Tropical delight: A Gold Coast home gets a prize-winning renovation
Before & after
The original 1970s brick house has been cleverly and affordably transformed into a weatherboard-clad beach cottage. The original roof and external walls were kept, the rest was more or less built from scratch. The front external wall was pushed out by a metre to create more internal living space, and the small concrete patio was replaced with a timber deck. The design also incorporates a raised herb garden and bi-fold servery windows for ease of access between inside and out. The ‘Avalon Love’ palm-leaf cushions are from The Coastal Cushion Company and the funky ‘Heavy Rollers’ dice were created by the owner, a furniture maker, himself. The vintage trunk and wicker chairs were both roadside finds.
John Downs
Dining room
The dining room banquette seating was built by the home owner, which saves precious walkway space and provides under-seat storage. The stunning table was made from recycled timber. Bonnie & Neil and Walter G cushions from Abode & Bod add a splash of coastal colour.
John Downs
Kitchen
The cabinetry in the kitchen was also built by the talented home owner, adding a feature plywood shelf above the sink to break up the expanse of white. The shelf features horizontal joinery at the back, as does the front of the island bench. The dishwasher and oven have been semi-integrated into the cabinetry to help retain a clean look. As space is tight, the island bench was designed to house stools underneath, leaving plenty of room to walk around. The Arthur G table runner is from Abode & Bod.
John Downs
Living room
The original carport was raised and walled in to create a light and airy living room. The leather sofas was bought many years ago from Just Leather in Tasmania. In keeping with the home’s coastal theme, the owners added colourful cushions from Claudiaeve Designs, a woven rug, a white and timber side table from Kmart and a wicker-framed mirror. VJ lining was installed on the walls.
John Downs
Main bedroom
A planned extension, which will include a spacious parents’ retreat, is on the cards. However, until then, one of the home’s existing two bedrooms has been converted into the master bedroom, furnishing it with a ‘Malm’ bed set from Ikea and Dwell ‘Saskia’ bedding from Spotlight. The print was found at Target, along with the large green and white cushion, while the lamp was bought at Pillow Talk several years ago.
John Downs
