Seaside Residence in Mount Martha by Sally Caroline

Seaside Residence was a partial renovation of a grand Georgian home in the seaside town of Mount Martha. “Our clients have a young family with 2 boys. An active life by the coast is ideal for them, and they wanted a home that was calm, but filled with personality – something young and fresh, that still honoured the traditional architectural style of their heritage home,” explains Sally Caroline.

Pursuing a neutral scheme, the designers opened up the living space by removing the dividing wall between the dining and lounge areas. This allowed an abundance of light to flood in and connect the two activity spaces. Vein cut travertine tiled flooring elevates the living space to signify the division of areas. Existing flooring was refinished with a lime wash.

The living areas feel calm through simple joinery and soft colour palette. The rooms are given personality, a casual charisma, through feature furniture, art, accessories and detailing. Details include pops of colour in joinery, contrasting hues, and curved edges. The joinery is simple in form but sculptural.

The kitchen was opened onto the dining room for entertaining and lightness. Calming finishes of natural stone, white powdercoated metals and satin 2pac feature throughout. Copper accents were integrated into the fridge hardware and mixer for a subtle vibrancy that was youthful like our clients. Shelves are suspended marble, and the island features white powdercoated legs.

“At the entry, we allowed light to be the hero, featuring bench seating that complemented the client’s existing artwork. The staircase was filled to allow a quiet drama in sculptural volumes. We also added a rounded balustrade with contrast top strapping that reflected the colour of the door to create a coherent visual language from the entry into the home.”