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This beach house in Victoria’s Bellarine Peninsula followed the standard coastal style of the rest of the town, but the retired couple using it as their holiday house never truly felt it was their home away from home.
Luckily, Kaylene Bryce of Belsö Design Studio knew exactly what it needed.
Presented with a ‘run-down’ property with ‘a twentieth-century fisherman’s cottage’ aesthetic, California bungalow influences, and a dysfunctional floor plan, she set out to design a richer, warmer home with more open space.
‘We retained the character of the front section and introduced details such as traditional mouldings, while treating the extension as the more contemporary part of the home,’ Kaylene says.
‘Rather than drawing from one specific reference, we intentionally set out to avoid creating a typical beach house. The design focused on classic detailing, tactile finishes and natural materials that would age gracefully with the home.’
Wanting the interior to align with the couple’s style, Kaylene filled the abode with natural materials and considered detailing. Walnut cabinetry, oak flooring, aged brass, and Taj Mahal quartzite provide a soft natural base for pops of green to make their mark.
‘I love when clients are open to playing with colour, it gives us the opportunity to create spaces with a strong sense of personality,’ Kaylene explains.
The main bedroom and en suite were designed to contrast with the main bathroom, lined in green tiles, acting as a private retreat with a ‘calmer palette of timber, natural stone and tactile finishes.’
Perhaps the most vital change in the renovation was improving the house’s northern orientation and marina views — the home was physically relocated three metres across the block to make the most of its location. The addition of a rooftop deck gave the couple even more opportunity to appreciate views of the water.
The completed renovation gave the owners exactly what they were missing: a home away from home.
‘Not every beach house needs to conform to a typical coastal aesthetic; this home was designed to feel personal to its owners, grounded in its setting and unapologetically full of life,’ says Kaylene.
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