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Our Holiday House Renovation is featured in Australian Home Beautiful!
The October 2018 edition features our beach holiday home renovation.

“Cohesive Spaces: Perfect Match

By visually tying the bathroom and kitchen together, a sense of unity was created in a designer’s holiday home.”

Custom-made

The concept for the custom pendant from Vivid Joinery evolved from the desire to position hanging vines above the kitchen island bench.

“I wanted a structure where I could suspend a plant, so I designed a sleek, boxed pendant which was functional but still had impact” explains designer and homeowner Ania.

For a harmonious look, it was clad in the same Polytec Natural Oak Ravine laminate used on the joinery, with the second pendant commissioned for the ensuite to achieve the same effect. To complete the scene, faux vines that were sourced from Interior Gardens provide trailing greenery and, best of all, are maintenance-free.

For 10 years, interior designer Ania and her husband Les had been visiting the small beachside town of New Brighton, in northern NSW. And it was while on a weekend drive that the pair spotted a vacant block for sale. Wasting no time in snapping it up, Ania drafted the plans and enlisted Les’ skills as a builder to create a contemporary holiday house.

“I wanted it to have that relaxed feel where you could come back from the beach with sandy feet,” explains Ania, who runs interior design company Zephyr + Stone with her sister, Kasia.

A pared-back palette laid the foundation for effortless cohesion throughout, particularly between the kitchen and bathroom, with the starting point of the renovation being the kitchen, which overlooks a sea of trees.

“I wanted to create a connection with the outdoors, so I opted for a clear glass window splashback with lourves either side to bring the light, greenery and ventilation,” says Ania.

Inspiration for the colour palette was also drawn from the location, with the light oak floor tones reminiscent of the warm, grey shades seen at the beach at dusk.

“I carried the same oak flooring throughout and injected more warmth with Polytec Natural Oak Ravine laminate on all the joinery in the kitchen and ensuite, and wrapped it around custom pendant lights, which are a feature in both zones,” says Ania.

Sticking to classic white, grey and timber finishes, the ensuite- enveloped in large-format grey shell stone tiles - also echoes a subtle coastal theme. Functionality plays a key role, too, with abundant storage helping to keep easy-care surfaces sleep and clutter-free.

“True to it’s name, the colour of the large-format shellstone tiles in the bathroom resembles crushed shells on a sandy beach” - Ania