Pasadena Palmas

Sarah and Aza Waters’ latest project on the Gold Coast is a huge (880m² to be exact) family home that’s packed with outrageously fun and beautiful features.

Words Casey Hutton / Photography Coastpark Creative / Interior design + styling Sarah Waters

They bought the property off-market in August 2021. Although they’d previously renovated their family home and a set of holiday villas, both in the Gold Coast neighbourhood of Bilinga, this time they opted to demolish the house – it was riddled with asbestos and ultimately unsuitable for renovation.

They collaborated with architect Paul Toulson, “an amazing person who made all our dreams a reality, better than we could have imagined”. The design prioritised privacy without compromising on natural light, and worked upwards to maximise ocean views and provide space for the family to hang out together and separately. 

The home’s Mediterranean flavour – from its warm colour palette to its intricate ceiling moulding and Venetian rendered walls – reflects the couple’s daydreams of European travel with their children. Their mood boards were dominated by European hotels, such as Hotel Miramalfi and Masseria Moroseta in Italy, combined with closer-to-home influences including Raes on Wategos and Brisbane’s Calile Hotel. “But let’s not kid ourselves,” says Aza. “Walking around cobblestone streets was not on the wish lists of our 12-year-old, nine-year-old and six-year-old! So we incorporated it into our designs instead.”

The build kicked off in February 2023 and took 18 months. “We decided to do owner-builder for the first time,” says Aza. “We wanted to have more freedom, and we like to design on the fly.” Alongside him was Scotty Benstead, their longtime friend and building supervisor, heading up a team of tradespeople “who became like family to us”.

“Aza took on a lot himself,” Sarah points out, “from project managing to laying all the tiles – and there were a lot of tiles!”

It was an ambitious build, with engineering challenges that began almost immediately. After the property’s soil was discovered to be white sand and shale rock rather than the clay they’d predicted, they had to redesign their footings to concrete piers. “It was a difficult and costly start but it was so crucial to get it right,” explains Aza.

The third-storey pool area also demanded clever engineering, and incorporating the enormous Livistona palms was, he says, “one of the craziest stories of the build”. “When we realised the radius of each hole in the rooftop was 900mm and the root balls of the palms were 1200mm, the maths simply said they needed to be in before the formwork steel-and-concrete roof. How they survived being installed at that stage of the build is incredible.”

The first floor of the home is dedicated to the kids and any lucky guests. It includes four bedrooms, a lounge, kitchenette, two powder rooms, two bathrooms and a large laundry. The 3.8-metre ceilings on this level draw the eye upwards to marvellous ornamental cornices. “We fell in love with them so much that we even have them in the garage – the garage door opens sideways for uninterrupted ceiling views,” says Sarah.

The helical staircase they built at their previous renovation is replicated here on a larger scale using poured concrete, connecting the children’s floor with the main living hub above.

The emphasis on bespoke artisanal products and applications is perhaps what ties the home most strongly to its Mediterranean muses. Despite the project’s size and scale, the work of human hands is evidenced around every corner – from the Venetian rendered walls, plaster cornices and custom joinery inside, to the painstakingly hand-brushed cement paint on the external walls. Custom ceramic basins in the bathrooms were made locally, and scores of bespoke wall lights and pendants illuminate the home in the evenings.

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This home tour features in Adore’s Autumn 2025 edition - available to buy as a print magazine and digital issue here.
Please note: we have 2 cover options available for this issue (both are exactly the same on the inside).

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Villa Pearl

Set alongside one of the Gold Coast’s glistening canals, Villa Pearl is as quietly elegant as its name suggests.

Words Casey Hutton / Photography Coastpark Creative / Builder Queensland Coast Constructions
Building designer Vanguard Building Design / Furniture selections Studio Beck / Material selections SMUB

When first-time builders Emily and Jamie Macdonald bought a prime block of land at Broadbeach Waters in 2022, they knew it was their chance to build a dream home for their young family.

They also knew it was important to assemble the right people to deliver on their vision. Their team included Ben Wade from Vanguard Building Design and builder Jackson Emblem from Queensland Coast Constructions. Beck Smith from Studio Beck advised on furniture, while Katie Soineva of SMUB handled material selections and specifications.

“Creating a resort oasis was the ultimate design goal for this home,” says Katie, for whom the waterfront location offered an exciting opportunity to showcase the home from both the street side and the rear, which opens out to the canal.

“The street presence of Villa Pearl instantly captures your attention,” says Emily. “Four dwarf palms beside the gate house give it that tropical, Mediterranean feel.”

At the home’s entrance – beneath an arched window and greenery draped from an elevated garden bed – a 6-metre-high void creates a real moment. “From upstairs, the void overlooks the Broadbeach high-rises. It’s so stunning at night when all the buildings are lit up,” says Emily.

Katie chose to use a uniform floor tile from the front door through the living space to the alfresco area and pool coping. “My design focus is to enter a home and know that every room marries to the next,” she explains. “This achieves a seamless flow and a true sense of home.”

A grand staircase is visible from the entryway, its soft curves repeated elsewhere, including the kitchen’s distinctive tiled rangehood and the lounge fireplace, which features floor-to-ceiling oversized curves in microcement. In the kitchen, a stone island bench is wrapped in inverted travertine flutes. “The travertine is just amazing to look at – a work of art,” says Emily.

Maximising water views was a key priority. The floorplan allocated an expansive 18 metres of width for the kitchen, living and dining zone, with 3-metre ceilings that flood the lower floor with natural light. A generous glass sliding door opens the space onto the outdoor entertaining area and pool overlooking the waterway.

Of course, the canal-side site also demanded that privacy and the durability of outdoor materials be considered. Emily and Jamie opted for high fences lined with palms along the sides of the home, while sheers and blockout blinds shield all of the rooms. Two mature Canary Island palms, planted alongside the pool, offer shade from the afternoon heat. “Our outdoor furniture was also chosen to be able to handle the waterfront exposure and sun,” Emily explains.

