Just three hours north of Sydney with direct access to Boomerang Beach, 88SOUTH is a new idyllic coastal retreat where modern minimalism meets luxury and comfort. A paradise for design enthusiasts, surfers, and those wishing to reconnect with nature, it’s a dream house for a group getaway accommodating up to 10 guests.
Owned by Kersti and Stuart Faulkner of the Peppertree Hill Accommodation Group, as long-time holidaymakers to the area, they’ve designed the house to fully epitomise “the carefree Australian summer” experience.
“Over the years my husband, Stuart and I have had the pleasure of bringing our own children to holiday in this tranquil part of the world,” said Kersti. “We treasure our holiday memories spent surfing, laying on the beach, enjoying local oysters or catching a sunrise.”
The beachfront property with five large bedrooms, boasts panoramic views of the Pacific Palms coastline thanks to careful planning by Collins and Turner architectural firm. Although it may seem ideal for the summer months, there’s also a firepit to snuggle around when it’s colder!
This architectural beauty with its multiple living spaces uses a striking blend of Carrara marble, American oak, formed and polished concrete. The minimal furnishings and oversized glass windows showcase the incredible ocean views while still providing spacious privacy. Outside, there’s a 13-metre lap pool, private garden and decks overlooking the ocean.
Booti Booti and Myall Lake National Parks are just a short drive away and the remoteness of the location will give you a chance to breathe away from the hustle and bustle of city life.
“While Boomerang Beach is a sentimental place, it’s also healing,” said Kersti. “It doesn’t matter how long or short the stay, we always come back to reality feeling re-energised, re-inspired and reset. We love that we now get to share our own special space with others.”
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We’ve all been stuck indoors much more than we ever expected this year, and since then we’ve seen a spike in interest in interior design and architecture. But have you ever wondered what it might be like to stay in one of those one-of-a-kind homes you’ve lusted over in your favourite magazines?
Beachfront Apartment in Avoca, NSW
Well thankfully you don’t have to just dream through the pages anymore! You can experience first-hand some of Australia’s most well-designed homes as showcased in homes magazines, all bookable through Airbnb.
This lakefront holiday home includes all of the amenities needed for a calming and private retreat from the fast pace of modern life. It has been beautifully renovated to include the original features of the charming Pantonga riverfront cottage, while still boasting open spaces, four bedrooms, and a modern kitchen and bathrooms.
Driftwood includes a gorgeous indoor fireplace, and kayaks are provided for use on the serene Pantonga creek. It featured in Australian House & Garden Magazine.
This property, located on the picturesque North Avoca beachfront, is perfect for families, especially those with young children. It can sleep six, across three bedrooms, and contains a fireplace for the winter, as well as a new kitchen and bathroom. There is direct access to the picturesque beach, and a large deck that boasts incredible views of the ocean and headlands.
This beautiful house underwent recent renovation by an award-winning designer, and featured in Home Beautiful magazine and on the front page of Coastal Living.
Stay in this open plan luxury treehouse, set in the hidden hills of the Byron Bay Hinterland and offering breathtaking views as far as the ocean. It is situated on a massive 10 acres of private rainforest, and has wall-to-wall windows across one side of the house.
This treetop hideaway is the perfect retreat to realign with nature. It has one bedroom with a king bed, making it the perfect stay for a couple to relax and unwind in the surrounding natural serenity. It has been featured in Vogue Living.
Just a 10-minute walk from Bondi Beach, Bismarck House is the perfect urban oasis from which to experience Sydney this summer. It has a soft industrial style, with a combination of designer and vintage furniture. It sleeps up to eight guests in four rooms, with the option to transform the fourth room into a self-contained apartment, complete with ensuite and kitchenette.
This property is located in the heart of Bondi, and is near some of Bondi’s most incredible cafés and restaurants. It has also won a number of architectural accolades, and has been featured in Architecture AU for the 2020 Houses Awards.
Captain’s Rest is a stunning heritage cabin situated on the shore of Long Bay. It has incredible classic and antique furnishings and decor, so this retreat truly feels like a step back in time. Perfect for couples, this cabin has a queen bed, a gorgeous window seat, and a wood stove to keep everything nice and cosy.
