Renovate

5 design accents that are crucial for coastal-style

“It’s got holiday written all over it”
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The epitome of the Australian dream is a casual beachside shack and for one Central Coast family, it is a dream come true. Guided by interiors expert Wendy Moore and the Home Beautiful team, owner-builder Saul Meyers has created a beach house that is the perfect representation of barefoot luxury.

Home Beautiful Editor, Sarah Burman explains that Home Beautiful’s Beach House is “a mature take on the coastal style. It’s not twee, or stock-standard it’s something you can aspire to.” With the bones in place, executing that dream coastal look at home came down to the fine details.

 

Consistency is key                 

 

In the spirit of consistency, the team used Doors Plus Shaker doors throughout Saul’s home, as their simple profiles lent themselves perfectly to beachside luxury. The shaker doors come in five designs that complement just about any décor and over 31 variations in sizes, plus glass and mirror options. They have the option to come pre-primed and ready for you to paint, saving you time.

 

Or even better you can customise your own as Saul did in his main bathroom. To deliver practicality and some added pizazz, he used a shaker-style sliding door from Doors Plus hung on an industrial-style black barn track. Using sliding doors is a space-savvy solution for smaller spaces, as the door then doesn’t encroach on the room itself.

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Shaker-style sliding door, with industrial-style black barn track, from Doors Plus

Fit right in

 

After an intensive four-month transformation, the home has gone from a sauna-style chalet to a light and breezy sanctuary. To seamlessly weave this four bedroom home into a gorgeous beachside retreat, the team used different joinery styles throughout for an element of cohesion plus it plays right into contemporary beach style.

 

“I made sure every room in the house has some sort of timber detailing, which adds some extra interest,” says the homeowner-builder. For example, to amp up the texture and add a bit of personality to his son, Brooklyn’s room, Saul added part-height VJ panels topped with a dado rail, rather than plain gyprock.”

 

Timber touches

 

In keeping with the theme of “barefoot luxury”, light unpolished timber was incorporated throughout this Central Coast home as it would be un-Australian to not include timbers natural curves and organic finish. Drawing inspiration from the bush, Saul repurposed some logs from his backyard and cut them into pieces to use as stools and tables in the bathrooms.

 

The use of native timber adds warmth to the rooms, that makes you feel like you’re completely immersed in the leafy surrounds. Saul also used planed blackbutt timber from trees felled on the property to create floating shelves and a desk for Brooklyn’s homework nook in the main living area.

 

Light it up

 

In creating a relaxed coastal home that was uniquely Australian the team knew that the clever use of natural light and hero-ing the homes spectacular views a non-negotiable. In the open plan living area, the main wall was strategically designed to be made entirely of windows and glass that allows sunlight to flood the space each morning.

 

The reclaimed windows used in the renovation were given a second lease on life with a simple lick of paint. In the ensuite bathroom, the team worked with space and natural lighting, installing an angled window that added depth and a streamlined open feel to the small space.

Doors Plus Shaker range
Doors Plus Shaker range

A clean slate

 

Contemporary beach style is subtle, so to give Saul and the team a fresh start, the paintwork throughout the home was updated with crisp, fresh white paint that emanates a clean, coastal vibe and allows textures and colour to be the star of the show. The use of white throughout the home is “versatile, understated and all singing from the same songbook,” explains Saul.

 

Interiors expert, Wendy Moore explains that “the use of natural organic colours was inspired by the surrounding bushland and the colours of the sea, sand and sky.” For example, using a soft neutral shade on the walls of the kitchen allowed for the feature colour on the kitchen cabinetry to pop.

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