Designed by architect Jared Poole and standing on the shores of Palm Beach, the modern Mediterranean haven listed for sale promises a lifestyle of luxury and visual masterpiece. The pared back design complements the panoramic vistas, and is heavily inspired by Megan’s time spent in Spain and Portugal. Her weakness? “Portuguese architecture.”

A showstopper, while still being incredibly family friendly, the prestige beachfront home exudes laidback glamour and sophistication. From the jaw-dropping beach views enjoyed from every room, to all the high end mod cons, rendered curves and creamy stonework, this build is as stunning architecturally as its picturesque location.

And, by the sounds of it, their next build is set to be even more impressive. “I’m currently working on a project that will be finished by the end of the year, with a focus around a nod to traditional Fincas,” Megan shares in a profile piece on her website. “Working with the land and building sustainably is so important to me, so it’s largely constructed from rammed earth and stone. I’ve named the project Finca Talluca – a combination of my two kids names (Tallow and Luca), corny I know, but that’s what mums do.”

With comparable sales made in recent years at neighbouring properties ranging from $8,100,000 to $16,950,000, it’s safe to say the final sale price of their Palm Beach home could comfortably find itself in the eight figures.

The four-bedroom, four-bathroom, four-car home at 159 Jefferson Lane, Palm Beach QLD 4221 listed by Amir Prestige principal Amir Mian, and Ross Tomain with Vince and Linda Lock, is set to go to auction on July 1st, 2024.

With what will become part of the agreement with the new owners, it will continue to be leased until 27 February 2026, and is listed at $5,500 per week.

On the market

Inside Grace Loves Lace owners’ Palm Beach home

Three storey living

Epitomising absolute beachfront luxury, the three storey home maximises all of its internal space, sitting pretty on a 412 square metre block on the sands of Palm Beach.

The entryway

Views abound from the moment you set foot inside this architectural home, from the lap pool to the open ocean, all perfectly complemented by its neutral interiors.

The kitchen

Light and sea breezes flow through the Spanish-style kitchen with a handcrafted stone bench and desert-wood cabinetry taking centre stage.

The open-plan living

Sea breezes permeate the open plan home, with wall-to-wall, floor-to-ceiling stacker doors the only thing separating you from the crystal clear, gentle waves of Palm Beach.

The dining area

The perfect place to host many a long lunch with extended family and friends, the long dining table will be where happy memories are made following a refreshing dip in the ocean.

The outdoor entertaining area

Take just one step outside and the sands of Palm Beach will welcome you home.

The views from the first floor

The first floor begets more panoramic ocean views, seen here from the additional living space and balcony.

The rumpus room

The first floor becomes the central place for comfortable entertaining, with an additional dining space, rumpus room, kitchenette, home gym and sauna, home office, and guest bedroom with an ensuite.

The main bedroom

Ascend another level and you’ll find yourself in the most relaxing place to lay your head. The main bedroom makes full use of its prime location with its neutral styling and serene colour palette calling your attention to the waves down below. A further two king sized bedrooms with walk-in robes are also found on this upper level.

The ensuite

Could you imagine a more luxurious view from the bath?

The balcony

Southerly views from the private balcony point to the ever-recognisable Currumbin Rock.

The lap pool

If the ocean’s not your thing, you can enjoy a dip in the sparkling heated magnesium lap pool running alongside the home.

The location

You’ll be hard pressed to find more a more coveted beachfront location anywhere in the Sunshine State.

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Style of home: A 1950s weatherboard house with a large contemporary extension.

Location: Melbourne’s outer eastern suburbs, traditional land of the Wurundjeri Woiwurrung people of the Kulin nation.

Timeline: After purchasing in 2019, the couple moved into the backyard bungalow and began the planning phase. Work commenced in May 2021 and was completed that November.

Choosing a fireplace over an engagement ring takes a highly dedicated renovator, and that’s exactly what Erin did in a quest to create the perfect family home with her partner, Julian. Yet it was her ability to spot another kind of gem that led them to this home, which nobody else was brave enough to tackle. “It was for sale twice, and the owners actually took it off the market the first time because there was no interest. When I looked at it, people were walking out saying, ‘No way, there’s too much work – it’s all yours.’

Once the home was theirs, the couple moved into a tiny one-room bungalow that was already in the backyard and began tackling the mess. “It was a real sight,” says Erin. “Every wall and floor seemed different, the doors were glued shut and made into shelving spaces, there was a chest freezer in the entry, and a murky pond in the backyard. But it’s my passion to take on projects like this – I love finding a diamond in the rough.”

Their first win was discovering original weatherboards underneath the fake-brick cladding. “For months, I kept telling Julz it would have the old boards underneath and it would be amazing,” says Erin, laughing. “I had renovated before, but it was his first time and he was incredible, placing such faith in my choice of this place.”

The couple briefed an old friend, architect David Noordhoff, to design a home that would preserve the original structure and streetscape and be big enough for a future family while preserving a good amount of backyard space. “We wanted a home that was super usable and felt calm in summer and winter,” says Erin. “We looked at many open homes, magazines, Instagram, and drew up lots of potential designs we thought could work for us before discussing the brief with David.”

During the planning-and-approval process, Erin and Julian took on as many tasks as they could, including removing the cladding, gutting internal rooms, removing a lean-to, and cleaning up the gardens. “We oversaw the re-stumping, the roof replacement, and I even completed a Diploma of Building and Construction – then fell pregnant. It was a lot!” she says.

The six-month build was beset with Covid-related delays, but Erin’s knowledge and experience was a game-changer. ‘The builders were comfortable with me sourcing fittings such as vanities, the bath, the sinks and door handles, which meant I could buy and store things ahead of time. That meant everything was accessible and ready as soon as the build team needed it.”

Instead of building from scratch, Erin and Julian took on a project that many people had shied away from. “When something has beautiful bones, is made of quality material and can be fixed, whether that’s a house or a piece of furniture, we like to give it a go.”

GOOD NEWS

Post-renovation, what was a muddle of rooms now flows through to a bright white extension (both inside and out) with light grey polished-concrete flooring in a custom colour mix that reflects the abundant natural light from the overhead skylights. Erin took the design lead and selected sturdy, elegant materials to create what she calls an “easy entertaining home”. “I haven’t really worked out what the overall style is as I take bits of inspiration from all types of homes and places.”

The feeling of calm that Erin craved has been consolidated through her chosen colour palette of calm natural hues. “Now the place is complete and we’ve added another child and two dogs into the mix, we’re thrilled that it’s such an easy house to live in amongst the chaos. We’re still not engaged, but it was money well spent because we love that fireplace!”

Lessons learnt

Go with your gut feeling for the big things,” says Erin, homeowner. “We originally wanted the main bedroom to be in the spot where the study is, but changed it at the last minute. In hindsight, though, we probably should have stuck to our first plan.”

David Noordhoff is at dnarchi.au and @dn.archi

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One of the first couples to have their home undergo the (sledge)hammer were total rookie renovators, Brad and Mel, who in turn worked on their fellow Victorians, Taeler and Elle’s, Watsonia home. And while the competition’s first week saw them sit at the bottom of the leaderboard, it wasn’t all bad — we’re sure they’ll find their sea legs eventually.

The property they’ve thrown up for other contestants to tackle is their untouched, three-bedroom, “1920s Edwardian old girl” in Northcote, which has housed their family of six…somehow. In terms of a brief, Brad and Mel’s was loose and open to interpretation. Humble as ever, they simply say they want their home to be a place of love and somewhere their children can thrive and are proud to be their friends — with lots of storage!

Who are Dream Home’s Brad and Mel?

Married for over 20 years, musician Brad and shopping centre delivery manager Mel have four children aged between 12 and 18. It’s no small feat that has left them with little time to renovate their home and a track record of loan rejections along the way. Although the pair have a learn-along-the-way approach, they do foresee themselves butting heads as they reconcile Mel’s strict and structured approach vs Brad’s eclectic style.

Tour Brad and Mel’s Northcote home

Living area

Hannah and Jonny’s interpretation of Mel and Brad’s ‘light and bright’ desires amounted to this breezy living room, which features a tiled fireplace, built-in cabinetry and a huge L-shaped sofa that can accommodate their whole family. Judge Simon Cohen felt the fireplace was a great value-add, and we agree.

Kitchen

A simple but effective layout sees this kitchen design by Jacinta and Jordan shine. A generous island bench (uninterrupted by a sink!) leaves room for casual family meals, and opting for a window instead of a splashback creates more opportunities for light to enter. The space’s only downfall, according to judges, was the two-tone joinery.

Dubbed ‘boring’ and compared to a boardroom, Jacinta and Jordan’s dining room fell flat with the judges, who recommended the addition of a half-wall to separate the space and a cosy rug underfoot.

After a nerve-wracking and painstaking relocation of one of the home’s original ceiling roses, Taeler and Elle felt they were set up for success with 16-year-old Spencer’s bedroom, which also features a half-height textured nib wall (great for storage!) and warm-toned bedding. Although we think the room’s chic design leaves it open for adaptation, judge Lana Taylor questioned if it had the appropriate ‘edge’.

Spencer’s ensuite

The decision to hide Spencer’s ensuite bathroom behind a wardrobe door was a divisive one. However, the space is undoubtedly redeemed by lots of storage, a neutral colour palette, and double sinks. It’s worth noting that to create this large space, Taeler and Elle sacrificed future potential for a second bathroom.

Bennett’s bedroom

18-year-old Bennett’s bedroom was the second tackled by Hannah and Jonny in week 1, and it was dubbed ‘epic’. The arched built-in desk is sleek and minimal, perfect for a teen transitioning to adulthood.

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As the competition between the six pairs of contestants continues to ramp up, Victorian sisters Taeler and Elle are taking every challenge in their stride and earning high praise from the judges.

Meanwhile, the sisters’ traditional 1960s merchant builder home in the Melbourne suburb of Watsonia North is getting the Dream Home treatment, with their fellow contestants renovating different rooms of the home.

Who are Dream Home’s Taeler and Elle?

Taeler, 33, and Elle, 29, are two sisters from Victoria who signed up to Dream Home to give Elle’s dated 1960s Melbourne home, which she bought with her boyfriend Brody back in 2022, a complete renovation. As for the competition side (with the enticing $100k prize), the pair are confident they have an edge over their competitors; Taeler is a graduate of architecture and a professional house flipper. Elle, an HR Advisor, says she’s happy to take the back seat and let Taeler’s creative side shine through.

As for the outcome of Elle’s home, the girls are hoping for a modern 70s aesthetic with rich tones and bold gestures.

Take a look inside Taeler and Elle’s Watsonia home so far.

Kitchen

Rhys and Liam’s transformation of Elle’s kitchen scored high, earning the top spot in Dream Home‘s first judging round. Warm and welcoming, the kitchen features a neutral palette of timber, stone and beige. The curved timber wall leading to the butler’s pantry, large island bench and invisible cooktop all garnered positive feedback from the judges too.

Butler’s pantry/laundry

Cleverly hidden behind the kitchen is a streamlined butler’s pantry and laundry space illuminated by soft downlights integrated into the cabinetry. While the area provides plenty of storage, a sink, and a washer and dry combo, judge Lana Taylor questioned whether an additional sink and dishwasher should have been included in the butler’s pantry space.

Living area

Keeping with the warm, neutral colour palette, the living area -which was executed by Lara and Peter- enjoys plenty of natural light streaming in through the home’s pitched skylight and large sliding doors. Curved decor and soft furnishings add to the warmth of the space alongside a wood heater.

Living area

Although the judges liked the colour palette, they agreed that the space felt tight, particularly with the size of the TV.

Guest bedroom

Lara and Peter’s warm and calming guest bedroom impressed the judges with its curved walls and ceiling.

Main bedroom

Keeping in with the neutral tones, Brad and Mel’s renovation of the main bedroom saw them incorporate plenty of storage and recessed lighting.

Main bathroom

A fluted freestanding bath, black tapware and curved timber bathroom vanity featured in Brad and Mel‘s bathroom, and while the space successfully achieves a sense of calm and warmth, judge Simon Cohen said some of the features were a little dated.

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“The listing wasn’t great and the outside wasn’t particularly charming but we were instantly captivated by the high ceilings. We knew we could do something really special with it,” they say.

Owned by one family for five decades, the home had been divided into three separate apartments, each with its own kitchen and lived in by different members of the family.

“We met the vendors at the auction and they shared their memories of the house over a bottle of celebratory champagne. They gave us a box documenting all the additions and changes made over time and even if it was a little hodgepodge it had been renovated with love and all the original features were intact,” explain the owners who engaged Sarah Comerford, founder and CEO of Sydney-based practice Home By Belle for the renovation.