Inside, the atmosphere is serene. A curated combination of neutral tones, organic textures and undulating lines achieve a feeling of refinement and harmony. Emily describes how their tastes gravitated towards “minimalism, natural light, travertine, a touch of Mediterranean vibes, and brushed brass finishes”.

This autumn will see Emily and Jamie getting to know their new baby girl –– their second child – at Villa Pearl. “We have rented our whole lives, so to have our first family home to make memories with our kids is just so special,” says Emily. “We poured our heart and soul into this build and it’s like a dream come true that we get to wake up here every morning.” 

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This home tour features in Adore’s Autumn 2025 edition - available to buy as a print magazine and digital issue here.
Please note: we have 2 cover options available for this issue (both are exactly the same on the inside).

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Undies Beach House

Inspired design choices in this colourful home make for a fun-filled life by the seaside.

Photography Gathering Light / Styling Grace Buckley / Words Casey Hutton / Builder Mitchell Custom Homes
Architect + Landscape Architect Meaghan White / Soft Landscaping Bonnie Stacey Landscapes
Landscaper Bruce Landscapes / Home Undies Beach House

“The house doesn’t give much away from the street,” says owner Angie Alexander. But boy does it pack a punch once you’re inside!

A bronze gate, bordered by distinctive ‘Kite Breeze’ bricks, opens onto an expanse of lawn that flows to an alfresco fireplace with oversized chimney, and a circular pool with yellow-striped waterline tiles. It’s clear that fun is on the agenda here.

Angie and her husband Trent worked comprehensively with architect Meaghan White on this new build in the Perth suburb of Trigg. “I only take on clients I have a strong synergy with,” Meaghan explains. “Angie and Trent were enthusiastic, excited, and willing to do something different.”

Meaghan even helped them choose the block of land: a long, narrow lot adjoining a park. “I knew we could subdivide, and they could sell the neighbouring block to help pay for the new home,” Meaghan points out.

The unusually shaped block wasn’t the couple’s first choice, but they trusted Meaghan’s vision, which capitalised on its proximity to public green space. “The park has magnificent large trees and is in a hidden area, so the house in some ways ‘wraps’ the park and makes it part of the home,” she says. Almost every room has a view of it; even upstairs, windows are positioned to frame trees in the distance.

For Angie and Trent, who have three children – Jye (19), Evie (14), and Dash (10) – the project was deeply personal and creative. “We wanted to build something entirely for ourselves; not once did we consider resale. We wanted to choose things that we loved and that made our hearts sing, and tried not to think about what others would say!”

The entire process, from design to completion, took three-and-a-half years. During the block subdivision and the demolition of the existing house, they met with Meaghan fortnightly for 10 months to work on the design.

Creating something outstanding amidst rapidly escalating building costs necessitated a small footprint. Meaghan kept the form of the house efficient – “a simple two-storey rectangle” – and focused on integrating the outdoor and indoor spaces. A huge 10m-long bronze gate can slide open and give the kids direct access to the park next door – an embodiment of the family’s focus on play and connection. “The small wall below the gate can be used as a bench to perch on when the gate is open,” Angie explains.

The curved wall of the fireplace maintains privacy for the pool area. In the chimney’s circular flue, a family of cockatoos has taken up residence. “Angie and Trent don’t want to move their house-sitters on,” Meaghan says, “so I don’t think they’re using the fire!”

Inside the home, the good times continue to roll. “There’s lots of fun in the house – curves, round windows, colour,” Meaghan observes. “I love the pink Jardan couch on the curved wall, and the bathrooms that all have their own personalities. I love that Trent let us have a pink ensuite!”

For Angie, the appeal of this home is multifaceted – from its indoor/outdoor flow to its wise use of space, attention to detail, and bold flourishes like the green kitchen. While it’s vibey and playful, the house is far from frivolous: “I love the fact that we use every room in the home every day. There is not one bit of dead space.”

The home is named after the nearest beach, which locals call Undies because it’s accessed via an underpass. “It’s very easy to live in Undies Beach House,” Angie says simply. “It’s full of light, functional and spacious. Evie says it feels exciting!”

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This home tour features in Adore’s Summer 2024 edition - available to buy as a digital issue here.

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Built to last

Furniture makers Nykita and Scott Shannahan found creative synergy with their architect Ben Edwards, reenvisioning this 1970s Adelaide home while honouring its history and surroundings.

Words Casey Hutton / Architect Ply Architecture / Builder Den Berger Built
Photography Coastpark Creative / Styling Emily O’Brien

Following the renovation of their Henley Beach home, Nykita and Scott Shannahan had neighbours ringing their doorbell. “People who’d lived in the area since childhood wanted to thank us for not knocking the house down and for building something sympathetic to the neighbourhood,” says Nykita.

Embarking on their renovation in 2020, the couple asked Ben Edwards of Ply Architecture to create a modernist Palm Springs-style home that integrated natural materials. The project was also a perfect departure point for Nykita and Scott, who own Built Furniture, to design a range of timber furniture inspired by the home’s architecture and landscaping.

The original house was U-shaped, with a central kitchen and living zone linking two wings for bedrooms and bathrooms. Ben’s design replaced the centre of the U with a more expansive living and kitchen space, as well as an atrium at the entryway. “My favourite part of this design is the point of arrival,” Ben says. “The front door opens and you can see through the entirety of the space.”

“We toyed with the idea of changing the roof and including circles in the design, and Ben came through on both fronts,” Nykita recalls. While its altered roofline and Palm Springs landscaping gives the home a distinctive personality, their decision to retain the local Basket Range stone on the facade respected the style of other houses in the area. 

Kitchen joinery and bar stools by Built Furniture / Art by Georgie Wilson
Pendant lights from South Drawn / Vase by Janna Schneebichler of Schapes

Nykita’s love of modernist homes goes back to her childhood “between the desert and the sea”, in a South Australian town she describes as a modernist time capsule. “I vividly remember visiting my cousin’s house and looking over the fence at the modernist ‘mansion’ next door, which was lined with palm trees and had a curved metal balustrade, a flat roof and stone feature walls,” she recalls. “As a kid, it was a huge inspiration to me.”

