The team behind this gorgeous Wollongong Art Deco home renovation is back with a similar makeover on the shores of Lake Conjola on the NSW South Coast. Lumiere Lakes is a stylish three-bedroom holiday home on the water’s edge owned by Zoe and Dane Cartwright of Illawarra’s Projection Build who modelled the design on their permanent residence with Sherson Architecture at the helm.
“We wanted to create the ideal coastal getaway – a place for friends and family to gather and enjoy the beautiful waterfront location. It’s light-filled, calm resort style living and is the dream home away from home,” says Zoe.
Dining room. The walls are painted with Dulux Vivid White and warm engineered timber flooring complements.
The home’s neutral palette and tranquil feel bears more than a passing sartorial nod to cult holiday destinations like Byron Bay’s Raes on Wategos and Brisbane’s The Calile Hotel. “The home features coastal Moroccan elements with modern functionality and each inclusion was chosen to make holiday living effortless and enjoyable,” says Zoe.
Lounge
The home sleeps 10 guests across its three bedrooms – there’s a master bedroom with ensuite, another large bedroom and a custom bunk room that features two double beds and two single beds designed to sleep children from two families.
Bedroom
Bunk room
The kitchen features Organic White Caesarstone benchtops, travertine tiles and Navurban Balmoral timber veneer joinery that hides a variety of integrated appliances. The space is also home to a stylish butler’s pantry that is accessed through an elegant arch threshold.
Kitchen
Butler’s pantry
The bathrooms feature Caesarstone benchtops (again in Organic White) as well as timber veneer cupboard fronts (Navurban Balmoral) as well as tiles by Inigo Jones and Co, tapware by ABI Interiors and Bjorn oval mirrors.
Ensuite
Ensuite
Nestled on a long 809 square metre block, the home features a multitude of entertaining spaces including two entertaining decks that step down to the water – a fire pit completes the space and ensures the outdoors can be used year-round. “My favourite feature of the home is the crazy pave floor finish that surrounds the fire pit space that overlooks the manicured reserve and water’s edge of Lake Conjola,” says Zoe of the area that features an outdoor entertaining kitchen too.
The tranquil outdoor entertaining space
Outdoor fire pit
“We wanted somewhere low maintenance that could be easily rented on the holiday property market whilst we weren’t using it. It’s built to entertain and host like a private, secluded waterfront resort.”
Nestled in the landscape on a magical ocean front spot in Gerringong, on the NSW South Coast, ‘Bunker House’ is the work of builder Neil Hipwell of Futureflip and it also happens to be his drool-worthy holiday home.
The Bunker
Having long visited the region for family holidays, Neil and his wife Krystal decided to create a luxury escape for when they and their three children want to escape the big smoke. “We wanted to capture the feeling of resort-style living and create a house that was perfect for entertaining,” says Neil.
The Bunker is situated on prime oceanfront land
Designed and built by Futureflip, the home’s design incorporates mid-century modern elements while remaining sensitive to the surrounding landscape. One of the key objectives was finding a way to capture the ocean views while maintaining privacy in what is a prominent oceanfront location. Stacked floor-to-ceiling glass doors certainly help on this front.
The lounge room has fabulous ocean views
Rather expansive, the home sleeps 16 adults comfortably and every bedroom has an adjoining ensuite which is perfect for when the family has guests. A highlight of the home, the pool is located on the top floor, a location that ensures that the 180-degree views can be enjoyed while swimming too.
Bisazza glass mosaic tiles line the pool
The location also determined the materials palette with hard-wearing materials a must. “The effects of the sea salt and strong north-easterly winds were significant, so material choices needed to be carefully considered,” says Neil. Concrete is a key construction material (and it references nearby Ourie pools), while cedar cladding was chosen as a nod to the history of the town as a key cedar port.
Master bathroom
Located on the top floor, the kitchen features recycled messmate custom joinery which is a nice foil to the stark concrete bones of the home, and Smeg appliances.
Kitchen
The home was built with sustainability in mind and is capable of running ‘off-grid’ due to its 10,000L rainwater tanks and 21.6kw solar system. Smart home automation allows the couple to control the entire home at the touch of a button, from anywhere in the world.
Lounge room. A glass floor can be seen above.
Neil and Krystal Hipwell with their three children
If you’d like to follow Neil and Krystal’s journey designing and building this home, check out their six-part web series here.
1980’s home on NSW South Coast gets remarkable makeover
Originally built in the eighties, this two storey Gerringong home was purchased by Sydney interior designer Aimee McKechnie, and her builder husband Blair, before it was given an extraordinary makeover…
If you’re anything like us, you’ve been dying to get away (somewhere, anywhere!), especially if the Covid lockdown saw you miss out on a planned break or you’ve reluctantly had to cancel an upcoming one. And as of this week, leisure travel is allowed again in NSW!
The weekend before this all kicked off (which frankly seems much longer ago than it was!) and life very quickly changed, we were lucky enough to escape to the beautiful NSW South Coast. I didn’t write about it back then because it soon became clear the timing was all wrong! But now that leisure travel is allowed again within NSW, I need to tell you about this great option, just 2.5 hours drive from Sydney.