The couple had been living in a terrace nearby for 11 years but after Covid they realised the need for more space. Their brief was for a house well-suited to entertaining guests and practical enough for family life.

One of the owners grew up in a typical North American home in Canada and yearned for something similar with “the warmth of an old house married with a modern vibe”. Functional amenities were important, but not at the expense of retaining traditional aspects.

“Sometimes when people take on big, old houses they try to modernise them. We were pleased to work with Sarah who wanted to retain features such as the stained glass even though some pieces didn’t necessarily match,” say the owners.

The interiors were so voluminous that Sarah and her team used wainscoting to minimise the “excessive scale”. On the ground floor, panelling was introduced with a dado rail and large artworks added to absorb some of the vastness of the walls. The soaring ceilings likewise called for generous pendant lights, often hanging in clusters.

While the house has a grand foyer with a bedroom and ensuite off to the left and a music room off to the right, the day-to-day entry is around the side. Access is now via a mudroom and generous adjacent laundry kitted out with thoughtful bamboo drawers so shoes can be aired out, hooks for schoolbags, three washers and dryers, and joinery that runs all the way up to the ceiling.

“We have stepladders all over the house, but it still made sense to use the whole wall as cabinetry. We store Christmas decorations in there – you’re only going to get them down once a year and this way it doesn’t take up much-needed everyday space. It felt like an indulgence but it’s also very practical,” says the client.

The living room runs off the central spine, and the kitchen and dining areas are arranged in an L-shape at the rear. An opening beside the dining banquette leads to the butler’s pantry.

The dining room is a special spot for the couple who put a call out on social media for a woodworker to design them a table. Suggestions led them to Mudgee-based Tim Griffiths from MBT Timber Designs who carved them a five-metre table in camphor laurel cut from a tree on his own property.

“It has a steel frame that could hold up a building,” says Sarah, who laid the floor underneath with a modern, monochrome ‘tiled carpet’ to make cleaning up easier. Six months in and it’s already a regular hotspot for friends.”

“We just hosted a birthday that started on the front porch for cocktails, moved upstairs for champagne and oysters on the terrace, and then for dinner downstairs – we could fit all 18 people for a sit-down meal. The spaces feel grand but warm. It caters well to a lot of people.”

The parents retreat takes up a third of the first floor, the bedroom and ensuite split by a walk-in-wardrobe. The bathroom, a calm space in fresh hues, contrasts with the rich, moody scheme of the bedroom. Sarah borrowed floor space from the sunroom balcony to create more seating and a workout area.

On the same level, the couple’s sons share a bathroom while their daughter has her own ensuite.

“This new home of ours is a place we want filled with family dinners, celebrations, Christmases, Easter lunches and neighbourhood parties. It’s a place we want our kids to bring their friends home to.”

Home by Belle: homebybelle.com.au

The Design Team

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Both of them were highly successful in their own right — at the age of 20, Lleyton was the youngest male tennis player to be ranked number one, and Bec was a star on the popular soap opera Home and Away. But it seems that it wasn’t just on the court and in front of the camera that they succeeded. In their almost 20-year marriage, the couple have played the real estate game, and they’ve played it well.

Below, we’re taking you inside every home Lleyton and Bec Hewitt have owned in Australia and abroad.

Three Birds’ Glenhaven estate, NSW (2023-current)

At the end of 2023, it was reported that Lleyton and Bec had quietly purchased the Glenhaven home of Three Birds’ interior designer Bonnie Hindmarsh and her husband, former Parramatta Eels star Nathan Hindmarsh for $10.3 million. Bonnie had previously described the modern coastal barn as her “dream home” having rebuilt from scratch on the two-hectare property in semi-rural Sydney.

The glamorous one-level home has a the designer’s trademark white-clad exterior, while the interior features a central pavilion with 7m ceilings, walls of glass and a mammoth five metre island bench in the kitchen.

And apart from the resort-style pool, guest cabana, separate office and barn for storage, there is, of course, a tennis court.

Burleigh Heads Palm Springs-style home, QLD (2021-current)

In 2021, Lleyton and Bec bought an architectural Palm Spring-inspired home in Burleigh Heads on the Gold Coast for $4,305,000. They had been renting a similar style home down the road while they waited for the sale to settle.

The breathtaking beachside home was designed by PM Concepts and built by JG Building Projects and JSW Landscape and Design. It was sold fully furnished, with styling done by local interior design studio, Kira & Kira.

Domain.com called it the house that ‘almost broke the internet’ thanks to the number of views it garnered during its selling campaign, which is not surprising considering just three months before the Hewitt’s purchased the property, it had been bought for $3,750,000.

Toorak mansion, VIC (2016 – 2021)

Settling back on Australian soil in 2016, Lleyton and Bec bought a French-inspired residence that was still under construction on one of Toorak’s best boulevards. They spent $12.7 million to secure the property, and brought in architect Christopher Doyle and builder Peter Johnston of Royale Construction to complete the home.

When they sold it five years later for $15.2 million in 2021, it had five ensuite bedrooms, a grand foyer, formal lounge and dining room, 12-seat home cinema and an 1800-bottle wine cellar. The garden was fitted with a covered alfresco area, swimming pool, in-ground trampoline and finished with astro turf with a Rebound Ace tennis surface.

Now, the home is back on the market again with a similar price guide of $15.2 million to $16 million. But you’ll need to get in quick as offers will close on 20th June.

The Toorak home previously owned by Bec and Lleyton Hewitt is on the market once again with the listing agent, Tim Brown at RT Edgar. 34 Heyington Place, Toorak 3142 is a five bedroom, seven bathroom, and six car home, and is accepting offers between $15,200,000 – $16,000,000.

Expressions of interest close Thursday 20th June via realestate.com.au.

On the market

Luxe waterfront villa, The Bahamas (2009)

In 2009, Llyeton and Bec relocated their now family of five to the Bahamas in order to be closer to the US and the tennis circuit. In early 2009, the spent $3.8 million to secure a four-bedroom, four-bathroom property with its only private jetty in an exclusive part of an island in the capital of Nassau.

The home is located within an exclusive gated community, and its pricetag would have allowed the Hewitt’s to obtain permanent residency in the Bahamas, and therefore tax-free income. Although they have since settled back in Australia, it seems they still own the offshore property.

Kenthurst acreage, NSW (2006 – 2016)

A year after their wedding, Lleyton and Bec Hewitt settled on a five-acre property in Kenthurst, in Sydney’s north west. They spent $3 million on the sprawling seven-bedroom family home, that came with a swimming pool complete with a children’s wading area, and its own play equipment in the garden.

Elsewhere on the property was a private golf green with bunkers, a practice net and clubhouse, along with two tennis courts. While one was finished in a synthetic grass, Lleyton resurfaced the other to replicate the plexicushion surface from the Rod Laver Arena.

The couple listed the property for sale in 2016 for $5 million and sold it for as much just 13 days later.

Palm Beach holiday home, NSW (2005 – 2014)

Bec’s stint on popular Palm Beach-based soap opera Home and Away isn’t the only connection the couple have with the coastal enclave. They bought a five-bedroom holiday home there in 2005 for $4.4 million, shortly after selling Bec’s townhouse in nearby Avalon.

The three-storey home was protected by private gardens, while oversized windows and alfresco areas made the most of their views, which stretched all the way from Barrenjoey Headland across to the Palm Beach rock pools.

While the couple had price expectations upwards of $5.5 million when they listed the home in 2014, it eventually sold for $4,630,000 after almost 10 months on the market.

St Kilda apartments, VIC (2004 – 2017)

In 2014, Lleyton bought two luxury apartments off-the-plan in a building in Melbourne’s St Kilda for $8,325,000. Located on the 19th and 20th storey, he further invested in the property, combining the two apartments to create a mega-penthouse set across two levels with 740sqm of internal space and a further 440sqm of “curvaceous external terrace”.

With 360-degree views looking over Albert Park Lake and the MCG, it has six bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and a private, secured garage that fits up to eight cars. Surprisingly, Lleyton and Bec spent six years trying to offload the property, which they originally wanted $15 million for.

After giving it a facelift, the young couple then relisted the property with a guide of $9.5 million to $10 million, but ended up selling it for $8,175,000 in 2017, again, at a loss.

Adelaide mansion, SA (2003 – 2014)

Located in West Lakes in Adelaide, Llyeton purchased this three-bedroom, four-bathroom mansion in 2003 for a reportedly “overpriced” $3.2 million. The waterfront property features walls of windows, a spiralling staircase with a feature waterfall, indoor pool, and home cinema.

Lleyton originally listed his hometown property in 2008 with a price guide of $2.95 million to $3.24 million, but later sold it in 2014 at a loss for $2,185,600. It had been on the market for 273 days, and had been long left vacated.

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Despite calling the c1883 cottage, ‘Daybreak’, her forever home (big claim), it appears fate had other plans, as Nagi has already put the home back on the market mere months after settling, despite the proposal the author lodged just one month ago for almost $1 million worth of renovations and expansions. Although the reason that she has re-listed the home remains a mystery thanks to NDAs, exciting new career prospects were hinted to the Sydney Morning Herald by Nagi’s real estate agent of choice, Tracey Dixon. Here’s hoping she can recoup the funds — and some.

The Lower North Shore pad, now back on offer, sports an ultra-charming facade complete with iron lacework, hedge-lined pathways, a gabled roofline, stone steps, and the perfect symmetry you’d expect from a property of its historic standing. The gardens, described as “park-like”, sprawl to the rear of the home and encompass a swimming pool, vine-covered pergola, courtyard, shed, and studio with one extra bathroom.

The home was sold to Nagi off-market by BresicWhitney in December 2023. Before that, it sold for $4.75 million in November 2019, which was in turn $450,000 above what it sold for earlier that same year. Now, the home has been listed with Tracey Dixon of McGrath, and you can view the property listing here.

You can get your hands on Nagi Maehashi’s record-breaking cookbook, RecipeTin Eats: Dinner for $24 from Big W.

Inside Nagi Maehashi’s Hunters Hill home for sale

The home is practically bursting with heritage charm and includes French doors that open onto the wraparound sandstone verandah and hardwood timber floors.

Arguably the second most important room in any cook’s home; the dining area is exquisite, featuring yet another ornate fireplace and traditional timber skirting.

The open-plan kitchen is generously sized and features a simple palette and plenty of storage — though we can’t help but wonder whether it would have received a Nagi-worthy makeover.

The rear of the home is light and bright. Floor-to-ceiling sliding doors lead the way onto a stone-paved courtyard, which flows onto the expansive rear garden.

The vine-covered, paved pergola marks the perfect place for alfresco dining and comes complete with an outdoor built-in BBQ. Golden retriever Dozer approves.

A glance back at the home from its rolling lawns reveals the second storey, which includes two bedrooms and a bathroom.

The solar-heated swimming pool and spa are shaded by a well-maintained, established garden.

Mature trees surround another of the property’s winning assets: the backyard studio, which houses a bathroom and kitchenette.

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They snapped it up in 2021 while living in the Netherlands and enlisted architect Ben Robertson and interior architect Lauren Foy of Tecture and stylist Rebecca Jansma.

One of the owners, a seasoned renovator of heritage homes, explains: “Our agent assured us the location was perfect, and we trusted that Tecture and the builders would turn it into a beautiful family home.”

The north-facing property did tick all the boxes, yet it was ripe for a European-inspired reimagining ahead of the owners’ return to Australia with their two teenage kids. Over Zoom and email, Ben, Lauren and the owners finessed the floorplan and interiors to inject quiet luxury.

The rear extension — sporting a quirky diagonal corridor, bonus bedroom and faux-Colonial kitchen — along with a single-room, second-storey annex, had to go. Ben and Lauren redesigned the extension, restoring the now single-level house to accommodate a marble kitchen, butler’s pantry, laundry and living/dining.

The front of the house was tweaked to include four lavish bedrooms, a bathroom, guest ensuite and powder room. “The main bedroom doesn’t have a walk-in robe, but walk-through robe doors unveil a beautiful ensuite,” says Ben.

The old and new parts of the house are delineated by an elegant study and a family room. “You move past them to get to the lower kitchen/living/dining,” says Ben.

The owner wanted a darker palette and wainscoting here. “There is beauty in cosy and intimate rooms,” says Lauren.

Lauren also took cues from the original house. “It had been painted pastel greens and peachy tones, and some of that did find its way into the palette!”