Enjoy the access to the jetty and surrounding area, and take in a picturesque sunrise with a mug of coffee, or unwind with sunset glass of wine. Captain’s Rest has been featured in Country Style, Real Living, Design Sponge, and more.
This boutique luxury home is situated in the heart of rural Daylesford. It boasts an incredible open fire, air conditioning, and ducted heating. It consists of a two-bedroom house and a seperate, one-bedroom studio, and can sleep up to six people in total. It has industrial and vintage furniture, high ceilings, and gorgeous claw-foot bathtubs.
The home itself is on almost an acre of land, and is within walking distance of the Hepburn Springs. The grounds are full of stunning fruit trees, and there are views through to Wombat State Forest and Doctor’s Gully. This vintage house has been featured on the cover of Inside Out and Living etc.
This stunning, sustainable, and off-grid home is nestled amongst five acres of land in the Gippsland region. The incredible bush landscape makes for picturesque views from this two-storey property, with suspension bridge access to the top level. It has two bedrooms, an unbelievable 19m pool, and a fireplace.
The Eco Bush Retreat is truly committed to being environmentally-friendly, using solar panels to achieve total energy sustainability and harvesting rainwater on site. It is an architecturally deigned and award-winning property that has featured on Grand Designs.
This luxurious retreat is set on 100 acres of regenerated farmland in the Blue Mountains. It consists of three bedrooms in an incredible restored 1890s homestead, staying true to the classic, natural style while containing all-modern ammenities. Guests can also book swags and stay on the “swag-deck” on top of the nearby hill, and roast marshmallows over a campfire.
Just a short drive from national park Wollemi, the grounds of Warramba are themselves teeming with natural wildlife. This property has been featured in Country Style Magazine, Marie Claire and the Dezeen National Design Awards.
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A tired looking 90s holiday apartment with spectacular ocean views has been given a much-needed renovation. The entire Gold Coast apartment was gutted and started afresh with a bright, coastal style makeover. And we bet the owners are secretly pleased they get to use it themselves while leisure travel is off the cards due to Covid-19!
AFTER kitchen
BEFORE kitchen
“The brief was to design a space which instantly felt relaxing, took advantage of the views and considered the holidaymakers who will enjoy the apartment and its beach lifestyle,” says interior designer Mel Hoekstra. “The neutral tones and greens create a feeling of serenity the minute you walk through the door and have been layered with subtle texture and pattern to evoke a sense of letting go and enjoying your getaway.”
The amazing view is the only thing that hasn’t changed!
The original apartment was shades of apricot and pink with cream walls, had a wall dividing the living room and kitchen, tired carpet and was lacking suitable functionality. “There was an ugly old mirrored wall next to the kitchen which we replaced with new mirrored panels and makes a huge difference to the feeling of space whilst reflecting the views. On the plus side, the ocean and mountain views were spectacular, the perfect recipe for a renovation.”
AFTER bathroom
BEFORE bathroom
The walls were painted Dulux Lexicon Quarter to look clean and fresh, and new timber-look tiles give the illusion of space and are super easy to clean with all those sandy feet. The bathrooms were given custom timber cabinetry and beautiful bronze-edged white feature tiles to lighten the once-dark spaces. Then the laundry was given a splash of colour with a bronze-edged aqua tile on the splashback.
AFTER laundry
BEFORE laundry
The furniture and accessories were selected with the owners and potential holiday makers in mind. The custom lounges have been made in a versatile fabric which was treated to keep it looking great for longer. A king single bunkbed was added alongside the queen bed in the second bedroom to expand the type of guests who might book the apartment. It can now accommodate families as well as couples, yielding a higher return for the owners.
AFTER bedroom
BEFORE bedroom
“I love the transformation in every room in this two-bedroom apartment and particularly the instant feeling of relaxation you feel when entering,” Mel says.
“My favourite feature would have to be the island bench (painted in Resene’s Emerge); where once there was a wall you now see a beautiful island which mirrors the green and blue tones in the ocean. This year, the ecstatic owners will be enjoying their beachside apartment and holidaymakers will be able to enjoy the location in 2021.”
The holiday property market has grown exponentially with the arrival of Airbnb and similar sites, so it stands to reason that many people are, with little or no experience, becoming holiday property owners for the first time. Whether you’re a home owner renting out your own home to fund your travels or you’re running a lucrative part-time or full-time holiday home operation, there’s much expertise to be gleaned from SOUL OF Gerringong owner Simone Matthews.
