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This Currumbin house on the Gold Coast with white and grey interiors, and dated finishes was anything but golden.
While the home was in an ideal coastal location — walking distance from the beach — its interior needed a thorough revamp for it to truly feel like a home the owner could one day move to from her northern NSW farm.
Interior designer Carlene Duffy transformed the home into a cosy, low-maintenance retreat in just four months, introducing quality materials, rich colour and a series of thoughtful details that give the previously dated interiors a new sense of warmth.
‘Aesthetically, [the homeowner] wanted to avoid white and grey colours (she came to the right studio) and instead wanted to be wrapped up in rich warm colours,’ Carlene explains.
Working with structurally sound architecture, Carlene only had to replace the doors and windows, before imbuing the space with ‘ 70s-inspired tones and adding a feature wood-burning fireplace.
‘It’s not often that you have a client who came of age in the ’70s that is still drawn to the colours of that time,’ Carlene says.
Inserting the fireplace posed the biggest design challenge, as it required the addition of surrounding non-combustible surfaces that would match the home’s aesthetic. Carlene responsed to the challenge by introducing a hearth lined in Japanese tiles, that has become a central feature of the living space,
Creating spaces for rest and relaxation was another priority. The homeowner wanted plenty of opportunities to lounge, nap and curl up with a book, so Carlene converted the office nook into a reading area, removing the desk and adding a plus-shaped bench seat. A built-in bench seat was also added to the dining room.
‘The bench seat’s vintage fabric from Redelman’s archival range feels like artwork,’ Carlene explains.
For Carlene, the sense of warmth and ease throughout the finished home is what she feels most proud of.
‘It feels like a completely different home… it now feels incredibly warm and lived in,’ she says.
‘When I think of coastal homes of my childhood I think of petite sized, low maintenance single level homes. This house fits that mould. It’s the perfect size with enough space but no excess.’
