An Inside Look with Brickworks | Palm Springs Vibes at ‘Not a Motel’

The Brief

Project: Not a Motel

Location: Mornington Peninsula

Architect and Interior Designer: Pleysier Perkins

Photographer: Tom Blachford

Featured Products: Bowral Bricks 76 in Chillingham White | GB Masonry Flower Breeze blocks in Porcelain

Welcome to the Not a Motel project, a masterfully designed residence that explores the iconic Palm Springs style on the Mornington Peninsula. This striking family home offers a seamless, free-flowing layout that exudes warmth, colour, and cohesion through its design and raw materials. The atmosphere is playful yet relaxed, evoking a sense of nostalgia with its impressive details. 

Join us as we tour this Palm Springs-inspired home with Brickworks, and uncover the building products that brought to life the vision of both clients and architects. 

Open to embracing the elements that come with a quintessential Palm Springs getaway, the clients wanted to showcase their love for mid-century modern architecture throughout the home. Architects Pleysier Perkins took creative reign over the lowset house to create a motel-inspired design with plenty of vibrant character. The aim was to instantly transport visitors to the California desert location while taking influences from classic Australian beach shacks enabling the home to pay homage to the bush and coastal surroundings. 

The layout places the pool at the heart of the home while creating free-flowing spaces filled with natural light. A sunken lounge invites guests to unwind, while a kaleidoscope of stained glass reflects fun and entrancing colours throughout the space. Mid-century modern furniture and artwork add further to the complete comfort and nostalgia that Not a Motel has so masterfully achieved. 

But it’s the home’s unity and flow that truly has us captivated and a key defining factor of this is the materials, such as the Bowral Bricks 76 in Chillingham White. This product is featured both internally and externally to connect the indoors with the outdoors, making it the star material of Not a Motel.

“Choosing Bowral Bricks 76 in Chillingham White to grace both the external and internal walls of Not a Motel, Pleysier Perkins asserts the flexibility in form that defines brick and masonry.”

- Brickworks

Featured in Chillingham White, this warm-toned neutral clay colour provides the perfect, timeless base for the bold palette of the home to stand out, but this in no way means the bricks fade into the background. Instead, the Bowral Bricks are the epitome of style and versatility, fitting exceptionally well within each zone of the house, whether it be the curved external shower or the framing of the cosy internal fireplace. 

Beyond style sits the practical reasoning behind the choice of the Bowral Bricks. As the home captures northern sunlight through its expansive windows, the heat is retained in the brickwork to be slowly released over the day. Leveraging the thermal properties of these bricks minimises the need for air conditioning. 

In addition to the Bowral Bricks, GB Masonry Flower Breeze Blocks in Porcelain are also featured to add to both the style and functionality of Not a Motel. Found in the garage and spanning across the external areas of the home, the Breeze Blocks are the perfect solution for added privacy, natural ventilation and light while enhancing the Palm Springs aesthetic. 

Feeling inspired by Not a Motel and its gorgeous details, like the building products from Brickworks? Head to their website to discover more, or additionally, put your vision onto canvas using our mood board tool which features an extensive range of Brickwork’s products.