“For example, the Tiberio marble kitchen island, soft greens in the bathrooms, and the green Venetian plaster in the powder room.”

“I wanted to have fun with colour. Rebecca gave me courage to take chances with fabrics and rugs.”

OWNER

Interior designer Rebecca Jansma assisted with art, furniture, lighting and decor selection. “We only brought two pieces of furniture from the Netherlands — the piano, and a Mathieu Challières light shade from my daughter’s bedroom,” says the owner.

“We needed to furnish from scratch. It was overwhelming, [but] Rebecca was fantastic.”

Outside, Plume Studio added lush plantings, whimsical groundcover and an exterior fireplace. A classic garden adorns the frontage, stepping stones and native violet lead down the side to a courtyard, and beyond the carport and gym is the backyard and barbecue area.

While the owners still travel back and forth to the Netherlands, their new home base in Geelong is special. “This is where we all come together to spend time as a family,” says one of the owners. “We love to entertain, whether inside around the dining table or in the beautiful garden spaces by Plume Studio; but when it’s just the four of us, nothing beats family games night.”

THIS IS THE LIFE

After an 18-month build, this globetrotting family of four was rapt with the result. “The materials and features are beautiful, but most of all, the spaces feel wonderful.”

Ben and Lauren are most proud that the international owners trusted them wholeheartedly. It was such a success, in fact, that they’ve re-engaged Tecture to transform their holiday house. Watch this space.

Tecture: tecture.com.au.

Rebecca Jansma Interior Design: rebeccajansma.com.au.

Biviano Builders: @bivianobuilders.

Plume Studio: plumestudio.com.au.

The Design Team

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A converted Salvation Army hall with a mix of industrial, Art-Deco and Federation styles

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After selling their storybook terrace in Sydney’s inner west in early 2023 for $2.58 million, Edwina and Neil promptly purchased a rundown property in Carcoar, a heritage-protected town roughly three-and-a-half hours drive from Sydney, for just over $1 million.

Not only is the new two-acre country property considerably larger than the corner of land the young family owned in Sydney, but it also used to be the town’s pub (and still has its underground cellar intact and accessible from the street!). They plan to transform the main building into a boutique hotel that feels like home.

And while the couple say in a video they posted to Instagram that they have no clue how to run a hotel, that’s not entirely true. They also own a 42-hectare regenerative farm in Capertee Valley, a large canyon between Lithgow and Mudgee, called Warramba, home to a stunning sandstone farmhouse the couple restored and now regularly rent out.

“It’s essentially an accommodation business and has been my hospitality apprenticeship,” Neil told Homes to Love.

But that’s certainly not to suggest they don’t have a lot of work ahead of them. With Edwina staying in Sydney during the week with their two kids and a busy work schedule, and Neil splitting his time between Warramba and, now, Carcoar, just the thought of adding renovating to the list seems exhausting.

To get the run-down on the reno, we spoke to Neil Varcoe about how he juggles his many hats – from “Chief Farming Officer” at Warramba, to dad – and when we can expect to see the hotel doors flung open.

Saltash Farm renovation

Edwina and Neil had given themselves 12 months to complete the renovations of Saltash Farm in Carcoar, including the hotel, adjacent luxury cabins and spa and pool, collaborating with Howarth Building and architecture firm Studio Esteta, who worked on their home in Sydney.

They’re planning on turning what is currently operating as a café into a dining area, the current dining room will become a reception, and the front room will be used as a library. Each room and the seven accompanying bathrooms will need renovating, and they haven’t quite settled on a plan for the old shed yet. “Maybe a bar for functions or a shop for guests,” Edwina suggests in a video update on their build’s Instagram account, @saltash__farm.

However, they’re running a little behind schedule. A town planner, accessibility expert, and the Council’s Heritage Expert reviewed their proposal and found 15 items, including their septic waste management plans, that needed to be fixed. “We hoped to get started in January — but that was wildly optimistic.”

The development application was also put on exhibition, which is where the proposal is halted and the community is encouraged to provide feedback. This concluded a few weeks ago and received two submissions, both of which Neil said were “mostly reasonable requests with easy fixes.”

“The previous owners invited us to a handover meeting,” continues Neil. “I had expected to be shown which key opens which door and how to use the boiler. As it turns out, there were 40 or 50 people in the café — tables were corralled in the middle of the room, and they’d each bought a plate. There were even speeches.”

“As I worked my way around the room, it became clear that this was not my project — it was ours. The town felt a sense of ownership over the building. Saltash Farm had to be a project they could be proud of — and feel welcome into in some way.”

The first test came a short time later when the name they’d chosen — The Victoria — was contested. “We’d named if after a historical title when it was a pub,” says Neil. “People felt we’d gotten the history wrong, so we changed it. It became the first European name for this lot, Saltash Farm. This involved months of paperwork — but it was important to the town, so it was important to us.”

Grounds of Saltash Farm

As for the exterior of the hotel, due to Carcoar’s unique heritage guidelines, the couple will be limited with what they can do, even down to their colour choices. “The heritage guidelines are designed to preserve and protect significant buildings. We’re aligned in our goals. I love them, and besides, constraints create magic,” says Neil.

“Outside, we’ve been pragmatic — matching the colour scheme to the roof colour to save costs. It will be Dulux Portland Stone and Lime White — with Manor Red accents to tie in with the roof. It’s within heritage guidelines and is designed to blend into the streetscape rather than call attention to itself.”

“We have also decided to add a verandah to the shed on the advice of the heritage expert at the front to ensure it blends in with the streetscape,” Edwina told Realestate.com.au.

Plus, the home will boast a seven star energy efficiency rating, with water tanks on every building and solar panels on the new structures.

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A post shared by Saltash Farm (@saltash__farm)

Next on the list is cracking into the surrounding gardens, for which they’re working with Richard Unsworth and Beck Colechin’s landscape design studio, Studio UC. They have plans for an established heritage garden, orchard, organic kitchen garden, outdoor fireplace, paths, a chook shed with rare breed chickens, cubby house and even sheep.

“We had a significant clean-up over spring and summer and then walked around Carcoar to chose the same trees or species that complement what’s there — and even mirrored an adjoining neighbour’s garden so they could see plants they love,” says Neil.

“We’ll extend the gardens significantly to be roughly double what they are now. The hotel will have over an acre of gardens wrapped around it where we’ll run Australian White sheep on the hill below the historic Carcoar Train Station. It will look and feel like a guest house of old — updated for today.”

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Interiors of Saltash Farm

Inside, they’ve started clearing out all of the furniture (and ghosts!) that had been left behind by previous owners, and had a garage sale to make sure it didn’t all end up in landfill. Neil shared on his Instagram that they even had to bring in crime scene cleaners to help purge the property and remove food that had expired over eight years ago.

“We want every room to be a different colour and feel really different. It’s a hotel and not a home so can be a bit more avant-garde with our design,” Edwina told realestate.com.au of their eclectic palette, which favours “darker heritage colours”.

The walls will feature all Australian artists and, with some works commissioned, Neil joked that their budget might be running on empty. “Edwina and I had a discussion yesterday about how much of the budget has already been spent on art — so much so that we may not have the cash to build the walls to hang them on!”

For Neil, a key highlight will be an original piece by Brisbane artist Kate Pittas, an Australian mural which will sit in the reception room. “It will be inspired by the drawing and dining rooms of the Victorian era and will be unique to Saltash Farm. It’s one of my favourite design choices so far.”

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Saltash Farm’s inspiration…

Neil takes his inspiration from the iconic country projects surrounding him in regional NSW, including Wilga Station in Bathurst to The Tourist Hotel in Narrabri and the eponymous Nyngan Hotel. “We also recently visited Heatherbrae — it is a magnificent restoration of one of Melbourne’s first mansions.”

“The hotel that has provided the deepest inspiration has been Ett Hem Stockholm. With Warramba, we wanted it to feel like home. We peeled back anything that made it look or feel like a holiday rental, so people could imagine that this was their country life for the weekend.”

“We imagined the same feeling at Saltash — an open kitchen with a large table where you could grab a bowl of cereal or a glass of wine; shared meals and nooks to sit. Ett Hem showed us that this was possible.”

“There was a time when you had to move to the city to pursue your dreams — now, the opposite seems true,” says Neil. “A wide array of smart, creative people are moving to the country — and that brings a host of benefits and opportunities.”

“Life in Carcoar is like stepping into a picture book. It is the third-oldest settlement west of the Blue Mountains. It’s a village frozen in time.”

“Church bells invite you to get serious about the day at 9 am and call you to dinner at 6 pm. News is delivered by mouth over picket fences, and everyone has time for a chat. It doesn’t just feel like a simpler time. It is.”

“Near me, there’s Parlour O —  a Paddington hairdresser with a satellite salon in Orange — Sydney-quality coffee at The Village Grocer Carcoar and Milthorpe Providore, and excellent schools, shopping, and entertainment. My favourite restaurant in the world — Antica Australis — is four minutes walk from my house. Living regionally, I don’t feel like I’m missing out.”

Life in Carcoar…

When will Saltash Farm open?

“We still expect to be open in Autumn 2025, although it will take as long as it takes to get it right. It’s a special building in an extraordinary town. It’s important that we do it right,” says Neil

“We’ll have a schedule of events — including cooking classes and creative workshops. There’ll also be a spa with massage therapists. These are examples of the kinds of experiences that residents will be able to enjoy.”  

We’ll be keeping a close eye on what comes next. For more, you can follow along on Instagram at @saltash__farm.

The post Sunrise presenter Edwina Bartholomew and Neil Varcoe’s 140-year-old hotel renovation appeared first on Homes To Love.

Lana and her husband Jason have been living in their Northbridge home on Sydney’s North Shore for 15 years and had been wanting to renovate well before she started Three Birds Renovations. The problem was, like many of us, she didn’t know what she wanted. “Before we started [Three Birds] I had no sense of personal style. Nothing around my house matched and everything looked ridiculous. My home didn’t reflect who I was.”

But, multiple renovations later, and with the help of business partners Bonnie and Erin, things became a little clearer. “After our third house a light bulb went off. I looked at the style of house I was living in, realised it was Mediterranean, and more so that I absolutely loved the pink bougainvillea at the front. It dawned on me that it had to be a Mediterranean style home transformation to a modern form.” And so began the renovation of Lana’s forever home in a whirlwind transformation.

Lana has learned from her previous renovations that tradespeople have seen thousands of houses, and witnessed what works and what doesn’t – so, their feedback can be gold. “I didn’t plan to extend the house, but when I got an air-conditioning quote, the tradesman asked if I was considering it,” Lana says. “He said I was crazy not to spend the extra money to extend in terms of the value it would add to my life, and the home. He could immediately see what I couldn’t – that the living space needed to be larger,” she adds. “I may have done five houses, but he’d seen hundreds of houses in the area. After he put the idea in my head I realised he was right, so I actioned it.” It pays to listen to the experts.

While the living room was extended, the bedrooms were reduced. After all, this is Lana’s forever home, so she wanted to customise it to suit her family, not what someone else might like. “We have two kids, we’re not having any more and we don’t love having house guests – so we didn’t need a guest room collecting dust and taking up valuable floor space,” Lana says. “We made the conscious choice to only have three bedrooms, instead of the four we originally had. We used the other space for more practical elements in the house like my beautiful open-plan office.”

When it came to the finer details of the renovation, Lana turned to her friends for inspiration – and a reality check! “I had my heart set on floor-to-ceiling mirrors in my room, as I thought it would open up the space and bring the outdoors in. I was so set on it that Bonnie had to stage an intervention! She said it was too modern and flashy and didn’t suit the Mediterranean look. I was so annoyed at the time, but I knew that it didn’t suit what I was trying to achieve so I had to let it go. Now, I have pure white wall with a beautiful piece of art on it and it’s just perfection.”

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Style of home: A five-bedroom 1930s house on 1000 square metres.

Location: Melbourne’s Malvern, the traditional land of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung and Bunurong people.

Timeline: The interior took nine months, and the landscaping another six. Work was finished by December 2022.

After growing up in the UK, Cecilia Rosenberg had a love for old buildings. She always knew she didn’t want to raise her family in a brand new home, but rather a house that had some history. So, when she and husband Zac stumbled across a 100-year-old house in Victoria’s Malvern that hadn’t been touched for 50 years, they knew it was for them.

“We’d been looking to move for about two years,” says Cecilia. “Then, we saw this house, which was all higgledy-piggledy inside and had a massive oak tree in the garden. It felt so charming, we knew it was the right place for us. We saw it on a Wednesday and had bought it by the Friday.”