One of the most popular holiday houses in Australia, SOUL OF Gerringong has been fully booked since Simone transformed the abandoned coastal farmhouse in 2017 and she’s keen to share what she’s learnt with the launch of SOUL Home, a place where holiday property owners can share real-life advice and find out about industry news in what is a rapidly growing space.
SOUL OF Gerringong backyard
“When you’re a holiday property owner, you instantly become a general manager, marketer, social media strategist, administrator, stylist, problem solver – there are so many hats you need to wear, to ensure your holiday property first attracts, and then offers a seamless experience to ensure your guests enjoy an incredible stay,” says Simone who, in addition to establishing the SOUL Home online community, has recently set up an online course for holiday property owners too.
SOUL cottage bedroom
Simone’s How-to Guide for Holiday Property Owners is an online course that is designed as a 101-industry companion to teach you how to run a holiday property business from scratch. From understanding the purpose of your new business, identifying your target market, getting across the accounting side of running a holiday home, styling, building hacks, what to look for in a booking system and the pros and cons of self-managing plus how to brief the cleaners and tips on building a solid social media presence, the course covers everything there is to know about running a holiday property.
SOUL Home’s Simone Matthews
“Being a holiday property owner can be both time consuming and costly, and you want to you spend your time and money where it counts. The guide provides that real, honest advice for anyone either starting out or wanting to elevate their holiday home business. It provides all the materials and authentic advice you need,” says Simone.
SOUL cottage living room
SOUL Home’s How-to Guide for Holiday Property Owners is $497 and is comprised of eight modules. The course runs with a combination of written worksheets, video tutorials, personalised mentoring and templates, including a cleaning schedule and a master list of everything a holiday property owner needs when starting out.
There’s a room in our homes where we come up with our best creative ideas, belt out the greatest love ballads, reflect on the highs and lows of the day, and perfect our photo-ready smile. Yes, we’re talking about the bathroom.
Edwardian house in the UK. Click through for more
I personally LOVE a soak in the tub. My Australian friends don’t seem to get it but summer or winter, this Pom loves her baths and I’m really excited about our bathroom reno starting next month!
Lake Como house steam room. Click through for more.
It’s the one of the most important, yet sometimes understated rooms in the home, so why should it feel any different while traveling? Bathrooms should bring you the familiar comforts and serenity of home, helping you feel at ease in order to face the day with gusto. And there’s nothing better than a long soak or refreshing shower after a busy day’s sightseeing.
American lake cottage. Click through for more.
Villa in Bali. Click through for more.
On Airbnb, not only can users find a wide variety of listings with unique bathrooms to match for their next adventure, but many Australians have also admitted to using Airbnb as a platform for home décor inspiration. That’s pretty smart if you ask me. We’ve all been doing it with real estate listings for years!
Luxury LA house. Click through for more.
Scottish castle bathroom. Click through for more.
So whether you’re looking for a departure from the usual, like an al fresco soak with 360-degree views, or spa-inspired retreats with steam rooms to boot, the chances are you’ll find it on the accommodation booking site. We hope you enjoyed the inspo from six of our favourite Airbnb bathrooms! Which would be your pick?
I love an old school holiday rental with mismatching nanna blankets as much as the next person and have stayed in many! But I’m also a sucker for something super stylish, unique and luxurious and, now I have a baby, I’m increasingly looking for self-catering options over hotels. House By Them is a charming weekend getaway which provides guests with a unique opportunity to stay amongst innovative art and design while enjoying all that the Southern Highlands of NSW has to offer.
Located in Bowral, House By Them has been brought to life by Anna Byng and Ursula Armstrong, owners of Made By Others art and design store in nearby Moss Vale. The three-bedroom weatherboard cottage is not just a place to stay but is essentially an extension of the store’s philosophy to showcase the work of innovative artists and designers. The property is furnished with contemporary art, furniture and design – sourced from both emerging artists and established names like Marimekko and Dinosaur Designs.
What makes it a truly unique place to stay is that guests have the opportunity to purchase anything within the house that takes their fancy, either through the Made By Others store or by being introduced to the artists and designers directly.
