Opulence afloat: Inside a rare luxury house-boat

When award-winning Melbourne architect Stephen Jolson decided to build a luxury house boat, he wanted to revisit a childhood memory of holidaying at Lake Eildon in Victoria with his grandparents who took him out on their modest house boat back in the 1960s.

The result – a luxury yacht that’s brimming with architectural excellence, intended to connect directly to the landscape, and makes a portly nod to an era bygone with a modern design ethos.

Building Halcyon was two years in the making, an opportunity for Jolson to pour his heart and soul into a project that is miles away from the commercial work he does as a residential architect and interior design firm.

“I saw the house boat as an opportunity to use my knowledge of Lake Eildon and celebrate that context of connection between inside the boat and outside to the landscape,” explains Stephen Jolson who leans on a neutral palette and earthed tones within.

“The house boat is designed with open plan living spaces; the key for me was to make it connect to the landscape as much as possible because that’s what you see from wherever you are standing. You see sunlight come in from all angles,” says Jolson of the elegant floating home.  

No matter when you stand on the modern split-level design, the sun will indeed follow.  

Houseboats offer a unique way of living; and while they can’t be rented out and only allowed for personal use in Victoria, it’s the perfect way to unplug from the rat race. 

Lake Eildon is the only waterway in Victoria where the houseboats are allowed to operate. Situated in the Goulburn-Murray waters, there’s more than 700 to be found here.

They’re the tiny house alternative to living on land when you want a change of scenery. Halcyon sits at the top of the pecking order; the epitome of luxury and cruising in its own decadent lane.

Halycon comes with four main bedroom suites upstairs – you can stand in the shower or be at the vanities and be sidelined by the abundance of sky, trees and water that surrounds you.

For someone who spends his days designing contemporary residential homes, shifting the focus to a house boat allowed Jolson to bring the best of what he does on land, to the sea.

It was Jolson’s grandparents who were the first in his family to take their summer holidays at Lake Eildon, a home-made family house boat that was powered by a car battery.

“It was like a glorified caravan,” says Jolson.

“I spent most of my childhood there from the time I was born until I was 30. I wanted my own family to have that connection to quality family time away from the city and be connected to nature,” he says.

He says Lake Eildon hasn’t changed over the decades, and long lazy days are a given when he unplugs on Halcyon.  

Jolson built his first boat in 2017 before embarking on this more ambitious project. It’s the VIP of house boats; where lush interiors, quality finishes and contemporary design powers the nautical ambition here.

“I love that you can open the door to the boat and climb back into your childhood,” says Jolson.

“Wherever you travel these days there is so much change, but Eildon is Eildon, it’s a beautiful place. The engagement with the landscape remained unchanged and that’s what I love about it,” he says.

The house boat is built on a flat pontoon construction; Jolson working with local builders with local knowledge to bring quality materials on board.

“We focused on the design and the materiality – that’s what mattered,” he says.

Inside the boat there’s sawn-cut textured oak floors; a neutral colourway throughout, and soft furnishings in neutral tones that melt into the landscape which surrounds it.

The kitchen and bathrooms are brimming with natural stone too. There are oak timber floors on the ground floor and first floor, while pure wool carpets line the bedrooms.

The third floor is where you’ll find the rooftop area- another space for living covered by a tarp canopy but with expansive views. There’s a wood fired hot tub for a 70s persuasion too; brimming with curved cool and a nod to the past. There’s also as built-in cabinet that doubles as a bar and a TV to watch the sun go down.

The boat is fully insulated by a fibreglass exterior – adding to its sleek design that stands out among other house boats moored at Lake Eildon.   

“Every time you take the boat out and come back and park it, you have a different framed connection to the landscape which is interesting to me,” says Jolson.

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