Although they knew the house would need some updating, they wanted to maintain the feel of the original property. “We didn’t want to rush into doing anything until we knew how the house felt,” Cecilia explains. “But we had the plumber and the sparky on speed dial when we first moved in!”

The family lived in the house for two years before they started any renovation work. It wasn’t until Cecilia met the team from interior-design company Sanders & King that they pressed ‘go’ on the job. “I knew we’d work really well together,” she says. “Their suggestions around the colours, textures and furnishings were all on the same wavelength as me. The brief wasn’t tight – really it was to improve the flow of the rooms, and update the place without losing its charm.”

While nothing major was done to the structure of the house, there were some interesting finds as they moved walls and landscaped outside. “Lots of the pipes and drains were the original ones from the 1910s and they had tree roots in them,” says Cecilia. “I suspect that the oak tree in the garden is actually holding up the house!”

The big windows and natural light throughout allowed Cecilia and the design team to use strong colours in some rooms. “We wanted to keep some of the house’s original 1910s to 1920s aesthetic,” she says. “To do that, we kept to a more traditional colour palette and decided we wouldn’t be afraid of using colour.

There’s an intuitive flow to the house; the mud room is quite dark, and the staircase is dark. But because the house is very light, even on a grey day, it’s not overbearing.”

Where possible, they kept the original windows with their beautiful beading, but painted the frames black so they were in keeping with the new ironwork around the house. “This makes it really cohesive and ties everything together.”

The marble in various rooms does the same thing, as the kitchen bench, fireplace, powder-room vanity and marble-lined arch in the main bathroom all feature the same material. “We also have a few marble coffee tables,” Cecilia points out.

The pale pink cabinetry in the bathroom is designed to bring out some of the hues in the marble. “I was overseas when the cabinetry was installed. Zac called me and said, ‘Is our bathroom pink?’” laughs Cecilia. “This room was originally really dark and dingy, so the pale pink really lightens and softens the space.”

The kitchen also offers a splash of colour, courtesy of the Lacanche range in a blue called Vert Silice. “Once we’d decided on the oven, everything else in the kitchen fell into place,” says Cecilia. “The other thing that was important to me was not having the sink on the bench; I think that spoils the flow. Everything else needed to be fluid, light and practical.”

Despite the age of the property, the renovation went smoothly. “We were prepared for things to come up, and couldn’t believe it when we discovered there was no dry rot or termites,” Cecilia admits. “The biggest issue we had was when one of the landscapers fell into a hole and broke a pipe, which caused a leak in the spa.”

Now the house is complete, Cecilia and her family believe the longer they live in it, the better it will get. “It’s definitely our forever home,” she says. “There’s somewhere for everyone to be. The kids love it, and I like being able to eyeball their friends as they walk through the house to the games room.”

For Cecilia, the best part of the house is its small imperfections. “The walls aren’t straight, which means some of the joinery has funny little gaps,” she says. “The fact that it isn’t perfect just adds to the charm.”

Lessons learnt

“The power of paint and how important it is,” Elissa King, interior designer. “We often forget how powerful a change of paint colour can be. It has the ability to add drama, create a delineation and even alter the perception of the size of a room. As a medium, paint is cost-effective in creating instant change and effect. The quality of the painting is crucial to the overall success of a project. So often, a lot of time and care is taken with the initial trades, but the final trades, such as painting, are rushed through and often the cheapest quote is accepted. Time and care must be taken with the finishing trades as that’s what the eye first sees at the completion of the project.”

Sanders & King is at sandersandking.com.au and @sandersandking. Landscaping by Eckersley Garden Architecture at e-ga.com.au

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Situated in the heart of Kimba on the Eyre Peninsula wheatbelt, on traditional Barngarla lands, “the old doctor’s house” has seen generations of families. Lisa grew up on the family farm just outside the town and recalls many trips to the doctor’s house to see the visiting dentist.

Years later in Western Australia, with Lisa working in corporate communications and her husband Andrew, 43, working in the mining industry, the thought of moving back to Kimba was as remote as the town itself. “But when the idea took hold, it took hold hard,” says Lisa.

The plan involved Lisa’s emerging copywriting business, The Good Copy Company, and a new Kimba venture, Workshop26. As a microbusiness incubator full of local creatives, Workshop26 offered the perfect place for a career change – one that involved Lisa sharing the stories of rural businesswomen. And better yet, the doctor’s house across the road was vacant, patiently waiting for an owner. “I’m a sucker for old houses. I love the proportions and the design, and the way they were just built to last,” Lisa says.

After leaving WA with a stop at Roxby Downs, Lisa and Andrew and their three sons, Heath, nine, Liam, six, and three-year-old James, were ready for a fresh start.

With a gorgeous stone frontage, sash windows and Baltic pine floors, the doctor’s house had held onto its old-world charm but needed a major revamp.

“It was terribly rundown,” Lisa admits. “It had a bright yellow laminate kitchen and a rabbit-warren of rooms, but plenty of potential and lots of original features just waiting to be uncovered.”

One such feature was the terrazzo floor in the main bathroom. Although the bathroom itself was in bad shape due to sustained water damage, Lisa was adamant that they could save the terrazzo. “I love it,” she says. “Once it’s gone you can’t get it back, and there’s just no substitute for quality.”

However, preserving the floor meant they had to keep the home’s original footprint, and this presented a challenge as several rooms felt poky and cramped. Expert restructuring involved removing the walls to the doctor’s waiting and consulting rooms so that a larger main bedroom could be created. Likewise, the living room was opened to the hallway with double-width barn doors – which had one unexpected consequence.

“They basically do laps!” Lisa jokes, referring to Heath, Liam and James. “It’s super easy to run or ride your little pedal bike and chuck laps of the house… but it’s nice to have a beautiful, happy home for three boys.”

Not only that, when the family first moved in, the old dentist chairs were still in place, offering the lively youngsters the perfect opportunity to race them up and down the verandah. Other heritage features include ornate fretwork, decorative ceiling roses, and dappled glass doors that infuse the rooms with delicate shafts of light. These features pair beautifully with Lisa’s penchant for vintage decor, which lends the home a warm, lived-in feel. Curated gallery walls, timber fixtures and Art Deco mirrors stand out on the classic white backdrop, with many items sourced from Lisa’s mother, who runs a vintage store in Workshop26.

“My sister and I work with Mum, sourcing and styling pieces from all over South Australia,” explains Lisa. “Lots of those beautiful pieces, if I’m honest, never actually make it into the shop.”

At home, the only thing left to add was a touch of colour – a deep, forest-green hue in the main bedroom for a soothing tone. “The green makes it feel enclosed in a really lovely way. The old fireplace was a bit of an ugly duckling, but the green just makes it pop and now it’s the star of the room,” says Lisa.

A velvet chair beside the fireplace is a cherished spot for downtime, with Lisa often gazing out the window and seeing her sisters over at Workshop26. It’s here that she spends time writing, telling the tales of her country clients – including a few articles featured in Country Style.

As for the doctor’s house, its story is far from over. “For now, we’ll just keep loving our little home, making it the best we can for our little family,” Lisa says.

Visit thegoodcopycompany.com.au and workshop26.org.au

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Located in the sought-after historic building collection, The Rex, Mitch and Mark have owned the one-bedroom dwelling for the last eight years, using it as an investment rental. “It’s an amazing inner city apartment designed as an oasis in the city,” the pair told Homes To Love. “It’s a great lifestyle, close to amazing restaurants, you can walk to the CBD if you like, or even wander across to the botanic gardens and the Opera House! And on Saturdays, the Kings Cross Markets are right there to wander through, buy produce, and enjoy the eclectic lifestyle of the area.”

The interiors are decked out in the pair’s signature style: packed with colour, relaxed sophistication, and the occasional quirk. The duo worked to bring it up to scratch in time for the sale, applying a fresh coat of paint and changing out some of the fixtures. The sale comes in time for them to focus their efforts on their Newport renovation, a three-level 1970s property they’ve unofficially dubbed ‘The Newport View’ due to the home’s sweeping coastal outlook.

“We’ve been living in Newport on the northern beaches of Sydney now for 4 years, which we love, so we think it’s time to let someone else enjoy everything inner city living provides. We loved our years living in and around Potts Point.”

The last time the property sold was in 2015, nabbing a total of $680,000. Aside from the cosy bedroom and generously-sized kitchen, the home also features a study, bathroom with a walk-in shower, and full-sized laundry hidden behind a mirrored door.

Mitch and Mark’s 5 top tips for styling a property for sale

1. FRESH PAINT “Whether you think it needs it or not, it makes a huge difference.” 
2. DECLUTTER “Nobody is really interested in your collections from around the world, they need to be able to see themselves living there – but it’s a balance, don’t make it sterile.”
3. NEW FURNITURE “Tired furniture can have a big negative sales impact. Either invest in new furniture or rent it. It will more than pay for itself in the home sale price.”
4. KERB APPEAL “It’s paramount! It sets the mood for the inspection. If it’s a house – gardens, lawns, everything on the way to the front door has impact, so make it a delightful journey. The same goes for apartments. It sounds excessive, but we once took it upon ourselves to paint the corridor that led to our apartment – nobody chooses to live in an unloved building.”
5. FRESH AND INVITING SMELLS “Sounds obvious, but make sure your home smells fresh and inviting. Cooking smells, even cookies, can put people off. But avoid burning heavily scented candles, they can be seen to be hiding a smell. Oh, and ensure the garden is not freshly fertilised with pongy manure…”

The couple have $1.1 million hopes for their apartment at 104/50 Macleay Street, Potts Point, (which would mean a tidy profit) and listed with LR Laing. The auction is set for Tuesday 18th June, and you can check out the listing here.

On the market”

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What it did have though, was seven perfectly proportioned bedrooms, original Baltic pine floorboards, a slate roof, open fireplaces, an ornately arched hallway, and plenty of potential in the right hands.

While the Italianate manor (known as Ravenswood) had sat vacant for over a decade, it took just 18 days on the market to sell to Andy and his now-fiancée Rebecca Harding. Listing agent Antony Woodley of Jellis Craig shared that over 80 parties had inspected the crumbling mansion, only to quickly realise it would take millions to simply make the home liveable.

“We had a lot of interest from families looking to do a more simple restoration through to grander schemes,” he shared with realestate.com.au at the time of the sale.

Believed to have been built circa 1876, the two-storey home is one of Hawthorn’s oldest “ornate period properties” and as such, enjoys a prime position on the Yarra River, with almost 2000 sqm of land.

Andy had always dreamed of owning a house on the Yarra River. And after years of unsuccessful house hunting, Ravenswood came about rather serendipitously. “Mum saw a story about the house on the news, she filmed it off the TV and sent it to me with the message ‘I think I’ve found your new home’ as a joke,” Andy recently told Women’s Weekly. Soon after, the couple happened to be driving past the property on the way to another and thought they’d swing by. 48 hours later, it was theirs.

And while its current condition may make it seem like it would be simpler to knock it down and start again, the home has heritage protections as part of the ‘Rookery Estate Precinct’ and is considered an “aesthetically significant” home in the area due to its “picturesque combination of steeply pitched roofs, timber fretwork, brick and rough-cast stucco.”

That’s not to say things aren’t about to change considerably. News.com.au has recently shared that the couple’s plans submitted to the local council detail around $5 million worth of works intended for the property, including the installation of a pool, theatre and gym, as well as a golf simulator, a tunnel between two buildings and a “waiting room” for guests.

But perhaps the most lavish of those plans is the 97sqm main bedroom suite, complete with ensuite bathroom and walk-in wardrobe.

Taking to Instagram, Andy shared a post revealing “the team that have courageously agreed to take on the project” as none other than acclaimed architectural design firm, Flack Studio.

Since then, the couple has established a dedicated Instagram account for the house: @thebuild_ravenswood and have so far documented numerous new rooms within the build, including one with a unique porthole window. “This extremely unusual port hole window sits top left of the house as you see it from the street. I have no idea of its history but I do feel extra safe in that room if the Yarra River decides to flood,” they wrote. “It comes with its own mini curtain, a size and shape usually reserved for the revealing of important plaques.”

Most recently, they even revealed a mock-up of the new design with details of their brief to Flack Studio – “1. Honour the old house 2. We’d like to live in the new.” The drawing shows the original historic home standing proud on its own, with an ultra-modern rear extension that “makes the most of the river views,” wrote the couple. The two will be connected via an underground tunnel.

