East Coast Connection

Inspired by the barn-like homes of cape cod, these sydney homeowners combine light and bright modern architecture with a dash of rustic charm

- Shelley Tustin

LIFE’S A BREEZE

The outdoor room of Kerrie and Gavin’s home, which they share with their three children, Bailey, 12, Campbell, nine, and seven-year-old Rose, in Sydney’s North Shore, boasts all the comforts of the indoors, for marathon entertaining. Vincent Sheppard ‘Lucy’ wicker chairs from Cotswold Furniture are matched with round tables from Town & Country Style, an outdoor sofa (for similar, try Outdoor Elegance) and cushions from Road Less Taken, Grosgrain and Gramon. Steamy summer days see the kids cool off in the pool (opposite), yet the outdoor areas are equipped to be enjoyed equally well in the cooler months. A gas fire helps take the edge off on chilly nights.

Sometimes, sheer luck leads a family to their fantasy home. Take Kerrie and Gavin, who, after 10 years, three children and a home renovation, wanted a brand new home that ticked almost every feature on their wishlist.

After driving through almost every suburb of Sydney’s North Shore, searching for an empty block or renovation-ready home, the couple stumbled across one just up the road from where they lived. “We saw the guy who had bought this block and demolished the original house, and did a handshake deal on the footpath,” says Kerrie (pictured left, with the family’s labrador, Zolde) of the site that had the same aspect as their previous home.