Now, years later, it’s Nykita’s own house that has curious passers-by peering over the fence. The home’s new design plays to this curiosity; the garden features an impressive cacti collection, scalloped walls and breeze blocks, delivering what Ben describes as “a series of curated sightlines that open the dwelling to the surrounding neighbourhood”.

Sofa and coffee table from Built Furniture

This quality of transparency is continued throughout the project, whose guiding principle was “inside spliced outside”. “At any point in the space there is a direct visual and physical connection to the outdoors,” Ben explains.

Shapes, colours and textures are repeated across thresholds. The home’s sandstone facade, preserved to great effect in the renovation, is echoed in the pool’s stone backdrop, while crazy-pave flooring delineates the kitchen workspace and is repeated on the patio.

The kitchen’s 4.5-metre-long island bench is shaped from a huge piece of solid American white oak that Nykita and Scott were able to source from the US. The couple designed their joinery, dining table, chairs and coffee table to engage with curved elements in the house and garden.

Dining table, chairs and stools from Built Furniture
Vases by Janna Schneebichler of Schapes

Bedside table from Built Furniture

“The home comes alive during the warmer months, with family and friends often gathering around the island bench and spilling into the dining spaces while the kids use the pool,” Nykita observes.

By contrast, the atmosphere in the bedrooms in the original wings of the home is geared towards rest and retreat. Nykita and Scott created custom bedside tables and bedheads referencing the old house’s weatherboards, along with minimalist timber vanities for the bathrooms.

Bed and bedside table from Built Furniture / Wall decal from Miss Pie Designs

For Nykita, Scott and Ben, the beauty of this project came from working within constraints to find innovative solutions. “Modernist homes come from a time when design was about creating a feeling and utilising creative thinking to solve problems,” Nykita points out. “Harnessing those ideas to bring a home back to life is one of the best ways, we feel, to make something unique.”

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Want to see this home tour in full, in print? You’ll find this home tour in our Reno edition, available in newsagents, online and in select stockists across Australia.

Or buy the digital issue here.

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ZEB Modern Barn

The farm-style buildings that dot the landscape around Queenstown in New Zealand were the inspiration for this striking modern barn built on a hillside in Northern NSW.

Photography Coastpark Creative / Words Casey Hutton / Interior design Christal Alexander
Building designer Jardine Design Space / Build JDC

From the outside, the dark frame and pitched roofline of this home offer a dramatic counterpoint to the lush greenery that surrounds it. From the inside, huge expanses of glass beckon the eye outward to the forest treeline and an ever-changing sky. “Day and night, it’s a beautiful reminder of how lucky our family is,” says homeowner Christal Alexander.

Family is at the heart of this home. The seeds for its design, Christal explains, were planted over holidays to Queenstown with her husband Luke and their three children. “We’ve spent hours driving and exploring their rolling green hills and all these stunning black, high-pitched, single-level barns with timber detailing – the five of us falling more and more in love with the area each time we visit.”

The couple resolved to build a similar home in the Tweed region of New South Wales where they both grew up.

The house would be Luke and Christal’s fourth build and third renovation together. Nevertheless, it wasn’t smooth sailing. Christal recounts their initial impressions of the block of land in Nunderi: “It was bad! Hilly, with weeds and grass taller than a double-storey house. We couldn’t even get to the land to see it! There was a road, but it was so overgrown it wasn’t viewable.”

The location, however – ten minutes from Cabarita Beach and within easy reach of the highway to Byron Bay – was perfect, and Christal’s vision for a Queenstown-style home held strong. She sketched out her own plan – a modern barn with a central living zone between an adults’ and a children’s wing – then handed it over to Josh Jardine at Jardine Design Space. “He transformed my layout into a masterpiece, creating all the finer details,” she says.

“The property had a one-bedroom, fully off-grid shed that we lived in for the two years it took to clear the land and build. My husband purchased a 23-tonne excavator and, with every spare minute he had, he cleared, dug, and moved a lot of dirt.”

Then, when the build was due to begin in early 2022, torrential rain drenched the region and caused widespread flooding. “Although our land wasn’t directly affected by the floods, our town, friends, and family were. The land was too wet to even walk on,” Christal recalls. The build was delayed another six months.

After a nine-month build, the home – named ‘ZEB’ after their three children, Zayd, Eva and Brax – was finally completed.

Its dark silhouette and the scale of its windows give it a luxurious and contemporary edge, which has been balanced beautifully with rustic elements and organic textures and materials. The design prioritises connection with the outdoors via large sliding doors from all the rooms.

Christal’s favourite space is the main bedroom, with its luxe ensuite and 180-degree views of the property, including the pool and sauna. “Our first morning in the house, my three children all came in and lay on the bed with us, and I thought, ‘This is just heavenly’,” says Christal. “Picture-perfect it was.”

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This is an edited extract from Adore magazine’s ‘Modern Farmhouse’ edition – available to buy from the Adore online shop. Also available as a digital edition.

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Charred Charm

Beyond the blackened timber exterior of this Mornington Peninsula home lies a light-filled sanctuary that’s a study in restrained colour and curated continuity.

Words Casey Hutton / Interior design The Grace Collective / Interior Photography Annette O’Brien
Interior Styling Amber Lenette / Landscape Design Mint Design / Exterior Photography Erik Holt

Much like the Mornington Peninsula’s native melaleuca trees – from the Greek words melas (black) and leukos (white) – whose pale papery bark remains charred after fires, the dark facade of Sarah and Beau Muston’s home masks its light interior.

“We wanted a black house as soon as we purchased the land,” recalls Sarah. The block’s established greenery was the main reason they chose it, she explains, and a charred timber-clad home would offset the colour of the lush foliage.

Beyond the home’s outer shell, though, the contrast is immediate. High ceilings, generous skylights, gleaming polished concrete floors, white walls, and soothing layers of colour create the atmosphere of an inner sanctum.