And while it seems that could still be a while away before the couple can move in, it hasn’t stopped them from enjoying their future home. In fact, Andy Lee recently proposed to Bec in the home while the pair were there capturing some footage. Andy, pretending to spot something in the fireplace, bent down on one knee and remained there until Bec came over to see what he was looking at. He then surprised her with a ring and a sweet proposal, surrounded by building dust and pigeon poo. Now the couple have a renovation and a wedding to plan!

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What appealed to you about your home?

Our north-facing home is an oasis on a quiet tree-lined street moments from the best Bondi has to offer. Living in the area all my life, it is wonderful to find that sense of calm here.

Virtually a new build, designed in close collaboration with architects MacDonald+Duque, friends Rachelle Lawler and Peter Martignago, and built by my husband Davor Pavlovic and Mick Fahey of Habiqo Constructions, it’s the most personal home I have lived in.

Davor put in much hard work, passion and love to what was a rundown semi. He kept the facade and two bedrooms and demolished the rest.

We have a beautiful wall extending from the hall into the living room that Miguel of Macquarie Renderers plastered with passion as he worked to music. He said that the music infuses into the walls and when there is a full moon these will dance. And they do. I have not put artwork on these walls because they are works of art.

How would you describe the interiors?

It glows as light changes over the day, dancing across the neutral colour palette so it all feels inviting and calm. I am drawn to natural fabrics and materials, and they are layered here in a tactile way. Everything has its purpose and the restraint translates to a peaceful energy.

What do you enjoy about living here?

It feels like a sanctuary. The steel-framed doors to the garden are open year-round and I love the connection to the lush greenery, magpies singing and our dog Wolfie running in and out. I’ve planted to attract more native birds and am excited when lorikeets visit the grevilleas.

We entertain a lot and the kitchen-dining area is perfectly designed for Davor and I to work at the island, chatting to guests at the generous table. We created features to support our wellness with a steam shower and sauna in the studio and our magnesium pool. Tending to my worm farm and veggie garden is like a daily meditation.

Do you have a work from home set up?

I have a lovely office at the front of the house, but often find myself on the back deck, which has beautiful light and is surrounded by leafy plants. I work long hours and weekends, so the dining table is a regular work space for me so I can stay connected as family and friends pop in and out, and closer to the kettle for my many cups of tea.

Describe a typical work day?

I wake about 5:45 am and try not to check emails and phone first thing. Instead, I love to start my day by going for a walk at Bondi Beach or Centennial Park. Walking clears my head and is when I feel most inspired. Breakfast might be eggs, mushrooms, tomatoes and salmon or a hearty bowl of porridge of buckwheat, almonds, miso, apple and quinoa.

As CEO and creative director of a growing company, I spend my day on call or in meetings on global distribution, creative campaigns, and working with microbiologists, naturopaths and nutritionists to develop new products. I visit our fermentation plant where it is exciting to see the scale of production in full swing, given it all started on my kitchen table years ago. I punctuate my day with pauses to enjoy my daily Glow® in water or a smoothie, or one of our other delicious skin-loving elixirs, and lots of herbal tea, and I pop out for walks with Wolfie.

After dinner, I wind down and switch off by putting down my phone and enjoying time with my family. I love reading books at night.

The Beauty Chef: thebeautychef.com

Rachel Lawler: rachellelawler.com.au

The Design Team

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The “halfway” happened to be a Cape Dutch aesthetic, a style of architecture prevalent in South Africa where the owners are from. “The wife liked clean lines,” says Al. “The husband was more relaxed in his approach, so we created something that’s very grounded and earthy, with really sophisticated detailing to satisfy both.”

The couple had some existing floorplans by a previous architect. While the structural parameters had largely been set, Al and Constance worked from the “inside out”, to first shuffle the internal spaces and then refine the architecture with the help of builders Critharis who had worked on a number of projects in the same street.

Along with interior designer Kristin Rawson, Al and Constance were careful not to veer into beachy territory. While the palette is muted and some finishes coarse, it’s not too raw. “It’s imperfect without looking too organic,” says Al.

This was achieved through crisp silhouettes executed in pale colours and natural materials. Think terracotta tiling, European oak, smooth plaster and limestone flooring with a bush-hammered finish. The ‘drunken’ rendered facade is an intentionally irregular application, a feature that captures the everchanging qualities of light as they shift during the day.

“We love the light and energy of the house,” says one of the owners. “The high ceilings combined with the aspect is the perfect combination, it’s both calming and vibrant. It feels spacious but cosy at the same time. There are so many opportunities to display our pot collection, French urns, olive jars and other ceramics. All the open shelving creates such warmth and visual interest.”

THIS IS THE LIFE

A study and games room sit opposite one another at the entrance before a generous foyer. These spaces were intended to be defined and separate.

Furnished in tangerine and apricot tones, the dedicated living room with a fireplace doubles as a social area to welcome guests and as a quiet, tech-free space for the family. “It’s like a ‘contemporary parlour’,” says Al.

A 3.6-metre arched corridor leading to the living, dining and kitchen has been inserted into the body of the building. Rather than just a structural opening, it’s like a “portal that gently draws you towards the open-plan rear”, says Will Critharis, managing director of Critharis. “It’s like a big reveal.” The arched motif is echoed throughout the house on in-built shelving.

The kitchen opens onto a covered balcony pergola made from rafters and bamboo — a feature reminiscent of Cape Dutch design. From here, there’s a view to a serene garden by Nicholas Hosking Studio, with a pool and fire pit. Big entertainers, the owners wanted a yard that could easily accommodate outdoor parties.

On the first floor, the bedrooms are “to-the-point but also warm”, explains Al. At the base of the landing are two bathrooms and three bedrooms, while the remainder of the floor is dedicated to the main bedroom, ensuite and his and her walk-in robes. The self-contained basement features a gym, rec area and kitchenette.

Lighting throughout the house was designed to be soft and indirect. LEDs are tucked into display shelving to illuminate the owners’ collection of vessels, tiny wall lights sit gently near the base of the stair treads and up-lights are hidden within ceiling coffers of the smooth timber-lined ceilings.

Streaming through floor-to-ceiling windows and flooding through the stairwell, natural light washes the house, too. “The idea,” says Constance, “was to create as much stillness as possible.”

Studio AC & Co: ac-co.com.au

Critharis: critharis.com

Kristin Rawson: kristinrawsoninteriordesign.com

Nicholas Hosking Studio: lily-lizard.squarespace.com

The Design Team

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“The client’s brief for a ‘beach house that isn’t a beach house’ informed the choice to have v-groove panelling sitting alongside more avant-garde choices such as the island that reads like a piece of furniture or sculpture.”

The space captures the vibrant energy of its beachside locale, particularly in the art selection, from the unconventional use of a bespoke Ben Mazey ceramic installation as a splashback, to its playful neighbour, a painting by Brendan Huntley. The kitchen is sandwiched by points of connection to nature, with a wall of windows on one side and an internal courtyard on the other. The result is a living space bathed in sunshine, at all times in conversation with the bustle of the suburb beyond.

What luxury items did you choose for this kitchen regardless of budget?

“Commissioning the artist Ben Mazey to produce a one-of-a-kind custom artwork for the rear wall, creating something joyful for something as utilitarian as a cooktop splashback helps to transform the kitchen into a space that is deeply personal to our client. The kitchen island itself is entirely bespoke.”

Madeleine Blanchfield Architects: madeleineblanchfieldarchitects.com

Skope Constructions: skopeconstructions.com.au

The Design Team

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The house was built in 1901, and by the 1940s, Phyllis McDonald and her husband moved in. New in town and keen to make friends, Phyllis opened Wahroonga’s door to the community in 1946 by establishing the Ionian Club, a women’s social network with chapters worldwide. She also ran deportment classes in the home’s lower level. “We’ve met so many beautiful people who have popped in and shared their debutant photos, and told us stories about Phyllis and the finishing school,” says Leeroy.

At their first viewing of the home on a quarter-acre block cut into the slopes of a now-decommissioned bluestone quarry, Anthony and Leeroy, who both work in education, saw past the unsympathetic, tired updates and were itching to reinstate the building’s original beauty. They had just spent seven years renovating their previous home, a 1940s weatherboard cottage in a neighbouring suburb, and were keen to revive a larger, more historic build.

The very day the duo received the keys to Wahroonga, they opened up the enclosed verandah and revealed the old turned posts crafted from Huon pine. “That really brought more light into the rooms,” says Leeroy. “The house breathed again and came to life.”

• The exterior of the home is painted in Grey Pebble Half by Dulux, while the interior walls are coated in Grey Pebble Quarter.

• The guest bedroom is finished in the moody shade of Mineral by Porter’s Paints, while the Airbnb accommodation features Signature by Dulux.
• The kitchen is fitted with Super White Quartzite benchtops and Perrin & Rowe tapware.
• Leeroy and Anthony source artwork from Stockton & Co and Madeline Gordon Gallery, both in Launceston, and Bett Gallery in Hobart.
• Leeroy’s brother, who runs Shape Contractors, completed the landscaping work; shape.mitch@gmail.com

About the house

The two-storey building was wrapped in scaffolding for the next six months while it was repainted and the roof was updated. The overgrown garden was groomed and terraced with grey travertine paving, and the couple reworked the interior layout, refinishing the surfaces but retaining the ornate period details.

The kitchen, formerly a dated fit-out at the back of the home, is now a magnetic, daylight-bathed space at the front of the north-facing block with spectacular views across Launceston. The window seat laden with soft vintage textiles and pillows is a favourite gathering spot for the couple and their springer spaniel, August, and German shorthaired pointer, Campbell. “We spend so much time there, relaxing with the dogs, reading or working,” says Leeroy. “It’s really such a family space.”

“I moved to Tasmania as soon as I met Anthony,” Leeroy adds. “I didn’t need convincing.”

Art and cut flowers, says Anthony, are two of the many things Leeroy has brought into his life. “I would never spend money on them before, but I do now and have a full appreciation for them,” he says, smiling.

Meanwhile, the couple’s impressive art collection mainly comprises work by Tasmanian-based artists or relatives and close friends. “I love the company of artists and being surrounded by creative people,” says Leeroy, whose parents are artists. “Through art, you can talk about things happening in society in a beautiful, non-confrontational and creative way. It brings people together, teaches them, and makes them feel something.”

A love of rugged landscapes propelled Anthony’s move from the ACT to Australia’s island state in his early 20s. As a keen landscape photographer, he was spellbound by the breathtaking naturescapes and the prevailing bohemian world view: “There’s a long history of Tasmania being a place where people come to escape, and I think that’s true today. You end up with a lovely mix of people, which makes for an interesting, culturally rich community.”

This sense of togetherness and openness weaves into the fabric of Wahroonga on Bourke, creating a home and accommodation destination that radiates a welcoming, elegant spirit. Phyllis McDonald would be proud.

To book Wahroonga on Bourke, visit Airbnb or wahroongaonbourke.com, or follow @wahroonga_on_bourke on Instagram.

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Designed by Walter Liberty Vernon and Howard Joseland, Leura is a stately heritage-listed circa 1890s mansion that sits on 4260 square metres in Sydney’s east. Across three levels, it boasts eight bedrooms (including a staff bed), five bathrooms, eight car spots, a ballroom, tennis court, swimming pool, and almost 180 degree views spanning from the Sydney Harbour Bridge to the North Shore.

Leura’s current resident, Shelley Sullivan, is celebrated as one of Australia’s most successful businesswomen and is credited with introducing the world to heated eyelash curlers. For over two decades she has been at the helm of ModelCo, known for its affordable, quality beauty products.

ModelCo is endorsed by an entourage of celebrity ambassadors, including Hailey Bieber, Rosie Huntington-Whiteley, Elle Macpherson, Danni Minogue and Cheyenne Tozzi.

The home has had plenty of well-known owners over the years, including property developer Bill Shipton, Christine and Ken Allen of the Business Promotional Products company, Chinese-Australian businessman Wilson Lee and his wife Baoyu Wu, and most recently Leo Lynch, of flower wholesaler Lynch Group.

The socialite and beauty CEO has been renting the home with her husband, from whom she is rumoured to be separating, so who knows, perhaps it will reappear on the market soon.

Inside Shelley Sullivan’s home, Leura in Bellevue Hill

The north-facing heritage-listed building has stood on the precipice of Sydney’s harbour for over 130 years, and would have seen the construction of the Sydney Harbour Bridge, which took place from 1926-1932.

The grand foyer is swathed in ornate timber and stained glass windows invite the sunlight in, both key hallmarks of Federation-style homes.

A pioneer of indoor-outdoor living, the conservatory overlooking the tennis courts helps to bring the outdoors in.