“We’ve always loved connecting people with fabulous art and design through our store,” said Anna. “House By Them is a natural extension of that love. Not only is it a great base for people from which to explore the Southern Highlands, but it is a wonderful opportunity to share some of the art and design that we love with our guests.”
Ursula and Anna worked tirelessly to curate everything, from the furniture to the art on the walls to the homewares, via sources that fitted with their existing philosophies. “While we already knew from our experience at Made By Others where we could source a lot of things, we still really had to look everywhere to find exactly what we needed in order to make the house just right,” Ursula said.
The house is available year-round and can be booked through Highlands Holidays via the website.
We put the finishing touches to the Interiors Addict/Nest Designs apartment project we’ve been working on last Thursday night to host opening drinks and reveal the transformation. Here are the photos you’ve been waiting for! We know many of you have been following its progress and the reality behind the scenes of a reno, but what everyone really wants to see are the after shots, let’s face it!
The living area
Emma Blomfield from Nest Designs did a fantastic job furnishing and styling the apartment and I think this living area shows how she nailed a coastal holiday apartment vibe without falling into dodgy, overly-beachy territory (I think we’ve all seen that on a weekend away)!
While there it was great to reference the stunning Palm Beach location here and there, she definitely got the balance just right. Do you agree?
As we prepare to reveal the finished Palm Beach Apartment project (a joint project between Interiors Addict and Nest Designs) this Thursday, stylist Emma Blomfield tells us about the less glamorous reality behind the scenes of a top-to-bottom reno.
The Palm Beach Project hasn’t been without drama. If you follow me on Instagram or Facebook you will have seen a few of the issues that have arisen!
Firstly, the tenants in the apartment when it sold weren’t the tidiest, so the kitchen, bathroom and carpets had seen a lot of wear and tear. We got to work repainting and giving the apartment a bit of a facelift; that was relatively drama-free apart from the fact that the light switch cover plates were apparently imported from Europe so there were none anywhere in the country that would fit for us to replace them! We also soon realised once the tenants’ furniture was removed, that the carpets would need more than a steam clean so they were ripped up and replaced with gorgeous sisal in a chocolatey colour.
As we prepare for the unveiling of our Palm Beach apartment project at the end of the month, I asked Emma Blomfield of Nest Designs what special considerations need to be made when furnishing a holiday rental.
Durability and being easy to clean are 2 of the top, and less pretty and creative priorities when embarking on your holiday rental. “You never know who will be renting the apartment and when you might have families with children there for summer holidays, you can’t be sure how it will withstand a visit from sticky fingers or what will happen during a game of hide and seek,” says Emma. “Materials that should be avoided are things like glass top tables that aren’t secured, veneers — they are soft, dent easily and don’t withstand heavy duty cleaning agents that the cleaning company might use – and high gloss MDF as it scratches easily and ages faster.”
When it comes to flooring, hardwearing is key. Tiles, sisal carpet and timber floors are best. “There are loads of wool carpet options too that are commercial grade and come in a huge range of colours to suit your decor.”
Emma also had to think about easy and regular cleaning between guests. “I’ve chosen bench tops that have flecks of taupe and brown so any scratches or spills won’t be obvious. The sofa is scotch guarded to prevent spills staining and the rug is a jute material, making it easy to shake out to clean. Sisal carpet is good for disguising sandy footprints.”
I have an exciting new project to share with you today and I’ll be sharing it with you from start to finish over the next few weeks! A few months ago, I was approached by Judith Webster, who had just bought an investment property on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, to help her style and decorate it and share the process with my readers.
I loved the idea of course, but with a wedding to organise and not actually being a stylist or interior designer, I thought I decided to pass this project on to my friend Emma Blomfield at Nest Designs, knowing what a great job she’d do. One of you will get the chance to win a weekend away at the apartment once it’s finished! Sound good? Yes, I thought so!
Work has just begun, with a a thorough clearout and paint job and plans for a new kitchen and flooring. Today I’m sharing Emma’s moodboards for each room with you.
Judith, who first met me when she came to my blogging course at the Australian Writers Centre in Sydney, said: “Earlier this year I bought a two-bedroom apartment at Palm Beach. It is in a small, resort style complex that was developed about 10 years ago for holiday stays. It’s right in the heart of Palm Beach with the beach, restaurants, boutiques and ferry all within walking distance.