Home owner Sarah Muston

“Our aim was to make it our own unique aesthetic, while remaining cohesive to create a soft flow throughout our home,” says Sarah, who is a stylist (The Grace Collective) and owner of clothing boutique Mirror Mirror. She and Beau had built before and were confident when it came to envisioning this home: “We designed every detail, including the entire floor plan.”

Natural light and colour were crucial elements in the home’s design. “For me, colour evokes happiness and joy, so to be surrounded by it every day really elevates your mood,” Sarah reflects.

The home’s approach to colour is restrained and carefully considered. Dusty pastels and earthy hues are introduced sparingly but with great effect via floral arrangements, artworks, ceramics and textiles. “We really wanted to create a crisp yet textural home, mix cool tones with warm tones, and introduce sharp lines against soft curves,” she says.

The result is a layered and tactile space, in which all elements exist in a calming equilibrium. Sarah’s decor, florals and soft furnishings are often chosen in response to cherished artworks. “Most times I will wait to start styling a room until I find an artwork that I fall in love with.”

Likewise, the choice of finishes in each room is carefully balanced against the whole. “It was important to me that each space needed to flow into the next,” Sarah explains. “I subtly changed up the tile composition in each bathroom while using the same tiles or, alternatively, selected the same tile in a different shape or size for the next space.” Likewise, the profile of white tapware throughout the home is consistent, but slight variations in design work to differentiate spaces.

Built over three descending levels, the home unfurls beautifully into an airy living and kitchen zone. Floor-to-ceiling glass runs the length of the room, opening up seamlessly to an outdoor area and pool surrounded by mature trees. This generous living space is the heart of the home for Sarah, Beau and their three young children, while a media room on the middle level – cleverly lit with clerestory windows – is where they barrack for their favourite sports teams.

Sarah explains that the floor plan was designed not only for how their family lives now, but also in terms of how they’ll use the spaces in years to come. “This included multiple inside and outside living zones, considering space and privacy so everyone in the family is able to have their friends visit simultaneously and enjoy our home comfortably together.”

Sarah’s favourite spot to retreat to is the luxurious freestanding bath in their ensuite. “It’s positioned in front of a large window in the treetops – a very Zen escape from our busy day-to-day life.”

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This is an edited extract from Adore’s ‘Life in Colour’ edition – available to buy from the Adore online shop as a digital edition.

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Saguaro

This stunning new build in Blue Mountain Heights, just north of Toowoomba, combines mid-century Palm Springs vibes with innovative design features.

Photography Coastpark Creative / Words Rebecca Jamieson Dwyer

When you’re a real estate photographer who’s shot iconic houses across the country, you’re spoilt for choice when it comes to inspiration for your own home. This was the case for Ben Walker, who sketched out thousands of possibilities before designing his home, ‘Saguaro’, which he shares with his partner Adriana and their two dogs.

“I’ve photographed over 15,000 homes over the last decade, and I’ve probably drawn 10,000 floorplans,” he says. “I’d been writing notes in my phone of all the cool ideas I’ve seen and layouts I liked. Then one day we found the right block, with the right view, and designed Saguaro from scratch.”

The low-profile house, built by Paragon Homes, is filled with clever design elements that enhance the beauty of the space and make it a joy to inhabit. “One of my favourite things is the microcement in the bathroom,” Ben says. “I also love the skylight in the shower, our brushed brass ABI Interiors tapware, and the pool and daybed area looking out over that incredible view.”

The home was named after the Saguaro cactus. Aptly, the gardens are filled with cacti and an assortment of sun-loving plants, most of which were sourced from Beautiful Gardens Exotic Nursery & Design.

Saguaro’s open-plan interior feels epic and expansive, but the addition of sliding doors means the home can easily be partitioned for privacy or leisure, creating smaller, more intimate spaces. “The bedroom wing is to the left of the front door and the living area is to the right, so when we have guests, we can close off half the house,” explains Ben. “We also have a floor-to-ceiling cavity door that divides the media room in half. You can watch a movie in complete darkness or open the door to play a game of pool while watching football on the big screen.”

Ben also designed the outdoor spaces, spending months meticulously planning the layout and the vegetation, and building a 3D model to perfect his vision. “I had help from a landscaping team for the hardscaping — the retaining walls, irrigation and fencing — but I planted 90 percent of the plants myself,” he says.

Named after the classic three-pronged cactus, Saguaro (pronounced with a silent ‘g’) is an apt moniker for an abode where the spiky plants reign supreme; landscaping was a key element in the home’s design rather than an afterthought.

The front garden – affectionately named the Zen Garden – is filled with drought-loving, low-maintenance cacti, creating a showstopping space that’s as peaceful as it is stylish. “On a hectic windy day, it’s all so still, which is very relaxing,” says Ben.

Out the back of the home, the entertaining area leans into modernist desert style, with circular stepping stones, an infinity pool and a fire pit, punctuated by views of the Australian bush.

Every window was made as large as possible, bringing the outside in and helping the home’s inhabitants feel close to nature. “Instead of a splashback in the kitchen, we installed a big panel of glass, which brings the Zen Garden inside,” says Ben.

“We absolutely love it here; the whole house is such a vibe.”

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This is an edited extract from Adore’s ‘Palm Springs’ edition – in newsagents Australia-wide, and in the Adore online shop as a digital issue.

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Banadero

Won over by a ’70s apartment in need of some love, Carissa and Nev Heath enlisted the help of interior designer Danni Morrison to transform it into an inviting beachfront escape.

Photography Coastpark Creative / Interior design Danni Morrison / Words Casey Hutton

Banadero inspiration

“Drawing inspiration from Carissa and Nev’s favourite colour, their appreciation of art and their love of Mexico, ‘Banadero’ is a collection of key elements like trending art pieces, custom tiles, and unique selections,” explains designer Danni Morrison.

Wandering into the ‘Banadero’ apartment block at Cotton Tree on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast one lazy Saturday morning, Carissa and Nev Heath had no intention of buying. “We were killing time more than anything,” recalls Carissa. “But from the moment we walked in, we fell in love.”

