Margaret River mid-century masterpiece

It took the Tobins many years of considering alternative designs for their elevated 7ha north-east facing site, which is almost 200m above sea level, before landing on the casual mid-century style.

Their architects Mark Webster Design (Dunsborough) + CHD Design (Sydney) took 12 months to design the house.

Both Steve and Hayley come from a background in oil and gas and resources services, and as part of a sea-change, they purchased the largest northernmost vineyard in the premium Margaret River Wine Region (previously known as Amberley Estate) in October 2010 and renamed it Aravina Estate.

Their focus for Aravina Estate was on developing a unique destination where multigenerational visitors would travel from Perth, interstate and overseas to be wined and dined in formal and casual restaurants among the expansive gardens.

Aravina pioneered luxury weddings in the southwest with the building of its formal wedding gardens and dedicated 200 seat reception centre.

In late 2022, after 13 years of construction, frenetic operations and brand-building at Aravina, a representative of TK Low (Singaporean based billionaire) visited their winery and the Tobin family felt the time was right for the business to evolve to its next phase of growth.

They sold their now iconic Aravina Estate in mid-2023 and the new owner Tenhills Estate is ramping up the wine and beer production to develop distribution throughout Western Australia and southeast Asia.

“The sale of Aravina and move back to Perth for us was motivated by the desire for our three young daughters to live the Cottesloe Beach life,” Mr Tobin said.

“The approach from TK Low’s representatives occurred at the perfect time for our family, albeit mid way through the construction of our new modern home overlooking the estate.

“So with the impending sale and move back to Perth we quickly realised that the new home was surplus to our needs and thus it was decided to sell the home when completed in September 2024.”

The Tobin’s say their favourite aspect is the 360 degree panoramic views from the roof terrace. “It’s just breathtaking! And we love the luxury and privacy of the first floor master suite plus the elegance of the first floor lounge and library with vineyard & water views and multiple living zones.”