Photography: Louise Roche | Styling: Dakota Drury
Keen to downsize, Justine and Andrew sold their family home with a lengthy settlement of six months to allow plenty of time for them to find the next place. With just seven weeks left before this period was up, Justine found a four-bedroom home for sale 600 metres away in a beachside suburb of southern Sydney.
“Andy was out surfing and by the time he came home, I was running out the door to see it,” recalls Justine. “We both saw the potential in it immediately.”
The location held special significance for Justine and Andrew, who had previously owned a home on the same street when their two daughters were little.
Planning the rebuild
As soon as the place was theirs, Justine called her best friend Ky Drury, founder of interior-design firm Studio Haus Co, who helped hone the vision for a modern Mediterranean-style home. “Like most projects, navigating council approvals took longer than expected, particularly given the home’s large footprint,” says Ky.
It was a team effort, with Lowi Interiors taking care of the spatial planning, Studio Haus Co overseeing material selections and styling, and Pro Design Building managing the build. Rebuilding rather than renovating allowed them to completely transform the home’s functionality and aesthetic.
Style behind the design
To embrace a modern Mediterranean style, Justine maximised the home’s natural light with soaring living area ceilings up to four metres high and designed the spaces to create a seamless indoor-outdoor flow. The open-plan dining, living and kitchen zones provide places for spreading out and coming together, while the bedrooms and bathrooms feature luxury furnishings and tactile finishes to cement their haven-like status.
Renovation budget breakdown
Justine and Andrew had a budget in mind for this rebuild, but admit that, like many projects during the Covid period, this figure blew out slightly due to supply chain challenges and material availability.
The overall total spend of $1,120,000 covered approximately $50,000 in demolition costs, $396,000 for the building, plumbing and electrical works, $142,000 for the luxe steel doors, $200,000 for joinery, $45,000 for the architect, $60,000 for interior consultations, $21,000 for the home’s tapware, $40,000 for the appliances and $20,000 for the landscaping, which Andrew did himself.
“We made a last-minute decision to upgrade to porcelain benchtops, which added to the cost, but the result was worth it and the finished product exceeded our expectations,” shares Justine.
Living and dining
Upon entering the home, visitors’ eyes are drawn to the dramatic four-metre-high ceilings with exposed beams. The formal dining area makes a statement with a Casa Blanco ‘Bullet’ dining table and Croft House ‘Sierra’ chairs, a ‘Willow’ rug from Armadillo, custom leather pendants sourced from Bali and a Coco Republic mirror. An artwork by Sophia Lind rests on the shelves above the bar area.
The living space is designed for comfort and entertaining with two ‘Sidney Slouch’ chaises from Globe West, an Armadillo ‘Corsica’ rug and a Casa Blanco ‘Palazzo’ rectangle coffee table around the Paul Agnew Designs fireplace. “Mercadier Cocomilk microcement features on the built-in seating, entertainment unit and shelving, adding texture and cohesion,” says Ky.
The kitchen’s Bora S Pure Induction Cooktop with Integrated Extractor also gets a nod, while Andrew enjoys the statement Paul Agnew Designs fireplace. “Coming home to our new place fills us with so much joy.”
The sign of a well-executed project is when the homeowner declares, “It’s hard to choose just one favourite thing!” But when pressed, Justine names a few highlights. “I adore my walk-in wardrobe – it’s divine and even has built-in speakers, making getting ready a joy,” she says.
The window seat in the walk-in wardrobe is upholstered in Mokum ‘Pueblo’ jute fabric from James Dunlop Textiles, and the ‘Fikile’ chair is from Uniqwa Collections.
Renovation lessons learnt
While this wasn’t the first home that Justine and Andrew have built together, they were reminded of the importance of surrounding themselves with the right people. “Having our dream team in place meant no costly mistakes and the process felt collaborative rather than stressful,” says Justine.
“Along the way, the inevitable challenges were quickly resolved because everyone was just a phone call away.” Being flexible helped as well, as it meant the couple were able to quickly make alternative decisions when things weren’t going to plan.
The abode’s relaxed living zones flow outside, where an outdoor kitchen and alfresco meals area are made for entertaining. The dining table and chairs are from Uniqwa Collections. Cushions from Eadie Lifestyle dot the built-in seating for added comfort.
“He loves spending time in the garden, while I love cooking, so it’s a house that truly suits both our passions.” — Justine, homeowner
Bedrooms and bathrooms
A ‘Scala’ bath from ABI Interiors takes pride of place in the main ensuite bathroom. Studio Haus Co selected bejmat natural clay floor tiles from Di Lorenzo Tiles, and the vanity is in Mercadier microcement in Cocomilk and Dekton from Cosentino.
The downstairs bathroom sports ‘Superclassica SCB Beige’ floor tiles from House of Surfaces and ‘Bianca Casa’ mini bejmat wall tiles from Di Lorenzo Tiles. The wall lights were sourced from Gypset Cargo.
Plush textures, such as in the Ravello bed linen, reign in the bedroom. ‘Cloud’ pendants from Ochre & Silk and a Uniqwa Collections ‘Sweni’ bench continue the look.
Source Book
Material selection & styling Studio Haus Co, studiohausco.com
Spatial planning Lowi Interiors, lowi.com.au
Builder Pro Design Building, prodesignbuilding.com.auJoinery Trend Joinery, trendjoinery.com.au
Microcement Bespoke Plaster Finishes, bespokeplasterfinishes.au