The unit was dated, but the couple saw huge potential in its beachside location and cool vintage features, so they snapped it up and briefed interior designer Danni Morrison to create a laidback and luxurious Airbnb.

Renovating within an existing block meant that the floor plan and exterior features would essentially remain the same, but Danni worked cleverly and sensitively within the apartment’s constraints. “Having the assistance of an interior designer to mock up the space prior to beginning the renovation was priceless for us,” Carissa points out.

Danni’s approach incorporated bespoke fixtures and high-quality fabrics and finishes in a thoughtful design that caters to the needs of Airbnb guests. “Drawing inspiration from Carissa and Nev’s favourite colour, their appreciation of art and their love of Mexico, ‘Banadero’ is a collection of key elements like trending art pieces, custom tiles, and unique selections,” she explains.

“Being a small three-bedroom unit, built in an era when cabinetry design and storage solutions weren’t at the level of importance that they are today, meant that maximising space and comfort was high on the agenda.”

In the bedrooms, built-in robes were replaced with open shelving and lift-up storage to free up space. “We also removed built-in shelving at the front door,” explains Carissa. “This was turned into lift-up bench storage for beach equipment and a drop-off area for guests’ belongings when they enter the apartment.”

The laundry and bathrooms were gutted and remodelled with high-quality finishes. Custom encaustic tiles in green, teamed with white tiles and chocolate-brown grout, lend the spaces a nostalgic Mexican energy.

Existing elements of the building were worked into the new design. Its distinctive hooded brown window frames, for instance, are echoed in arched doorways, pill-shaped bathroom basins, and the curved niche behind the dining space. The apartment’s ornate insect-inspired cornices were also left intact, Danni explains. “Who in their right mind would have the audacity to remove those gorgeous little beetles? Not me!”

Strategic updates to the kitchen and living zone made it more spacious and functional. “We really wanted to provide enough seating and comfortable places to relax for up to six guests,” Carissa says. Removing a portion of the kitchen cabinetry opened the space; replacing it with a small woodgrain cabinet created a visual link between the kitchen and living area.

Meanwhile, a new custom-designed furniture piece became the room’s standout feature. The addition of this multi-purpose raised bench was, Danni says, “the ultimate game changer for ‘Banadero’ – acting as a console table, desk, bar, or kitchen island overflow, depending on guests’ requirements”.

“We also introduced the built-in seating area with niche shelving around the dining table for plenty of relaxing space,” Carissa adds.

The renovation, which took place over five months, delivered a holiday apartment that’s as practical as it is beautiful. “The most important facet of the design brief,” says Danni, “was to create a space where guests feel warm, comfortable and relaxed, like they would at home, but with a sprinkle of luxury detail that you’d expect from a five-star hotel.”

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This is an edited extract from Adore’s ‘Makeover’ edition – available to buy in the Adore online shop as a digital issue.

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The Villas

Awash with natural light, this dual accommodation on the Gold Coast mixes calming pastels with energetic pops of sorbet-flavoured colour.

Photography Coastpark Creative / Words Casey Hutton / The Villas by Bilinga Beach Abodes

BEFORE

Back in 2020, Sarah and Aaron Waters fell in love with an idiosyncratic 1960s building in Bilinga on Queensland’s Gold Coast. “From the outside, you’d think that it was just a standalone house, but on the inside it was two three-bedroom units layered on top of each other,” Aaron explains. “At first, we didn’t know what to call them. Were they units or were they a duplex?”

They dubbed them ‘The Villas’, and embarked on a detailed two-year renovation where both apartments were retained but completely reworked.

Sarah, who owns baby bedding and accessories business Bubbles Lane, and Aaron (aka Aza), co-founder and Head of Operations at Balter Brewing, have a penchant for renovating 1960s homes. Back in 2008, they transformed a dowdy ’60s beach shack into ‘Bilinga Beach Abode’, a stylish Palm Springs-inspired haven that they now live in with their three children.  

This time round, they worked within the building’s existing footprint, removing asbestos and crooked walls along the way. “We are so proud that we kept as much as possible of the original building,” says Aza. “Let’s just say we threw it in the washing machine and then put it through the dryer and gave it an iron.”

The completed reno is a knockout, owing largely to its joyful and ambitious use of colour, pattern, and texture. Aza explains that flooding the building with natural light was crucial to making those interior elements sing; they lifted the original roof to accommodate soaring raked ceilings and admitted as much light as possible without compromising on privacy.

Their biggest design gamble became their favourite feature: a dramatic helical staircase leading to a new loft in the upstairs villa. “We wanted it to be a work of art,” Sarah says of the staircase, which is rendered in Venetian plaster with a luxurious ‘Oyster’ finish. “Tiling the rise of the stairs with some leftover tiles from our bathroom added another pop of colour against our sage-green kitchen.”

Throughout The Villas, contemporary furnishings with a retro flavour pay homage to its iconic coastal location, while the bold use of convex panelling from Easycraft’s ‘Silhouette’ range puts a modern spin on classic beachy VJs. “We wanted to veer away from the standard gyprock finish,” Aza explains. “The folks at Easycraft assumed we were thinking of just a feature wall here or there, but once we told them the quantity we were chasing they nearly fell off their chairs!” he chuckles. “Amazingly, Easycraft recycled 100 percent of offcuts from our project back into making new products.”

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This is an edited extract from Adore’s ‘Life in Colour’ edition – available to buy as a digital issue in the Adore online shop. This extract features the upstairs villa, see our print magazine for the full tour including the downstairs villa and pool areas.

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Patch of Paradise

Former Sydneysiders Jessi and Koombs customised their new build on the Gold Coast, creating a bold, modern home for their growing family.

Photography Coast Park Creative / Words Nichola Davies

Creative couple Jessi and Koombs made the move from Sydney to the Gold Coast with their two little ones (human and dachshund) a month before the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We wanted to have a home with a backyard for a dog and to cater to our growing family,” explains Jessi. “That didn’t seem possible with our budget in Sydney. We wanted a slower-paced life and the Gold Coast seemed to offer that.”

