Malabar.

Malabar is a coastal residence in Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula, with outdoor living that counts as much as the rooms inside. The owners spend the warm months on the verandahs and in the garden, and wanted the landscape to sound as good as it looks. The brief asked for privacy and comfort across the day, and for the technology to stay out of the frame. Anything visible had to belong to the garden, not to the install.

Landscape audio is discreetly buried in the garden beds, with the planting hiding the speakers entirely while music carries across the outdoor rooms. Scene-based lighting follows the daily routines of the family from morning through to evening, with no need to know the names of the scenes to use them. Motorised blinds are integrated with the climate system so privacy, glare and comfort are managed together rather than separately, and the home holds its temperature while the afternoon heats up. Indoor and outdoor zones run on one Control4 backbone, called from the keypad or the app. The garden carries sound. The house carries light and shade. Music outside without speakers in sight. Light inside without thinking about it.

• Landscape audio buried in garden beds, preserving the outdoor aesthetic
• Scene-based lighting following the daily routines of the family
• Motorised blinds integrated with the climate system for comfort and efficiency
• Whole-home Control4 across indoor and outdoor zones