With its faux-Mediterranean palette of wrought iron and apricot tones, this was not an easy home to fall in love with.
Still, returning to her native Perth, interior designer Natalee and her husband Mark were keen to find a property on which they could make their mark – and she saw the potential. “It was just hideous, but as we walked through we could see the waterfront,” says Natalee, a mother-of-three and James Hardie Scyon ambassador. “It was the water that got us!” With its location next to a marina, the home’s worst design crime was the way it turned its back on the water. Solid walls on the marina side made the interior gloomy, so the formal living and dining room was high on the list of must-renovate spaces. Taking a breezy approach, it is now a bright haven of Hamptons style.
Original room: A formal living and dining zone.
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Time frame: Eight weeks.
Why the makeover? The room felt dated, and despite soaring ceilings and windows, sunlight was blocked by external shutters.
The works: The first step was filling in a sunken lounge and removing a nib wall between the front door and living room. The mezzanine level was extended and squared off, while round columns were replaced by square-panelled newel posts. The external shutters were binned in favour of internal ones, and new window architraves and timber flooring were installed throughout the home.
Major changes: Switching the gloomy decor to Natalee’s signature Hamptons style flooded the area with light.
Lessons learned: Natalee and husband Mark were apprehensive about extending the top mezzanine floor. But she says, “It was the best thing we ever did! It not only created extra floor space upstairs, but also an incredible void, which is now a gorgeous feature in our home.”
Dining area
Connected to the living room, the dining space is designed to feel special. Natalee set about achieving an upmarket look with a duck-egg blue grasscloth wall covering from Boyd Blue. “We then brought out that colour in the cushions in the living room, so the flow was very easy on the eye,” she says. Crystal drop lights hang above a restored antique American oak table that is bookended by grand carvers, while the custom chairs can be changed up with slip covers – all are available through Indah Island. Newly laid American oak floorboards add a warm base.
Front door
The custom door with wrought-iron inserts is from Cedar West. “It’s about providing wow-factor when you walk in,” says Natalee. The
spindle chairs and cushions are available through Indah Island.
Budget breakdown
Flooring $25,000
Furniture $55,000
Lighting $7000
Shutters $25,000
TOTAL: $112,000*
Source book
Interior designer: Natalee Bowen
T 0413 370 006
Related:
Hamptons chic: get cushion cache
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