Opting for a new build for their family home, Jessi and Koombs chose a standard design through GJ Gardner Homes, adding some customisations to suit their needs.

“We wanted a lot of natural light,” says Jessi. “The raked ceiling provides heaps of light and makes the main living spaces feel bigger and brighter.”

“Open-plan living was really important to us to bring the outdoors in, and we wanted our main bedroom to open onto the pool to create a relaxing atmosphere and the feeling of being on holiday.”

The couple chose a black, VJ-panelled feature wall in the study and black feature walls in the living room, media room and main bedroom to add impact to the home’s interior. “As our home is mostly white, we wanted to create some contrast,” says Jessi.

Jessi and Koombs tackled the landscaping themselves – a feat made easier by the fact that green-thumbed Koombs is a bricklayer with experience in stonemasonry. Sourcing inspiration from gardens on Instagram and Pinterest, the couple had a rough idea of what they wanted: “tropical plants, different seating zones, a barbecue area, a low-maintenance garden, and a backyard that the family could enjoy and spend a lot of time in”.

The landscaping is designed around the pool, the corner of which lines up with the original alfresco area. Jessi says this was important to get right in order to maximise the other areas of the backyard on the 450sqm block.

The bench seat and planter boxes are an original design feature dreamt up by Jessi and Koombs, who were looking to elevate their plants and create privacy from neighbours. “The planter box and bench seat were perfect for the space,” says Jessi. “The area can also be seen when you’re standing in the dining room, kitchen and living room, so we wanted to make it a feature and create a view from all of these rooms.”

The process wasn’t without challenges though; the planters needed to be redone to make them higher and able to hold bigger plants. The area also originally had real turf that had to be ripped up – twice – due to lawn grubs. “Artificial turf has been amazing,” says Jessi. “It’s green all year round, low maintenance, and our daughter and dachshund Maple love playing on it.”

In addition to being open to the option of artificial turf, Jessi and Koombs’ top tips for DIY landscaping are to source plants locally and check out Facebook Marketplace for bargains. “Almost all of our plants are from local nurseries,” explains Jessi. “We purchased many items, such as the breezeblocks and railway sleepers, which we used as steppers by the pool and the front of the house, from Facebook Marketplace.”

The couple say they saved “so much money” by choosing to do the landscaping themselves – a big win for this growing family.

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Want to see this home in print? You’ll find this home tour in our Tropical edition, available to purchase as a digital issue here.

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Nesting instinct

Light, shadow, form and shape perform a captivating dance in this artfully composed modern beach house in Cronulla.

Words: Casey Hutton / Photography The Palm Co / Interior design + Build Nested Projects / Joinery Finch Projects

“I’m inspired by people who aren’t afraid to take a risk with design – to make it truly about the design and not just how the house will be sold.”

— Katie Burt

“I’m inspired by people who aren't afraid to take a risk with design – to make it truly about the design and not just how the house will be sold,” muses interior designer Katie Burt, who runs Nested Projects with her husband James, a construction manager. “I always make sure the home really does feel like a home, and not just a showpiece.”

When renovating their own house in Sydney’s beachside suburb of Cronulla, Katie incorporated a handsome mix of materials and finishes. “I avoid being too on-trend; it’s fine to pick up some current details but on-trend will definitely date,” she points out.

The transformation of the home’s interior and exterior began in September 2019 and took around five months. The finished product melds sparse Scandinavian sensibilities with Mediterranean flourishes such as arches, alcoves, terrazzo, terracotta tones and even a pizza oven. These elements are underpinned by a laid-back beachiness that’s unmistakably Australian.

“The facade was very tired,” says Katie. “We had the exterior rendered with lime plaster in ‘Natural White’ and added breeze blocks, keeping their natural concrete finish.” The distinctive circular motif in the breeze blocks is repeated in wall-mounted outdoor lights and the oversized round timber handles on the front gate and matching front door.

The entrance to the house reveals one of Katie’s favourite spaces: a striking dining area with banquette seating and custom shelving. The existing staircase was moved in order to create this nook, and angled sunlight floods the area from windows in the void above. “I love this space; it’s such a beautiful feature as you enter the home.”

With a young daughter, Georgie, and stepson, Hudson, Katie was conscious of the practical aspects of family life when planning the reno. The couple opted to have all their living spaces on the ground floor, with the alfresco lounge area and pool in view. “It’s so much easier with young kids,” explains Katie.

In the open-plan kitchen and lounge, clean vertical lines are balanced by curved forms, and white walls are warmed by timber tones and stone surfaces. “When our fireplace stone arrived it was too pink, so we had it painted white and just love it!”

A guest bedroom and bathroom, office, powder room, laundry and rumpus room complete the downstairs layout. Upstairs, what used to be one big room was carved up to create three bedrooms, an ensuite and a main bathroom. The main bedroom enjoys the best scenery. “We added a balcony off this bedroom to make the most of the sea views and breeze. It feels so soft and inviting with the curtains and bedding.”

The home’s beachside location informed many design decisions, Katie explains “Wind and salt always need to be considered. We also chose lots of louvres to take advantage of the breeze and, more importantly, to hear the ocean!”

Outside, the effortless coastal cool continues. A largely monochromatic palette is offset by lush greenery, natural stone textures, and the inviting pale blue of the pool beyond. A bench seat incorporating breeze blocks is “hands-down the best place to lie in the sun – our pug Peggy loves it”, and a pizza oven and built-in alcove for firewood set the scene for poolside entertaining.

“A bench seat incorporating breeze blocks is “hands-down the best place to lie in the sun – our pug Peggy loves it”, and a pizza oven and built-in alcove for firewood set the scene for poolside entertaining.”

— Katie Burt

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Want to see this home in print? You’ll find this home tour in our Winter edition, available in newsagents, online and in select stockists across Australia.

