Innholdsfortegnelse for 2505 i Home Beautiful Specials

IT’S LITTLE WONDER THAT THE RICH COLOURS of the natural world inspire interiors in such a profound way. Our connection to the land and sea grounds and calms us, so it follows that we would want to harness that energy within our homes, creating a place of shelter and instant comfort. Sandy tones, natural stone and timber in gentle shades or more dramatic, richer palettes are synonymous with the contemporary coastal aesthetic. To this, add casual furniture and natural fibres. “Tactility plays a huge role in styling a modern coastal home. What we touch with the skin on our fingertips as well as our feet will all contribute to the wonderfully sensory feelings of relaxation,” says interior stylist and Carpet Court ambassador Heather Nette King. “Soft flooring options should feel…

A BIG BLOCK, WITH SPACE for their Groodles, Hugo and Summer, and a stretch of lawn suitable for backyard cricket, sealed the deal for Brisbane couple Ebony and Eric when buying their small 1920s Queensland worker’s cottage three years ago. It was perfectly positioned, close to the city and within walking distance to parks and the Brisbane River. Engaging JMH Design, the ambitious plan was to lift and shift the heritage house towards the front of the block and build out and under the rear of the cottage. “It involved a lot of planning, expense and backwards and forwards with the designer, engineer and council, but it was crucial to the redesign as it meant we could maintain the home’s original single-storey facade, while more than tripling the internal floor…

EX-CONTESTANTS AND WINNERS of The Block in 2019, Tess and Luke Struber (pictured opposite) have been busy building on their own ‘block’ in Cairns since appearing on the show. Once belonging to Tess’s grandparents, the land was originally two acres. “I grew up running around the back block,” says Tess. “My grandfather planted Kauri pine trees along the back that I used to run and play hide and seek behind. After my grandparents passed, their ashes were spread along the pines.” It was this connection to the land and not wanting to let go of it that meant the couple were compelled to keep it in the family. “Luke and I just made it happen and purchased the back acre to build our dream home on. Now we can watch…

IT WAS THE PANORAMIC VIEWS OF THE OCEAN that sealed the deal for Aisha and Khurram when they first found this sprawling piece of land in Mount Martha on the Mornington Peninsula, just minutes from Port Phillip Bay. During the Covid lockdowns the couple, who live in Melbourne’s Western Suburbs, began to long for some open space. “Having a holiday house had always been a long-time goal of Khurram and mine, and this seemed like the perfect time,” says Aisha. “After touring a few different properties, we fell in love with this land. The first time we visited the site with the architects, we climbed onto the roof of the old house. From there, we could truly appreciate the breathtaking location and the sweeping bay views.” The couple knew they…

HAILING FROM THE NSW CENTRAL COAST The Block alumni Kyal & Kara Demmrich are well-known for their signature coastal aesthetic. However, in their last build, a duplex, it was clear to see their look had evolved into something richer and moodier. After purchasing the property, they demolished the old dwelling and drew up plans for duplexes with a difference. “We didn’t want to build two homes that were cookie cutters,” says Kara. “We thought, ‘Let’s have fun and play on the fact that they’re different’.” Although the layouts are a mirror image, the interiors are stark contrasts. The brief for the first house was light, bright and French-inspired, while the second house called for a moodier palette of darker tones with a coastal Spanish resort feel. The couple work like…

WHEN ROSANNA AND ALDO bought an old worker’s cottage in the ’90s, they knocked it down and built an architecturally designed home for their young family. Fast forward 30 years and the couple’s needs have changed. Their four children have grown up and left home, but Aldo regularly looks after their five small grandchildren before and after school. “A few years ago, we were all squeezed around the table at a family lunch, with barely any space,” says Rosanna. “We knew we either needed to move or renovate. We love the area, so we decided to update what we had.” The couple enlisted Michael + Ruysch Building Design for an initial concept building design. “We wanted to open everything up so the house became one area, but divided with cabinetry,”…

KEEPING THEIR EYE ON THE REAL ESTATE LISTINGS of a street they had fallen in love with meant interior designer and The Block judge Darren Palmer, and husband Olivier Duvillard, a cosmetics industry expert, had to see this home when it came up in 2015. “The second my husband and I walked through the front door, we thought, ‘This is our house’,” recalls Darren. The home, in Sydney’s Bondi, was a two-storey building when they moved in – a 1930s California bungalow downstairs with a 2010 addition upstairs. The walls were a “dirty cream colour,” so that was the first thing that had to go. “I hired a spray rig, bought a ton of paint and painted everything white,” he says. When Darren’s ambassador duties for an appliance brand required…

INITIALLY DRAWN TO THE LOCATION, as well as a huge backyard and plenty of space inside this expansive property, the homeowners knew this would be the perfect home for their family of five to expand into. Situated in Curl Curl on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, the home has seen quite the transformation, which started with the addition of a pool, spa, cabana and landscaping back in 2016, followed by a significant renovation in 2023. The homeowners took the house back to its studs to breathe some new life into the home. They made some floor plan adjustments throughout, including a complete redesign of the kitchen, adding a butler’s pantry, and a separate powder room cleverly combined with a guest ensuite downstairs. Upstairs, all the bathroom spaces were recreated, and the main…

“WE WERE DETERMINED TO HAVE A CHILD-FRIENDLY HOME,” says homeowner Candace Basson of the recently renovated house she shares with her husband De Waal, and their two children, Beatrice and Max. “But we also wanted it to be perfect for entertaining friends and family.” Thanks to the architect Werner Lotz of Hours Clear Architects that’s precisely what they now have. A home that meets the requirements of each and every member of the family, plus spaces that facilitate effortless, easygoing entertaining. And all this while clinging to a steep, terraced site on the slopes of Cape Town’s fabled Table Mountain, which is no mean design feat. The existing 1970s-built home was in dire need of an update when Candace and De Waal purchased the property, but Werner immediately recognised that…