A career opportunity saw Stephanie Davies, owner of La Boheme Lifestyle, and Nikolas Davies, owner of ND Skin, move to Australia in 2014. It was supposed to be just a two year stint, but nine years later, the couple are still here with their children Marlowe Rose (9) and Zanna Dawson (6).
Stephanie and Nikolas rented in Terrigal, before purchasing their own home in North Avoca in 2015. They’ve made some changes to the property over the years, starting with a makeover of the pool area, before a recent major transformation of the ground floor.
The couple engaged Fabric Architecture and Studio Highfield to reconfigure the layout, and design a complete overhaul of the home’s interiors.
The brief was ‘modern Mediterranean with a coastal eclectic feel.’ Fabric Architecture and Studio Highfield achieved this through a mix of textured neutral materials including concrete, Moroccan tiles, Venetian plaster, terracotta, indoor crazy paving, and display niches carved directly into the hallway wall. Layered shades of Porter’s Paints French Wash in Savage Silk Toile and Snow White applied in a hand brushed loose pattern achieve the look of limestone walls.
The kitchen is the heart of the home, featuring the newly-created dining nook surrounding a round pink Patagonia quartzite table. ‘Hudson Lane were amazing at bringing it all to life,’ says says Stephanie. ‘Watching them create that booth was something else. It is magnificent.’
Stephanie’s favourite element of the renovation is the concrete kitchen island bench, which was made off site by Concrete Bespoke and craned into the home. Even the drawer fronts are concrete in this entirely bespoke design. ‘I always wanted an all-white Mediterranean style kitchen with curves and concrete, so when Studio Highfield helped us bring it to life, we were blown away.’ says Stephanie.
The renovations have improved the home’s layout and provided a more relaxed, ‘outdoor’ feeling, in keeping with its beachside location. ‘Everything flows onto each other, but with lots of little niches and areas of interest to get lost in,’ says Stephanie.
‘Our home is still a work in progress with so much to do, but for now we are enjoying living in the space and soaking in all the new aspects it has brought to our day to day living and giving us joy.’
