Sea breeze

Designed by Di Henshall Interior Design

From the designer:

The owners of a hillside house a few metres away from the Pacific Ocean bought the house after one inspection and then headed back to their home in France. 

I had a one-hour opportunity to inspect the house before setting about re-designing the house, which is over 20 years old and in desperate need of major repairs before any aesthetic considerations could be made.

The whole project was designed and the works carried out while the owners were still overseas, with their return coinciding with the unveiling of the finished project.

The brief from the owners was relatively loose, but their specific wish was to open up the ceiling space in the main living areas so no creepy-crawlies would be left inside the roof space. 

The existing rafters were not exactly ideal for exposure, but we added beading and removed some of the unsightly fixings to make it look as good as it could be, without replacing the whole roof. 

The exterior of the house was shabby with a/c sheet cladding. 

I specified new weatherboards, new slatted detailing and an entire new colour scheme, to reflect the coastal position. 

There was considerable wet rot and termite damage throughout the house, so a significant amount of work went into stabilising the structure.

The large kitchen was removed and I designed a new kitchen with double island benches and a scullery behind a new wall, including refrigeration, sink and other cabinetry for back-of-house food preparation. 

The whole house needed rewiring and a new lighting plan was included.

The central staircase leading up to the lounge/dining/kitchen was totally out of place with the new design, so we framed and plastered the staircase and included an under-lit handrail and stair lights, completely transforming it.

In the living room, a new fireplace, television unit and shelving were added along with new windows and doors, plus we included a window seat overlooking the ocean.

The master bedroom and ensuite were reconfigured as was the entire ground floor of the house, including introducing a new front door, bi-folding doors leading to the pool, a new playroom, complete with another gas fire, a study, laundry and downstairs’ bathroom.

I oversaw the whole of the landscaping and project-managed the build programme from start to finish. 

The owners were overwhelmed when they returned to Australia to see their 'new' house for the first time.

Story by: Trendsideas