Barefoot luxury

Relaxed and elegant at the same time, this Aussie beachside home is a place where you can sit back and enjoy the good life

- Karine Monie

Set among lush and mature gardens of indigenous flora, this three-storey house located on a picturesque stretch of the Australian coast with far-reaching vistas of coastal pines and the ocean beyond had already maximised the breathtaking panoramas. Even with its exceptional landscape, however, the potential for the interiors is what immediately convinced Alexandra Donohoe Church, founder of Sydney-based studio Decus Interiors, to deliver this atypical beachside home for a couple with five children.

‘Part of the attraction of this project was that it offered a variety of design detailing to get our teeth into,’ says Alexandra. ‘It had a bit of everything, in that the heritage part of the house required a more traditional approach, while the new extension [designed by Tim Wright Architect] necessitated a more contemporary feel.’

As a starting point, the young Australian family shared with Decus Interiors four images to illustrate the kind of aesthetic that appealed to them. From there, the design team had carte blanche. ‘The clients were open to having something of their individual personalities considered in the house, so the rooms are all quite different, each reflecting the identity of their primary user,’ says Alexandra. A variety of looks were created through colours, textures and materials without losing cohesion.