Mid-Century Modern Coastal takes a starring role on The Block 2024

The Block 2024 featured some truly amazing designs, but one our favourites has to be Mid-Century Modern Coastal, exemplified beautifully by both House 2 and House 4.

We met with the show’s architect, Julian Brenchley, to find out how exterior cladding plays a key part in bringing the Mid-Century Modern house and its stunning architectural features to the fore.

“It’s one of those classic styles that's having a resurgence. And why not? It's got a fresh coastal appeal about it,” explains Julian Brenchley, the architect from The Block 2024.

In this article, we’ll explore:

1. The design details of Mid-Century Modern Coastal
2. How the homes from The Block brought the look to life
3. Products used and resources

And if you’re looking for more inspiration, download our Mid-Century Modern Design Handbook.

Architectural features of Mid-Century Modern Coastal on The Block 2024

The Block houses are known for their forward-thinking designs and The Block 2024 is no exception. We saw not one, but two homes embrace a Modern Coastal expression of the Mid-Century Modern house on House 2 and House 4, where exterior cladding played a pivotal role.

As to why it’s making a comeback, Julian Brenchley says it’s simple: “Mid-Century Modern can be quite engaging in terms of getting the indoor and outdoor lifestyle working,” he says. Modern buyers expect nothing less than crisp, modern exteriors, flowing and luxurious interiors and low-maintenance liveability.

A coastal expression of Mid-Century Modern makes sense in a location like beachy, windswept Phillip Island, where The Block 2024 is situated. As a design philosophy, Mid-Century Modern is rooted in functionality, simplicity and a strong connection to nature, focusing on clean lines and minimalism.

These are also principles of Modern Coastal design, which are best demonstrated by open plan spaces and a blurred indoor-outdoor boundary.

Let’s look closely at how House 2 and House 4 bring Mid-Century Modern Coastal style to life.

House 2: A Palm Springs inspired Mid-Century home

Married couple Courtney and Grant from Western Sydney took on the renovation of House 2.

The exterior, specified by architect Julian Brenchley, features a distinctive skillion or ‘butterfly roof’, a hallmark of the Mid Century Modern house that also evokes a contemporary coastal architectural style.

The large windows are enhanced with shrouds to provide shading and showcase the coastal landscaping from all angles of the home. The result is a relaxed, coastal look with luxe resort touches.

Key materials: The crisp, white Linea™ Weatherboard marries minimalist design and coastal charm, without the maintenance of traditional timber. Made to withstand our harsh and unpredictable climate, Linea™ Weatherboard is also tough: fire-resistant (to BAL40) and resistant to rot and damage from moisture and termites.

Hardie™ Axent™ Trim is used as battening. Aligning the battens with the windows and weatherboard edges provides a unique architectural detail. The vertical battening breaks up the strong horizontal weatherboards, drawing the eye up and creating a sense of height.

House 4: An interplay of horizontal and vertical lines defined this home

Kylie and Brad took on House 4 on The Block 2024.

The butterfly roof is typical to Mid-Century Modern design and defines the shape of structure, but the design has a Modern Coastal twist. Also inspired by the Mid-Century homes of Palm Springs, House 4 has a decidedly coastal palette, underscored with tropical inspired greenery.

The distinctive window hoods are another coastal spin on the look. Flush with the cladding, the hoods provide necessary shade in the seaside environment without the need for eaves.

Key materials: The wide, deep grooved lines of Stria™ Cladding are laid horizontally for an eye-catching effect to complement the geometric Mid-Century Modern shapes.

Alongside, dark-painted Axon™ Cladding is laid vertically, bringing contrast, drama and detail with clean vertical lines.

The Block houses: Different expressions of similar architectural features

SIMILARITIES

Butterfly roof: The butterfly roof , frequently found in Mid-Century Modern design, features angles reminiscent of a butterfly’s wings.

Horizontal cladding: The star material on both homes is horizontally laid exterior cladding, although the product choice is different.

Use of trim: Hardie™ Axent™ Trim takes a key role on The Block 2024 and both houses, adding the perfect finishing touches.

DIFFERENCES

Mixed cladding: House 4 features three different types of cladding (Stria™ Cladding, Hardie™ Fine Texture Cladding and Axon™ Cladding); House 2 features Linea™ Weatherboard.

Trim: Both homes utilised Hardie™ Axent™ Trim.

Landscaping: House 4 is underscored by tropical inspired greenery, while House 2 pursued a hardy, native look.

Creating cohesion with exterior cladding

According to Julian Brenchley, each of The Block houses had a strong design intent and vision. “Stylistically, they look similar because of the Mid-Century Modern house style, but it was intrinsically important to make sure that each one of the houses had a look, a feel, an individuality,” he explains.

“You have to be really strong with a design intent and vision, and James Hardie is able to help.”

The Hardie™ Architectural Collection is a curated cladding collection that offers endless design possibilities, so you can mix and match product selections with confidence.