Styling: Kylie Jackes/ Photography: Louise Roche
When it comes to dreamy locations, it doesn’t get more idyllic than a combination of bush and beach, so when Anna and Hew came across a property three years ago which offered both, they were instantly smitten.
With a lush pocket of coastal bush reserve on their doorstep and a path leading to the beach beyond, they felt it was the perfect place to raise their two young boys, Arthur and Oscar, on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. “They love going to the beach, but they particularly love playing in the bush. Arthur thinks he’s Bear Grylls out there,” says Anna of their haven.
Who lives here?
Hew, managing director of Watermark Constructions, his wife, Anna, a stay-at-home mum, and their children, Arthur, five, and Oscar, three, and Chocolate Labrador Gus.
Describe your interior style. Hew: “We’ve always been drawn to elements associated with mid-century design.”
Best reno decision? Hew: “Extending the kitchen and outdoor living area right to the boundary. It added an extra 100 square metres to the house.”
How do you like to spend your weekends? Anna: “We love to entertain so most weekends are spent at home, enjoying the pool, and the kids love to play in the bush reserve out the back.”
While the home – a typical coastal weatherboard – was lovely, the couple’s plan was always to renovate. For Hew, who owns a building and construction company and studied architecture, it was a great opportunity to use his industry knowledge and together with Anna create a unique family home with an indoor outdoor connection, geared around playing, relaxing and entertaining. “For us it was a really personal project, as we wanted something a little out of the ordinary, which reflected our style and interest in mid-century design,” says Hew.
Within the first six months of moving in, conversations began with Anna’s brother-in-law John Robertson, director of OGE Group Architects, whose ideas spurred plans to push to the boundary, with an extension and complete reimagining of what the house could become.
The expertise of interior designer Kate Cooper was also enlisted to help perfect new kitchen and bathroom layouts, design cabinetry and guide material selections, imbuing warmth across the home. “With young children herself, Kate really nailed combining beautiful aesthetics with great functionality and introduced the idea of the mudroom which is a room I didn’t know I needed and absolutely love,” enthuses Anna.
Although a bigger renovation than the couple planned, they happily jumped all in and fortuitously rented right next door during the eight-month build undertaken by Hew’s construction company. Far from a standard residential build, considerable engineering was integral in achieving the free-flowing connection to the outdoors. Commercial frameless sliding glass doors are cleverly designed to essentially disappear and open the kitchen, living and dining area to the natural bush backdrop.
We love…fluid curves
Gentle curves are a recurring feature, which create a sense of continuity and come into play in almost every space. From softly curved walls, rounded floating vanities, circular lighting and mirrors, to the fluid furniture and staircase, shapely appeal abounds. “We were very conscious with the placement and geometry of the curves, particularly in the staircase and kitchen walls,” explains Hew.
The sculptural flowing staircase was another design masterstroke, which was an impressive feat for Hew and his team to execute. Problem solving also inspired the hanging garden filled with cascading plants, which was a clever way to visually soften the colossal steel bulkhead supporting the back of the house. “It wasn’t in the original plans, yet it’s one of our favourite features – the plants just thrive in it,” says Anna.
With a passion for mid-century-inspired furniture, many pieces the couple owned fell perfectly into place in the new-look spaces, designed to withstand the rigours of two boisterous young boys and family dog, Chocolate Labrador Gus.
While some prefer the knockdown-rebuild route, the couple say the process of renovating helped shape the home. “Renovating is challenging and progress can be slow, but seeing the way the place came together was exciting and it exceeded our expectations,” says Hew. “We really love the place and wouldn’t do anything differently.”
Bedrooms
All our friends have young families so creating a home that was child-friendly was really important to us.”
Bathrooms
“The finishes and texture were really important. We wanted a design that inspired us,” Anna.
We love entertaining and, prior to renovating, the only facilities we had for guests to use was the kids’ bathroom, which wasn’t ideal,” says Anna. The solution was to reclaim the laundry and convert the area into a powder room.
Outside
Source book
Design OGE Group Architects, ogegrouparchitects.com
Interior design Kate Cooper Interiors, katecooperinteriors.com.au, OGE Group Architects.
Build & joinery Watermark Constructions, watermarkconstructions.com.au
Landscape design Shepherd Urban Landscape Architects, shepherdurbanla.com
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