan says, describing how the space has transformed their daily life and brought their vision of indoor-outdoor living to fruition.
