Experimental design comes to the fore at Shackpalace – a Queensland holiday home by Frank Macchia that puts the emphasis on wellness and ‘slow living’.

The Noosaville Hill bolthole is constructed from wood and natural materials and is loosely divided into three distinct areas designed for living and eating, sleeping and bathing.

The ‘pavilions’ are connected by an external deck and are mostly covered but feature openings that reveal the sky above. This highlights the connection between the house and its surrounding landscape.

Macchia is interested in what he calls ‘daily rituals’, and has deliberately inserted steps before each part of the house as a ‘reminder that you are about to enter a different zone, for a different activity,’ he says. ‘I am aiming to minimise the number of mindless moments that occur as we move from room to room and function to function in our homes every day.’

Shackpalace is available to rent via Plans Matter from $350 per night and features moody, dark interiors inspired by a Japanese barn. This is especially heightened in the bedroom, which is designed to encourage deep restorative sleep.

Excess or unnecessary space and decor have also been distilled down to the bare minimum across the two-bedroom bolthole.

‘The idea is that we feel more nurtured, relaxed and connected in spaces that hit the sweet spot between too big and cold, and too small and cluttered,’ adds Macchia.

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