Leura boasts unbridled 180 degree views over the harbour from each of its generously-sized verandahs.

The day room, with its ornate decorative Federation tilework, opens onto the large backyard pool and tennis court.

Stunning harbour views can be seen from almost every corner of the home.

The north-facing main bedroom sits on the second storey which opens outwards to a another wrap-around verandah.

No Federation-style home would be complete without a full-sized drawing room, a grand space where visitors may withdraw to or be entertained.

The pool pavilion is a more recent addition to the home and frames the outdoor entertaining area and tennis court.

Home to many a match, this full-sized tennis court is primed and ready for champion visitors to join the playoffs.

The red brick facade and terracotta tiled roof are hallmarks of the classic Federation style, prevalent in Australia from around 1890 to 1915.

With unobstructed views that stretch for miles, this iconic mansion in Sydney’s east is one of the suburb’s most recognisable homes.

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Once burdened by a dysfunctional kitchen and dated bathroom, the apartment has found success with cleverly integrated features and contemporary adaptations of its inter-war roots, thanks to an inspired renovation by the team at sustainably-driven interior studio, Brave New Eco.

Here, we highlight the best bits of its design.

1. Checkerboard tiles

Anticipating the day when they downsize from their spacious family home into this one-bedroom South Yarra apartment, Ange and Bruce decided to renovate. It sits on the sunny third floor of a beautiful old building designed by interwar architect Arthur Plaistid and built in 1938. The team at Brave New Eco took on the renovation, keeping some key features, such as the wonderful checkerboard tiles. “They were in perfectly good condition and we quite liked the pattern. It plays well with the glass-brick windows,” says design director Megan Norgate.

2. A pop-out dining table

Before they began, a dining table stood against a blank wall in this space, blocking the walkway in and out of the apartment. This was replaced with a fold-out blackbutt timber table that can be dropped down when not in use. “We made the edge round so the flow isn’t impacted and you don’t feel like you’re walking around the table constantly,” says Megan. It was paired with Pop and Scott ‘Drum’ stools, which are easily scooted out of the way.

The new shelving is made from a timber veneer with a tobacco tint to give it a rich, dark tone. “There was such an opportunity on that wall to get in a whole lot of extra storage space for the kitchen,” says Megan. A rotating black Caravaggio ‘Read’ wall light by Fritz Hansen tucks nicely in here too, swinging out over the dining table when needed.

3. Embracing the imperfect

Quirks are part and parcel with an older home, and this apartment is no exception. “Those solid walls are not necessarily straight and true,” reveals Megan. Yet, rather than fighting against it, they let the building’s not-so-perfect bones be a guide. The splashback tiles, for example, were chosen specifically for their small size and ability to wrap around ‘awkward’ corners and angles.

It’s a bonus that the Nagoya Mosaic-Tile Co ‘Pavone Basketweave’ tiles in a speckled white are also beautiful. They weave in seamlessly with the Art Deco aesthetic that’s reiterated in the brown shade of Dulux How Now on the lower cabinets. The aged-looking Faucet Strommen ‘Pegasi M’ sink mixer in Antique Brass maintains the feeling that this home has been loved for decades.

4. Integrated appliances

The team played with the layout of the kitchen tirelessly, like it was a game of Tetris, until every appliance slotted into place. “We’re not designers who don’t like to show appliances – sometimes we’re happy for them to just be – but this was such a small kitchen, it was nice to have that continuous flow of red-brown cabinetry,” says Megan.

They just managed to get everything in. “To the right of the sink is a 45-centimetre-wide dishwasher,” Megan shares. “There are a couple of companies that make them that small and they’re a great solution.” Even the range hood is built into overhead joinery. As for the fridge, that’s behind the cabinet on the left. Next to that is a nifty niche for a coffee machine, which gets frequently used but is nicely out of sight.

5. A European laundry and original windows

Relocating the fridge meant the Euro laundry could sit in that corner instead. “It was concealing the whole window and the space was a lot darker,” Megan recalls. “This room is north-facing, so when we opened that up, it made the light really lovely.” In went a front-end loader and an assortment of laundry products stashed in the storage space next to it.

The original windows are a particularly charming feature in this apartment. “I think they’re all part of the heritage-protected elements of the property, so you would have to recreate them like for like,” Megan explains. Rightfully so, as was the choice to leave them free of curtains or coverings. “It didn’t feel necessary because there are no privacy issues. You’re right up in the treetops and get some nice breezes.”

6. A clever ledge in the bathroom

The bathroom began as a bit of a logistical puzzle. “It was extremely tight,” says Megan. “It had a small bath with a shower in it. As the owners are going to be retiring here, we wanted something more accessible, but we had to keep the plumbing in the existing locations.”

They swapped the tub for a large shower next to the window, with glass doors “so it feels open”. A nib wall was introduced, extending all the way from the basin around into the shower. “That houses the plumbing,” Megan adds. “It’s a logistical solution, but we made it into a feature.” It’s the perfect place to perch products, toothbrushes and a lush plant.

7. Stucco walls

In the process of reworking the bathroom, the original stucco walls were damaged. “We decided to replace them like for like,” says Megan. “One of my favourite things about this job was working with the amazing plasterers. It’s a really beautiful finish.”

Efforts went into ensuring every detail made sense for the home’s era. TopCer wall tiles in 28 Sage from De Fazio are an exact match to others in the building. The Coco Flip ‘Honey’ wall light and cabinet colour Dulux Deep Aqua are also period-appropriate.

Brave New Eco is at braveneweco.com.au and @braveneweco

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Having visited a friend’s house that had been designed by Greg they were “blown away by the level of detail” and knew that was what they wanted for their own home. “The bones of the house we bought were good but the finishes were not,” explains the owner. “Greg came highly recommended and he understood exactly what we wanted – a modern home with warmth and beautiful finishes. We are very big on detail!”

Never one to tinker around the edges Greg decided a full-scale gutting was the only way forward. He decided to make the staircase the focal point and so located the new spectacular spiral creation front and centre, its black marble treads and risers glinting opulently across the home’s three levels. “These stairs are the spine of the house and make a strong vertical statement,” says Greg, “topped off by the pendant light that the owners chose.”

With the brief specifying a black-and-white palette Greg was in his element but the owners’ wish for “a clean, modern and sleek interior” meant a change of beat for him. Known for his lavish layers and decoration, Greg said he held back on the patterns in this project but introduced plenty of texture and materiality. A fluted finish on the kitchen cabinetry, on the marble fireplace surrounds and in the bathrooms is tactile and eye-catching, while marble drawer fronts and stone skirting boards take luxury to another level.

“I’m a modernist at heart,” says Greg, “and as a creative I think I’m evolving and my business is evolving. When I was studying it was all about modernism and minimalism and I’ve gone back to that but I’ve warmed it up with colour, timber and texture.”

Purple accents were introduced at the wife’s suggestion and Greg designed rugs, cushions and accessories that splice the regal shade with blush pinks, rose and wine hues, while timber stools and side tables provide more warmth. The owner comments, “Greg styled the house with the furnishings, the artwork, even all the ornaments, which are just amazing throughout.”

True to the owners’ desire to live ‘apartment-style’, the top-floor, 30-metre-long semi-circular space generously accommodates living, dining and kitchen. It leads through glass doors to surrounding terraces overflowing with greenery designed by Chiselled in Stone, fitted with barbecues and the accoutrements of outdoor living and taking in the stellar views. “The gardens play a big part in this house’s appeal,” says the owner.

Inside, the custom sinuously curved sofa follows the line of the room offering a stylish spot for conversation or relaxation. Nearby, the marble dining table is the scene of many spirited gatherings, and “having dinner there in front of the city is amazing”, enthuses the owner. “The living area is just something – unless you build it or create it you’ll never find anything like it,” he says.

“It’s not a big house,” says Greg, “but it does have a lot of space.” As the owners are frequent entertainers and also have three children and four grandchildren who visit often space was definitely a priority. “When it’s just my wife and me it’s very comfortable,” says the owner, “but we can easily have 100 people for a party. Our friends and family love it – they say it’s just like coming to a hotel – it has that feeling.”

The home’s facade is an elegant take on Brutalism with its original cladding of charcoal ceramic tiles. Greg removed the balconies and changed the window frames to black to enhance the sleek appearance. The sandstone steps and planter boxes were retained, again for warmth. Near the pool, an enormous monolith of Sydney sandstone is a commanding presence jutting out above the seating area, its angularity softened by the planting. “The original spirit of the home is still there,” says Greg, “but now it’s modern, opulent and warm with beautiful detailing.”

The owners couldn’t be happier. “We’re very proud of our home,” they confirm.

Greg Natale: gregnatale.com

Ginardi: ginardi.com.au

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The four-bedroom Beach Street home was purchased by Rove back in March of 2021 for $3.76 million, and sold in early May of this year for a whopping $7.29 million. While you collect your jaw from the floor, let us do the maths for you — that’s a profit of approximately $3.53 million. A significant hike above the already-high suburb median, which sits at $4.067 million for a four-bedroom home.

A brand new build, the semi-detached home sits in a prime position, just moments from Gordons Bay, and catches glimpses of the coastline from its upper levels. Still, it remains sheltered from Coogee’s at times overwhelming hustle and bustle thanks to a towering sandstone wall at the property’s sundrenched rear.

Inside, the property sprawls three levels, each space finished with the most luxurious finishes and sporting an immaculate attention to detail. A fully-equipped kitchen and open-plan living area are wrapped by a series of bi-fold doors, leading the way to a landscaped garden and plunge pool. The first level, accessed via an architectural curved stairwell with an oval skylight overhead, hosts three beautifully designed bedrooms, and further up again is the master suite, which enjoys a lush balcony and lavish ensuite.

Exactly who the new owner is remains a mystery, so, for now, we’ll just say: lucky them!

Inside Rove McManus’ former Coogee home

At the front of the home, a spacious family room provides somewhere to stop for a moment.

‘Sunlit’ is the home’s general theme, with plenty of floor-to-ceiling windows and skylights throughout. A line of timber cupboards (and an integrated wine fridge) form part of the kitchen.

A generous stone island bench with bar stools allows for casual meals.

The living area is warmed by a built-in fireplace. Celebrating indoor/outdoor living, it flows with ease into the alfresco entertaining area.

The curved, partially-glass stairwell is an architectural feat.

The bathrooms each include luxurious fittings — the main with a ‘huge’ freestanding bath.

The shaded pool is the perfect size: easy to maintain but large enough to accommodate a family.

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Sarah is the founding director of Wild Orchid Spaces, specialising in the development of high-end turnkey properties, with each home a lifestyle experience drawn from Sarah’s affinity for nature. It was in 2012 that Sarah turned her creative hand to designing two weatherboard cottages set on a generous 7300sqm block, seeing their potential for her young family, which includes her husband and two children.

“The main thing that drew us to that block is that it’s very private and very big for the area,” says Sarah. “It’s always about the landscape for me when I buy a place.”

Starting in 2012, a knockdown-rebuild took four years to complete. Sarah oversaw the process as the interior designer and created the architectural concepts with River Run Design (now retired) and Bacuss Constructions. The two cottages were structurally sound but impractical for family life, having low ceilings, a closed-plan layout and little connection to the environment.

The result is two residences, the coastal bungalow and guesthouse, ‘Little Lokahi’, and the main beach house, ‘Lokahi’, comprising three bedrooms, four bathrooms, and a spacious indoor-outdoor living area.

At the top of the list for Sarah for the main residence was a fluid transition to the outdoors, while drawing the environment in. This was achieved by a considered palette of natural stone, large-scale glass doors, and an open-plan kitchen, dining and living area, with an extended outdoor room beside the pool.

The only challenge was the established palm trees, which stood in the way of the new outdoor living zone. But Sarah came up with an ingenious solution.

“The existing palms were very much incorporated into the design of the property, to the extent that I put the trunks through the roof,” says Sarah. Roof openings one metre and a half wide were reinforced with circular steel rings to accommodate the palm trees that grow in the original pool, which now sits beneath the outdoor living area and is used as a rainwater tank.

“My favourite room has always been this open-plan kitchen, living, dining, as you feel connected to the pool, the landscape and nature.”

SARAH PARRY-OKEDON, INTERIOR DESIGNER

The pool and outdoor room are flanked by sliding glass doors, which, when open to the indoor living zone where the family spends most of their time, give the space a sense of not having any walls. “What I focused on was making the kitchen, living, and dining at least half of the house because I believe they really are the heart of the home,” says Sarah.