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Striking beauty

Not even an unexpected move abroad could get in the way of this Melbourne family creating their dream home.

Photography: Annette O'Brien  /  Styling: Alana Langan  /  Interior design: NCS Interiors  /  Words: Nichola Davies

Interior designer Nerida Stewart of NCS Interiors and her husband Andrew fell in love with their Camberwell house in 2010. Situated across from a beautiful park, the home’s location offered a great place to raise a family. At the time, their son Hugh (now 11) was just a toddler, and their younger daughter Ruby hadn’t come along yet.

“Our underlying principle was to improve the house’s curbside appeal, maximising the park views and creating a street presence, without being overbearing or ostentatious.”

— Nerida Stewart

According to Nerida, the house lacked street appeal and needed modernising, but it had a lovely light-filled interior with a lot of potential.

After living in the home for four years, the family had a good sense of what they needed to improve, and they began their renovation, which took place over five years in two stages. Nerida took charge of the interior design and engaged Rod Hannah Design Group for the drafting.

Beginning stage one in 2014, they undertook substantial renovations to the front of the house, including the façade and driveway. “Our underlying principle was to improve the house’s curbside appeal, maximising the park views and creating a street presence, without being overbearing or ostentatious,” says Nerida.

The couple decided to excavate and go under the house for the garage, which was a major job. It proved worthwhile in the long term though, as they were able to add a second living room above the garage. They then renovated the kitchen and family room.

After moving in and enjoying their transformed home for only a matter of months, Andrew was offered a job in Houston, Texas, and the family opted to take the plunge and move overseas for three-and-a-half years.

“It was an unexpected life change but such an amazing adventure for the family,” explains Nerida. In 2018, towards the end of their time in Houston, Nerida put plans in place to get stage two of the renovation underway. This would involve transforming the back of the house, including the bathroom, laundry, entertainer’s kitchen (formerly a playroom), outdoor entertaining area, guest bedroom and ensuite.

“Managing the early stages of the second renovation from overseas had its logistical challenges, but we had a very good builder (Terry from Latrobe Building Services), who was excellent at communicating,” says Nerida.

“ “Managing the early stages of the second renovation from overseas had its logistical challenges, but we had a very good builder (Terry from Latrobe Building Services), who was excellent at communicating.”

— Nerida Stewart

Blending indoors and outdoors was an important factor for this area of the house. “The joinery detailing of the kitchen nook extends out to the barbecue area, while the large-format porcelain floor tiles run from the inside and continue outside and around the pool, creating a seamless transition,” Nerida explains.

“We also opened up the ceiling to a gable roofline, along with fully extendable glass bifold doors, which has completely transformed the feel of the space. It’s perfect for entertaining friends while the kids swim in the pool.”

Nerida says she loves their forever home for its overall feel. “The layout is unconventional,” she says. “The split levels overlooking glimpses of garden give the house a relaxed, inviting atmosphere.”

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Want to see this home in print? You’ll find this home tour in our Winter edition, available in newsagents, online and in select stockists across Australia. Or buy the digital issue here.

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Concrete to contemporary

TileCloud co-founder Drew Mansur worked closely with an architect to transform a dated property in Redfern into a contemporary family home.

PHOTOGRAPHY THE PALM CO / STYLING THE HIRED HOME / WORDS NICHOLA DAVIES

Not all homeowners meet their architect by knocking on their door and telling them they like their house, but that’s how Drew Mansur met Daniel Kontista of Kontista + Co. Drew was walking through Redfern on a Sunday afternoon admiring the terrace homes when he saw one in particular that caught his fancy.

“I just thought I’d go and knock on their door and ask them who their architect was,” says Drew. “Next thing I know, he was the architect and it was his own house, and he invited me in to have a look.”

Drew’s Redfern home is the second project the duo has worked on together; by the time he bought the property, Drew had some fairly extensive “back-of-the-napkin sketches” of the elements he wanted.

“Daniel added a little bit of seasoning on top, but he was the original inspiration and the person who executed the drawings, so I sort of slotted in the middle there.”

Drew explains that the home is situated in a heritage conservation area, which meant they were able to gut the interior, just keeping the façade and streetscape of the house.

There was no garden; every square inch of the house was concreted, including random little additions such as a concreted external laundry, concrete steps, and so on. “There was even a barbed-wire fence on the back,” Drew recalls. “It looked a little bit like a South American prison – it actually looked hectic,” he jokes.

But the abundance of concrete worked in Drew’s favour. “Because it was completely concreted, our floorspace ratios of what we were allowed to build were greater,” he explains. “[According to Council], if there’s already a precedent on site – say they had a massive garden in the middle and you wanted to develop the site a bit more, you would have to maintain the same amount of green space. This had zero green space, so it defaulted back to minimum requirements.”

The renovation was done in stages because the terraces rely on each other for strength; excavating the garage meant having to underpin the adjacent properties. “We gobbled up plenty of time doing that, but it allowed us to create this two-car garage in a location very close to the city.”

Drew says he can’t take too much credit for the style of the interior of the home, as he based it on a house he fell in love with in the Paddington area. “That home was super stylish, and it sold for a squillion dollars,” says Drew. “I thought if we could replicate the vibe of that house and apply it to our site and aim for half-a-squillion dollars, that’s a good outcome!”

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Want to see this home in print? You’ll find this home tour in our Heritage Homes edition, available online and in select stockists in Australia.
Or buy the digital issue here.

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Californian bungalow

This heritage-listed home has been steered into the 21st century with elegant design choices that remain sensitive to the building’s history.

INTERIOR DESIGN BONE MADE / WORDS CASEY HUTTON / PHOTOGRAPHY THE PALM CO
BUILDER MIRAGE DEVELOPMENTS

Though less decorative than their Victorian and Edwardian counterparts, Californian bungalows have a charm and warmth that continues to endear them to Aussie families. Having become a feature of our suburbs in the early 20th century, their unfussy construction and straightforward floorplans lend themselves well to renovation and open-plan living.