It’s also time to do our bit (if we can) for the local economy by visiting the tourism hotspots in our back yards, many of which have been hit with the double whammy of the bushfires followed by the pandemic. What a crazy year it has been! I’m sure many of us really need a break more than ever and you know how good a change of scene can be for your mental health.
Back to this gorgeous holiday home, Mandala Beach House, in Calalla Bay, on the northern shore of Jervis Bay. I don’t need to tell you this is one of the most beautiful places in NSW. Its reputation precedes it! But Mandala is a brand new, very spacious, beautifully styled and super comfortable option with a heated pool for larger families and groups. Damian, the boys and I were rattling around in this 5-bed, 5-bathroom house, to the extent we only really used the upstairs! But we weren’t complaining!
It would be perfect for a trip with a couple of families, an extended family gathering, a group of besties, a school reunion or even a corporate retreat; the possibilities are endless for up to 12 guests! There are two living room areas, a huge kitchen/dining with heaps of seating at a long dining table and at the island bench (and tables on the balcony and by the pool!). If you’re the sort of family that wind each other up with too much time in close proximity (isn’t that most families?!), this is the place for you. There are plenty of places to escape! And there’s even the possibility to use the games room as a sixth bedroom.
It’s been beautifully furnished with the help of stylist Jessi Eve and it shows. Every bedroom is like something out of a nice catalogue! It was fun choosing which to use! On the child-friendly front, there’s a retractable child safety gate at the top of the stairs which is of course a non-negotiable and makes life so much easier.
Because it’s so new, the place is very low maintenance and has all the mod cons, but it’s also very comfortable and stylish. There’s water right across the street (so you can watch the sunset over the water from the generous balcony) and all sorts of beaches and attractions a short walk and drive away.
Callala Bay is a five-minute stroll or Callala Beach is just 10 minutes on foot. Callala Bay is a postcard setting with boats bobbing, you can swim at the beach and it has a great playground too.
The real jewel in the crown is Callala Beach, with its fine white sand, aqua blue water and at 5.6km, is the longest beach in Jervis Bay. Callala Beach is the perfect beach for swimmers offering crystal clear, shallow water and gentle waves. Turn right when you leave the beach house and follow the walking track along the spectacular Callala Bay Headland (10 minutes). You’ll be in awe at the beauty of this beach.
Even though the world was full of uncertainty and talk of imminent lockdown when we visited, we still found ourselves feeling super relaxed by the time we left. Because of the strange circumstances, we didn’t tick off our list of local cafes and restaurants (of which there are many, casual and fancy!), but just hanging out here (and using the pool!) was enough to feel like we had had a great break and it actually gave us a much-needed chance to stop, breathe and prepare for what was to be a challenging few weeks ahead.
Blissfully unaware of the global pandemic, Sebastian and Charlie thought this “holiday” was magic: we got to stay in a big beautiful house with a heated pool and a balcony overlooking the water and go to the beach! What more could they want?!
Mel the owner is super helpful and answered all our questions, but it was very easy to find our way around the house and how things work due to great instructions! And there’s reverse cycle air con throughout, so don’t worry for a second about being chilly! There’s even a tub in one of the bathrooms (these can be hard to come by in holiday homes these days!).
If you’ve been dying to catch up with your family or friends and need somewhere amazing and spacious to do it, we cannot recommend Mandala more!
Located just 2.5 hours’ drive south of Sydney, the just launched Mandala Beach House is nestled on the northern shores of Jervis Bay, in the coastal village of Callala Bay. Situated across the road from the ocean, the home accommodates up to 12 guests making it a fabulous spot for a family or group getaway. And for interior lovers, it’s got design cred too courtesy of its luxe coastal spaces that were created by interior stylist Jessi Eve.
Lounge room
“Influenced by natural elements, I pulled together a palette of sandy neutrals and grey stone tones paired with soft sky pastels and ocean blues. The textures and materials are connected to nature with natural cotton, linen, rattan, and timber featuring,” says Jessi when explaining the feel throughout the home.
Kitchen
Jessi’s fresh palette is complemented by timber, raw texture and lots of natural light that is captured via skylights and myriad clerestory windows. Overall, the home has an inviting, lived-in feel.
“Holiday homes, in general, are moving more towards a beautiful homely feel rather than sterile and purely practical accommodation. The most popular places nowadays are Instagram-worthy with lots of visual interest at every corner, both in the design and styling. For me, Mandala Beach House nails that,” says Jessi.
Dining
Inside the home there’s a fully equipped kitchen, spacious living and dining areas, multiple hangout zones, and five bedrooms and ensuite bathrooms (the games room can double as a sixth bedroom if required). The home’s master bedroom has a luxe, deep-set bath with views over the bay too.
Bedroom
The alfresco spaces are rather covetable also. There’s a furnished balcony with ocean views, an outdoor bar and barbeque, a saltwater pool and grassed area for the kids to run. And while on the topic of kids, the home is very family-friendly and comes equipped with baby gates, a high-chair and travel cot too.