“I made our children’s bedrooms quite small because I wanted them to be [spending their time] out with us.”

The original four-bedroom layout located on the opposite wing was restructured into three, including the main bedroom with an ensuite and retreat area with impressive treetop views. Although the children’s bedrooms are modest in size, no space feels confined when it has eight-metre-high, gabled ceilings and Velux electric skylights maximising the natural light.

Sarah’s interior style is very much sensorial, with a material palette of sandstone balanced with soft furnishings for textural depth and charm. A rough sandstone-block wall greets visitors in the foyer, while waves of Champagne Onyx stone extend floor to ceiling in the kitchen above ‘Vogue’ honed sandstone floor tiles.

High-pile rugs feel plush under foot, neatly delineating the living zones, alongside custom and vintage furniture by Wild Orchid Spaces as part of their interior collection. “I have the ability to be a one-stop shop for a client where I do the interior finishes and furniture,” says Sarah. “That’s what I love, because they’re pieces from all over the world that have been refurbished and repurposed.”

The theme continues outdoors with a daybed with a vintage teak base, while the pool, complete with a Bali thatch hut, is inlaid with Sukabumi stone tiles for mineral healing. To highlight the natural materials, the colour scheme was purposefully restrained to white with a subtle warm undertone.

Soaking up the tropical atmosphere is a pleasure for Sarah and her family, who love the garden-centred home. “It’s quite an extraordinary place,” she says. “It very much intertwines with nature and the energy of the land.”

Sarah and her family love the open-plan living area, both in summer and winter. “We spend 95 per cent of our time here,” she says. “It’s very much a beautiful summer home with the pool, but winter is gorgeous. We have a back-to-back fireplace in the interior and exterior living room, and the underfloor heating beneath the stone makes it feel warm and cosy.”

THIS IS THE LIFE

Wild Orchid Spaces: wildorchidspaces.com.

Bacuss Constructions: bacuss.com.au.

River Run Design.

Eye Candy Painting & Decorating: eyecandypainting.com.au.

The Design Team

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Tasked with this brief, Yasmine completely overhauled their kitchen, cocooning it in toffee-hued plaster and overlaying the space with her signature blend of rich colour, tone and texture.

Yasmine describes the space as a “tactile haven”, a dreamy, moody space where “touch plays a key role, instilling a sense of connection via finishes”.

What luxury items did you choose for this kitchen regardless of budget?

Through carefully restricting overhead lighting and opting for sculptural pendant lights, sconces and lamps, the space transforms in the evening with a soft glowing atmosphere of calm.

“Combining tumbled black stone mosaics plus vertical and horizontal applications of leathered Magnesia marble, the monolithic island bench glitters like a black diamond and is emblematic of the home’s refined and boundary-pushing renovation. Glowing turquoise glass bricks lend levity to its mass as sunlight filters through them.”

ysg.studio: @ysg.studio

Promena Projects: promena.com.au

The Design Team

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“I love red but he can’t see it,” says the designer. “It’s a quirky tongue-in-cheek detail.” Fortunately the client also thinks it’s very funny.

There are many more such moments in this richly layered, finely detailed home that sits high on the block and enjoys fantastic ocean views. The client, a busy entrepreneur with a partner and three children, had lived around the corner for several years but had always wanted this house. Finally he knocked on the owner’s door and offered to buy it. “He made it happen,” explains David.

Aged only seven or so years old the house was in the archetypal coastal vernacular – all white, and decorated in a Hamptons meets Ralph Lauren style. For the new owner, a former New Yorker who loves “urban grit”, a different design direction was sought. Enter David Flack, the principal of Flack Studio, a designer known for his idiosyncratic approach and exceptional creative flair.

The client specified something “tactile and effortless”. To the designer’s pertinent question, “How do you want to feel in the space?” the client told David, “I want it to feel great when I come home.”

While the shell of the house was retained the three-level interior was gutted to offer more versatility in the floor plan. “Getting the spatial planning right is paramount. We want to get the most out of all the rooms and make sure there are no dead zones,” says David.

Across the three levels are bedrooms, bathrooms, living dining and kitchen and, as well, indulgent recreational spaces such as a whisky tasting room and wine cellar, a library, sauna, rumpus room, TV room and outdoor terraces and pool.

The house is certainly substantial yet the footprint is quite compact and everything feels very private, and the sun-splashed gardens designed by Florian Wild are perfectly in sync.

Although the new floor plan appeared to be sorted, David reserved the right to tweak as the need arose. “Our work is like a canvas,” he says, “and right until the very end we might be changing things to make it extra special.”

And just because something has been designed one way it doesn’t mean it can’t be redesigned to accommodate a newly acquired artwork or piece of furniture. To wit, the living room room was reconfigured to showcase a spectacular neon ray of sunshine by artist Nell.

Art is always a crucial element in a Flack interior. “We curate the art right from the beginning,” explains David. “While we’re designing the space we are thinking about art and talking about artists and working through what the client likes. It’s a lovely process – it’s about the art being the client’s collection and not about what would look great on the walls.”

Some of the more intriguing works in this collection which features street art and some “really cheeky pieces” are a boxing gloves installation by Steve Carr and a massive work in a mesmerising blue by Berlin artist Gerold Miller.

While the ocean view is exploited from expansive terraces there is plenty to catch the eye inside, from the extraordinary collection of artworks ranging from street art to cheeky installations and sizzling neon pieces.

Furnishings too are carefully curated – a “nice mixture of vintage and new”, and include an extraordinary coffee table commissioned from artist Sanné Mestrom that calls to mind a voluptuous female form. With a diameter of 1500m and weighing 400kg it had to be craned into the living room – and is there to stay.

Elsewhere a solid walnut dining table by Christophe Delcourt with vintage ‘Cab’ chairs and an amazing credenza in the entry designed by Flack Studio are standouts.

As the owner loves timber, David played to his preferences, lining the ceilings and swathing the library in rich American walnut. “It’s the antithesis of a coastal room, very dark and moody but amped up with so much light,” he says.

At every turn there is something that catches the eye: an unexpected colour combination, a striking artwork, a unique piece of furniture. “The house is effortless in its approach and how it feels,” explains David.

“It oozes personality and has a good energy and a pulse. You feel happy and excited when you’re there. When you understand the owner you realise the house is all him.”

Clearly the owner is enraptured. “I f***ing love this house,” he enthuses. “It’s an absolute joy to live in.” His friends describe the home as “epic” – and “that makes me happy”, declares David.

But lest anyone wish for a similar home the news is bad. “You’ll never see a copy of this house,” says David. “Every house is different because of the response to the architecture and the response to the client. We are always going to keep delivering something unique.”

Flack Studio: flackstudio.com.au

Florian Wild: florianwild.com

The Design Team

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Style of home: A bland brick 1990s home that’s now a vision of organic Japanese-style calm.

Location: Blackwood in Victoria, on the traditional lands of the Wurundjeri Woi Wurrung, Wadawurrung and Dja Dja Wurrung people.

Timeline: Ten months of planning kicked off in early 2022, followed by a four-month renovation.

Over many catch-ups, interior designer Caitlin Perry of Setsquare Studio and graphic designer Miriam McWilliam of Studio Mimi Moon reimagined Miriam’s 1990s-era brick home in Blackwood, an hour north-west of Melbourne. The creative friends and neighbours are relative newcomers to the pristine area sandwiched between the Wombat State Forest and Lerderderg State Park, with Caitlin arriving five years ago and Miriam, two years later. “I was searching the Blackwood hashtag on Instagram one day and found Miriam,” says Caitlin. “She looked cool and I noticed she was a graphic designer, so I thought there was a chance we could work together as well as become friends.”

In 2022, after collaborating on a branding project, Caitlin and Miriam turned their attention to Miriam’s home, where she lives with her scientist husband, Hamish, and their two children.

The one redeeming feature of the original build – besides its lush garden and proximity to bush trails and creeks – is the prominent timber window trims. The woodwork happily merges into the inviting scheme the design duo concocted, where layered texture and saturated 1970s-inspired colour harmonise with natural finishes, creating an organic feel with echoes of Japanese design. “The hardest part was choosing the timber tones for the joinery and the floor,” says Miriam. “There is a lot of dark timber in Japanese interiors, but we have quite low ceilings and wanted to bring light in, so getting the balance right was tricky.”

After 10 months of design and sourcing, followed by four months of construction by local builder Patrick Rodgers of PR Carpentry, the formerly featureless, light-deprived home now zings with colour and tactility, as well as oodles of character pulled from Miriam’s fun curation of art and vintage pieces.

The two bathrooms are forest-green sanctuaries that evoke the restorative calm of a Japanese bathhouse, and the laundry, tucked behind a linen noren curtain by the kitchen, hums joyfully with earthy apricot tones.

In the reimagined kitchen, sunshine pours into the new skylight and creeps through glass double doors that open onto the alfresco dining area at the rear. “We didn’t want to make big structural changes because it is a solid brick house,” says Caitlin. “Adding the skylight and door in the kitchen were the main architectural things we did, and the rest was pure fit-out and rethinking the layout in a more family-friendly way.”

Miriam initially thought a roomy back extension was required, but then changed her mind. “Hamish and I realised we didn’t need the extra space after we went away on a long family trip in our vintage caravan,” she shares. “I saw just how effective a small space can be with clever design. The dining nook, which has garden views, is a prime example of this space-savvy approach. By removing a built in cupboard with outward-opening doors and adding a wide cushioned bench seat with storage, Miriam and Caitlin have created a multipurpose corner for dining and more.

Meals also occur at the kitchen bench, where secondhand timber bar stools found on Facebook Marketplace add worn texture to the clean-lined joinery in black laminate and walnut veneer. Sprinkling in Miriam’s requested “hint of luxe”, the bronze splashback tile dances with the light and morphs from gold to deep olive as the day progresses. “The splashback was the only thing Hamish wasn’t sure about, wondering whether it would be too blingy and intense,” says Caitlin. “But it’s not a Las Vegas gold at all. It has a real depth to it.”

Throughout the renovation, Miriam and Caitlin cemented their friendship and respect for each other’s expertise. “As a graphic designer, Miriam has such a wonderful eye for colour, and this project was about bringing that in,” says Caitlin. Meanwhile, Miriam was fascinated by her co-worker’s 3D modelling skills and critical knowledge of spatial planning.

“The project is a really beautiful example of how graphic design and interiors meld. It was a really nice test of colour, composition and art, and now I get to live in the creation,” says Miriam, with Caitlin chiming in, “And I get to visit!”

Lessons learnt

Miriam searched tirelessly for a paint and grout colour to match the bathroom’s green mosaic tiles imported from Japan. After the grout was applied to two walls and dried lighter than specified, neither she nor Caitlin were going to let it pass. “We wanted it to be a subtle all-over green and not an intense grid,” Miriam says. “In the end, we got the grout supplier to come and see the space, and they realised it was actually a defect in the batch. The builder had to paint a sealant over every grout line to darken it and that delayed us by about a week. I was having grout-mares!”

See Setsquare Studio at setsquarestudio.com and Studio Mimi Moon at studiomimimoon.com

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Lucy, a medical administrator and medical science student, and her husband Sebastian, a chef, live in the home with their daughter Birdie, six, and son Bleu, five, as well as Rosie the Maltese cross, Persephone, a rescue cat, and a brood of chooks out the back.

Not always the idyllic family residence it is now, Eden Cottage, which sits on a 763-square-metre block in Gladstone – on the traditional lands of the Bailai, Gurang, Gooreng Gooreng and Taribelang Bunda people – needed a serious makeover when Lucy and Sebastian, 49, bought it. “We bought this house that was half falling apart and many people thought we were crazy,” explains Lucy. “But I always think we were meant to own this home. It sat vacant for 18 months before we purchased it and I like to think it was waiting for us.”

Determined to preserve the cottage’s historic charm, Lucy and Sebastian avoided decorating trends, instead opting for a considered, sympathetic restoration guided by the home’s original features. “We always said we didn’t want to take a beautiful old heritage home and make it modern,” says Lucy. “So, even though we’ve still got holes in the floors, we’ve retained a lot of the character and that’s all part of the enchantment for us.”

Choosing second-hand and period pieces wherever possible, Lucy sourced furniture and decor that felt in line with the home’s era from Facebook Marketplace and local antique dealers. Desiring a sustainable home with a low environmental impact, Lucy says: “I look for classic pieces that won’t need to be replaced. If I can source something second-hand or use a family heirloom, I will always choose that over a trending item.”