“These homes are typically clad in brick with some solid rendered and masonry elements, with interior details such as ornate ceilings, skirtings and architraves,” explains Leah Pitman of Bone Made. She and her business partner Fliss Pitman are the interior design duo behind the elegant transformation of this home in Concord.

The owners needed to extend the bungalow to accommodate their family of six. “They wanted it to feel open, light and airy but also have ample storage,” Leah explains. A draftsman was enlisted to add bedrooms, a generous living space and a mudroom entry from the carport. Meanwhile, Leah and Fliss were tasked with creating a large kitchen with butler’s pantry; separate living areas for the parents and children; a his-and-hers wardrobe and ensuite in the master bedroom; and a large kids’ bathroom.

Their design had to adhere to heritage regulations, which included retaining the original fireplace. “We didn’t mind at all!” says Fliss. “We painted it white to align with the refreshed colour palette and allowed it to be a feature when walking through the front entry and down the hallway.” They also needed to preserve the old architraves, skirting and ornate ceilings.

Oak herringbone flooring was installed from the front door to the new living space, blending the home’s past and present footprint, while skirting, architraves and brass detailing were kept consistent throughout. “We didn’t want it to feel like two separate homes,” Fliss explains. “We ensured that the new kitchen fixtures were a beautiful classic brass and joinery showcased a classic profile, and we used a timeless neutral colour palette to ensure cohesion and continuity.”

“We ensured that the new kitchen fixtures were a beautiful classic brass and joinery showcased a classic profile, and we used a timeless neutral colour palette to ensure cohesion and continuity.”

— Fliss Pitman

While new elements were carefully integrated into the home’s historic personality, they are simultaneously cool and contemporary, creating an intriguing conversation between new and old. In the light-filled living area, Leah and Fliss designed bespoke oak and rattan joinery with a built-in gas fireplace and exposed flue. The design balances a sleek profile with the traditional cosiness of a hearth, and also provides plenty of storage space.

In the main bedroom, a custom-designed wardrobe with oversized knurled brass handles opens somewhat playfully to reveal a ‘hidden’ ensuite. “The ensuite showcases a sophisticated colour palette of charcoal, white and brass, with a floor that aligns back to the Californian Bungalow style,” says Leah. They also deepened the bedroom’s original window seat, adding luxe dark velvet padding and building in storage below.

The home is furnished with pieces that will stand the test of time, including a beautiful oak dining table teamed with Le Corbusier and Hoffmann-style chairs. Clean lines, high-quality textiles and pops of deep colour against light timber, rattan and brass elements lend the space an air of confidence, comfort and quiet luxury. “We find the styling in any project is the final piece of the puzzle,” says Leah.

If you’re renovating a heritage home, Leah and Fliss recommend researching the era to work out what must be retained and what can be reused in an extension. “Be open-minded about the design too, and certainly pay homage to the original style.”

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Want to see this home in print? You’ll find this home tour in our Heritage Homes edition, available online and in select stockists and newsagents in Australia. Or buy the digital issue here.

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By the Barwon

An epic renovation took a dated ’60s brick home and turned it into an enviable Byron-meets-Palm Springs-style abode.

Words: Nichola Davies / Photography: Rochelle Eagle / Styling: Lee Blaylock

A lot of hard work went into this home to get the feeling the Miller family – made up of Lucy (@riverlandprojects), her husband Marcus, children Sunny (seven) and Frenchy (five), and Banjo the dog – wanted: one that was calming and serene.

When the couple bought the house at auction (well, Lucy did as Marcus was on his Christmas work break up), it was in a very bad way.

Lucy explains, “it was a 1960s brick three-bedroom, two-bathroom, set to the front of a great north-facing block. It hadn't been lived in for 15 years, and you couldn't even walk up the front stairs as they were falling down. Plus, it had rotten window frames and a bad ’80s colonial timber kitchen refurb. It was in need of a lot of love, but we could tell it had so much potential, and we love the location right near the Barwon River.”

The family took the option of a long settlement to get the planning stages of the renovation and extension underway, knowing exactly what they wanted to do for the extension.

“We just needed someone to draw it up, so we went with a draftsperson instead of an architect,” says Lucy. “The engineering and waiting for approval is by far the most tedious waiting period of the whole project.”

From purchasing the property through to planning and building, the process took just under two years, the build itself taking around 12 months.

“It all of course took so much longer than we anticipated,” says Lucy. “The build started about 10 months after purchasing the house, with much excitement, and then 12 months to complete once everything began.”

Achieving the look they wanted for their home meant incorporating into the design a lot of natural light, white and timber, VJ panelling, and keeping the original raked ceilings.

“We also love terrazzo tiles, so they feature a lot too,” says Lucy. “Linen curtains give such a beautiful feel to a room, so we opted for those in the master bedroom and main lounge.

“It’s a little bit mid-century Palm Springs, and a little bit relaxed Byron Bay … a couple of our favourite vibes mixed together.”

While Lucy admits the costs of the renovation and extension blew out, Marcus is an electrician so they were able to save some money that way.

“You get so far into the process that it's hard to go back,” says Lucy. “And all the little things that add a thousand dollars here and a thousand there, end up being the details that you love the most about the house, and make it worth it.” 

Now that the project is finished, Lucy offers the sage advice to would-be renovators that an important thing to do is work on your ability to make choices – and good ones – quickly.

“You can really get bogged down in the million things that you have to decide on with renovating, a bit like planning a wedding,” says Lucy. “But in the end, you just have to trust your gut and make a decision. I never wanted to be the one to hold things up!”

Despite all of the beautiful spaces in the home, Lucy says the original sunken lounge is the family’s favourite room.

“We kept the original timber beams on the raked ceiling, and the same large window plan, there is the most amazing big tree right out the front, so it's very protected there even though it’s on the street,” Lucy says.

“We are so thrilled with how the house has been transformed – inside and out.”

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Want to see this home in print? You’ll find this home tour in our Renovation edition, available in select stockists and newsagents in Australia. Or buy the digital issue here.

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