This sensitive approach has at times been a source of frustration for the family, as the combination of a tight budget and local trade shortages has meant the project is still in progress five years after it began. “Living in a rural town has pros and cons, but one of the biggest cons is you don’t have a lot of choices – especially for boutique and specialist tradespeople and products,” says Lucy.

However, instead of deflating the couple, all those challenging factors inspired Lucy and Sebastian to find creative solutions. “Our toxic trait is that we think we can do anything,” jokes Lucy. “During COVID when we started the renovation, there were no trades available, so taking on a lot of the work ourselves was born of necessity.”

Learning plenty along the way, Lucy says there were times when big jobs almost became too much. “We found out the hard way why no-one takes on so much of the work [themselves],” she says. “For example, restoring windows – you don’t realise until you do one for yourself what a big job it is.”

Although the work is ongoing, the duo has already achieved their endgame. “The goal has always been to create a haven to raise our children in,” says Lucy. “We have created somewhere that truly suits our personalities and lifestyle.”

For the Giardinas (whose name aptly means ‘garden’ in Italian), prioritising a connection with the outdoors and bringing nature inside was paramount. “I love to work out in the garden. It’s my happy place, with the chickens, vegies, bees and washing on the line. All these things feel very nostalgic and important to me,” says Lucy. “Sebastian is a chef and comes from an Italian family, so we enjoy cooking and eating, and growing our food as a family.”

Overall, Lucy describes the process of restoring Eden Cottage as slow, but immensely satisfying. “For me, the most rewarding part has been learning new things and challenging myself,” she explains. “I now appreciate how much work, time and energy goes into things, which you don’t get if you just pay someone to do it. I feel very proud of that.”

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and Coco Pops, a Burmese.

Style of home: A 1970s Spanish mission/Mediterranean-style home in a northern Sydney suburb with a reserve nearby.

Timeline: The family bought the house in September 2013 and engaged MCK Architects in February 2016. They moved out in April 2017 so the renovation could start, and were back in by December 2019.

When Angela and Tristan O’Connell first conjured the ‘holiday at home’ brief for their beloved house in Sydney, they could never have anticipated that just months after their renovation was complete, a pandemic lockdown would turn the seasoned travellers into full-time guests of their own abode.

Located on the shores of Middle Harbour, in a bush-lined suburb developed by architect Walter Burley Griffin (who built houses following the contours of each site and using natural stone), the 1970s home first won the couple’s hearts in 2013.

This bush-nestled home brings European-style resort living to Sydney’s Castlecrag, and it has just hit the market. Spanning four bedrooms, two bathrooms and some very impressive outdoor entertaining spaces, the home is set to go to auction on Saturday 22nd June 2024. The price is undisclosed, however the median for Middle Harbour is $4.059 million for a four bedroom home.

You can see the listing on domain.com.au.

On the market

“Every time we went to inspect it, the sun was out and the water was sparkling,” recalls Angela. “We fell in love with the view and the style – the design of the house was very Mediterranean and had such a soothing feel to it.”

Impressed by the soft architectural arches and rich northeasterly light, the couple secured their slice of paradise.

After they had lived there for a few years, however, some of the building’s design flaws became apparent. Most pressing of all were the dampness and mould on the lower level, which was built into rock.

So, in 2016, they engaged Mark Cashman of MCK Architecture to fix these issues while preserving the integrity of the original space.

The couple also enlisted the help of interior designer Bronwyn Poole (who then moved to California) and Mina Staples, who completed the project.

“Having an interior designer work alongside your architect is a great way to ensure your house is full of texture and colour and that it works for your family and their needs,” says Angela.

“Our main design intention was for a serene yet playful, whimsical family home that wasn’t too precious. We wanted the spaces to flow from the inside out, with the curves throughout to take you on a journey.”

In line with that, international influences are everywhere, as places for entertaining and relaxation have been thoughtfully designed to evoke memories of the family’s pre-pandemic travels.

Two notable examples are the impressive Tadelakt ensuite bathroom (just like a palatial Turkish bathhouse) and the tropical poolside ‘cabana’, inspired by a trip to India.

“One of my requests was for a room that felt like a pool cabana, with massive arched steel doors,” says Angela. “It can seat 20 people along the banquette and on lounges, so it’s a great space for hosting parties. It’s become our favourite room to entertain in, because of its versatility. One minute, the kids have built an enormous cubby-house fort in there, and the next day they’re rearranging the lounges for a massive sleepover.”

Play spaces abound in this house, and include two large balconies and newly created gardens.

“Originally, there was no yard at all,” says Angela.

“The front was just a long, incredibly steep driveway and completely unusable. Our brief to Garden Life was to retain the front to create spaces that could be used. They designed three tiers and various seats, as well as an area for Ryan to skateboard on.”

Retaining the front yard meant that a huge storage room could be built underneath, into the side of the hill.

“The roof has a beautifully landscaped garden bed, so you wouldn’t even know it was there. Ryan calls it his ‘workshop’ and has added a desk for his growing number of tools and hot glue gun. He’s always in there experimenting with something!”

As in each of the gathering spaces, the furniture is hard-working and versatile to accommodate the family’s busy social life.

The cabana’s sofa is a shining light because it can withstand chlorine and dirt, and be reconfigured for various guest lists. But sometimes the house itself is the star attraction.

Like an architectural wonder of the world in miniature, the renovated structure and its distinctive curves and arches have become a standout on the street. “It really is a work of art,” says Angela.

“We see people stopping and taking photos all the time. And if we are in the front when someone walks past, they always stop and give huge compliments.”

The post This stunning travel-inspired home on Sydney’s Lower North Shore is for sale appeared first on Homes To Love.

The couple was drawn to the area’s amenities and sense of community. This terrace boasted two additional bonuses, however: it had only one party wall, with the entry on the opposing side opening directly onto a park with a majestic gum tree. And, fortuitously, a previous renovation had added an attic bedroom, creating three levels and four bedrooms all up.

“And it had its original features, including cornicing, ceiling roses, high ceilings and two French doors at the front, wonderfully preserved,” says Marc.

But, being at the end of a block also posed a challenge – rather than a rectangular footprint, this house was on a wedge-shaped site, tapering from the front to the rear, resulting in some awkwardly shaped rooms.

There was also a scant connection to the rear courtyard, with a bathroom and laundry clumsily placed between it and the kitchen. That kitchen connected to a side breezeway through just one door, the only rear access.

Marc and Kirsty were keen to make better use of the tight site, to let in more light and to ensure a seamless connection inside and out. “We wanted to maintain the integrity of the front, while adding an ultra-modern back, with bare concrete floors and stainless steel for a raw look,” says Kirsty.

“We wanted to maintain the integrity of the front, while adding an ultra-modern back, with bare concrete floors and stainless steel for a raw look.”

KIRSTY, OWNER

On their real-estate agent’s recommendation, they hired Modify, a design and construction company, with director Jen Humphry and creative director Jeremy Unger masterminding the job. Accordingly, the duo’s design sliced off the old addition and replaced it with something more contemporary, featuring steel-framed bifolds opening to the backyard and an enlarged kitchen swallowing up the side breezeway and running right to the party wall.

Above the kitchen, a massive skylight more than six metres long runs the length of the room, ensuring light throughout the day. “This is incredibly light for a terrace,” says Kirsty.

Above the open-plan addition, a lush rooftop hanging garden, with prostrate rosemary cascading down the sides, blends inside and out and links the terrace visually with the neighbouring park.

During the day, Kirsty and Marc make the most of the east-facing new addition, which is bathed in sunshine. Come night-time, they move to the living room in the original west-facing section overlooking the street. In summer, they while away the evenings sitting on the terrace with a drink and watch the world go by. “There’s a great sense of community, here,” says Marc.

THIS IS THE LIFE

Meanwhile, the link between the front and back sections of the house has been shifted, creating space for one of Kirsty’s favourite features, a dark and moody powder room, contrasting dramatically with the breezy palette running through the rest of the house.

Modify addressed the awkward wedge-shaped plan by placing amenities, such as the powder room and a bank of joinery, along the angled wall. And moving the laundry upstairs beside the family bathroom freed up the downstairs.

“While Marc and Kirsty asked to use every square inch of the wedge to make the spaces feel generous, the irregular shape certainly added complexity,” says Jeremy. “And, while they specified a light, contemporary addition juxtaposed with a grand terrace, it’s not entirely contemporary. The curves are within a traditional form, adding softness where most terraces are quite angular.” And a sash window on the upper story harks back to the past.

Materials include the concrete slab, with the steel-framed doors the perfect complement, says Jeremy. “They work so well with the concrete floor and avoid chunkiness.” Painted timber veneer joinery adds another textural layer, with stainless steel benches a slick counterpoint.

The home has also become the perfect backdrop to Marc and Kirsty’s prized art collection, which also provided the inspiration for the palette. For example, the rug and sofa in the open-plan zone echo the artwork above. As with their art, much of the couple’s furniture came with them, heavily edited to make it fit into the home.

And the final touch, their own personal artwork: while the concrete was setting, five leaves from the neighbouring gum landed on the slab. Somehow, they just felt right, so Marc and Kirsty left their imprints for posterity.

Modify: modify.com.au
Myles Baldwin Design: mylesbaldwin.com.

The Design Team

The post Inside a transformed inner-Sydney terrace where contemporary additions beget light appeared first on Homes To Love.

Moving on after selling her family home, Anna-Carin could see how she could transform the apartment for herself and her partner Lance, a commercial film director and photographer, and their visiting adult children. The two-bedroom, two-bathroom space had undergone several renovations over the years “that didn’t enhance or emphasise the light and space. I pretty much knew what had to be done to heal it,” she says.

Anna-Carin likes to ascribe a theme song to each design project and for her own apartment it was Solid Air by John Martyn that represents grounding and solidity as well as the lightness of mood she wished to create in her home.

From the entry, a long corridor has doors to the main bedroom and second bedroom/study on the left with two bathrooms on the right. At the end of the corridor the wonderfully light and spacious sitting, dining and kitchen area is revealed.

With the leaves of the trees outside brushing against the windowpanes there is a sense of being surrounded by nature despite the urban bustle of the densely populated suburb. “I wanted a homogeneous tranquil space that would become a place for music, dinners, rest and play,” she says.

Removing some walls gave her the openness she wished for, though she retained all the windows and solid timber internal doors (some with leadlights), the skirting boards and architraves. “I wanted to heal the spaces and leave as much as possible that was original, yet instil a sense of today.”

To further personalise the space Anna-Carin designed a custom colour with Wattyl ‘Kelburn Grey’ that was used throughout for walls, ceilings and joinery and provides a monochromatic background that nevertheless has a chameleon quality, changing with the light and time of day. “It’s sometimes blue, sometimes green and always warm and soothing,” she says.

The limestone in the bathrooms and the quartzite in the kitchen are in the same tonal family, as are the floorboards. Anna-Carin’s inspiration for the shade was the Vola grey tapware designed by Arne Jacobsen for the Bank of Denmark in 1968, and speaks to her Scandinavian heritage.

While the rooms are already generously sized Anna-Carin used handmade mirrors from Outlines Mirrors in Melbourne to amplify the sense of space in strategic spots such as around the base of the kitchen island and at the end of a wall in the living room “to confuse an awkward corner”.

Her furniture is a mix of pieces she already owned, including some brought from Sweden over 30 years ago, repurposed items found at vintage and antique stores and on Facebook Marketplace, and iconic designs such as the USM ‘Haller’ system cabinets.

Her favourite area of the home is the dining nook beside the kitchen. Furnished with a round table found on Facebook Marketplace and vintage Børge Mogensen chairs, the window seat set into an alcove offers space for extra guests. “I love a round table that can seat six to eight people comfortably, where one conversation can be had and everyone around the table feels safe and included,” she says.

“I love sitting there in the morning and looking at people walking their dogs, and I love it in the evening, seeing all the apartment windows and imagining what everyone is doing, and I love having family and friends around that table sharing food and stories.”

While the sizeable second bedroom has been given over to a study, furnished with a Svenskt Tenn table and a Systemtronic bookcase, the space is large enough to also be used as a music room where Anna-Carin and Lance can indulge their passion for playing and listening to music.

An elegant selection of accessories including slender candlesticks and shapely vessels adorns shelves and surfaces in the apartment while on the walls, moody photographic works by Lance are a great counterpoint.

While an apartment renovation can often be fraught, Anna-Carin says the process was smooth – thanks to an efficient builder and understanding neighbours. The five months of planning was an important investment. “Spend time to sharpen the axe before you chop the tree,” she says.

Anna Carin: annacarindesign.com.au

The Design Team

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