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Sunshine Coast Houzz: A Dream Family Home With a Summery Spirit
See how a decorator brought a contemporary, minimalist feel to a new build, inspired by the Australian landscape
Having relocated from Brisbane to the Sunshine Coast in Queensland, this family of five built their dream home on an acreage close to the beach. Once the design of their sleek new four-bedroom, 2.5-bathroom dwelling was complete, all that remained was to decorate and furnish the interior to complement its minimal, laid-back vibes – a task they turned over to interior decorator Carly Dibble of Meraki Home Design. Read on to discover how Dibble went about it.
They wanted plenty of green space for the kids to run around, a pool, and proximity to the beach and bush, which the area – a 20-minute drive from Mooloolabah Beach – certainly provides.
The house was still being built when decorator Carly Dibble came onboard to do the interiors, which meant she had to create the scheme based purely from the floor plans.
The house was still being built when decorator Carly Dibble came onboard to do the interiors, which meant she had to create the scheme based purely from the floor plans.
The clean lines of the architecture and its emphasis on timber and white called for muted tones and simple, contemporary furniture in natural materials, says Dibble. “The client wanted a warm, neutral colour scheme inspired by the earthy tones in the Australian landscape. And they were very specific about wanting to avoid grey, black and blue,” she says.
As the male client has Indigenous Australian heritage, it was also important to include artwork that represented his culture within the scheme.
Thinking of building your forever home? Find a builder near you on Houzz
As the male client has Indigenous Australian heritage, it was also important to include artwork that represented his culture within the scheme.
Thinking of building your forever home? Find a builder near you on Houzz
With a decorating budget of around AU$100,000, Dibble was tasked with selecting the furniture, wallpaper, art and accessories for the sprawling home’s three living areas (which included a cinema room and a rumpus room), a kitchen, five bedrooms, two studies and a large outdoor area. “We did go slightly over the budget, but thankfully the client was okay with that!” says Dibble.
“They were thrilled with the outcome,” she says. “The family was able to move in as soon as the builders had completed the job and they now enjoy every room in the house.”
“They were thrilled with the outcome,” she says. “The family was able to move in as soon as the builders had completed the job and they now enjoy every room in the house.”
A curved swimming pool wraps around the outdoor entertaining area and alfresco kitchen at the back of the house, with views over the garden. “It’s a great backyard, with fruit trees and ample room for the kids to play and for the client to use his ride-on mower,” says Dibble.
Calacatta Crema engineered stone on the kitchen island: Smartstone; Arcadia engineered stone on the rear benchtops: Smartstone; pendants: Bisque Interiors; custom stools: The Cullin Design; polished concrete floor; walls throughout painted in Rice Cake: Resene.
As the family prefer the convenience of eating in the kitchen rather than in a dining room, they chose to focus their attention on creating a fabulous eat-in cooking space.
“The huge kitchen bench has a whole section at the end where they can gather and eat together,” says Dibble. “Rather than traditional dining chairs, the client preferred the idea of having stools at dining-chair height instead, so I had these ones custom-made to get the perfect colour and height.”
“The huge kitchen bench has a whole section at the end where they can gather and eat together,” says Dibble. “Rather than traditional dining chairs, the client preferred the idea of having stools at dining-chair height instead, so I had these ones custom-made to get the perfect colour and height.”
Front hallway. Custom stool: The Cullin Design.
“The client, who is very minimalist in her decorating style, wanted a simple shelf and mirror to furnish the entry,” says Dibble. “The wooden shelf is from a local Australian Men’s Shed Association, which I then oiled to achieve the perfect colour.”
“The client, who is very minimalist in her decorating style, wanted a simple shelf and mirror to furnish the entry,” says Dibble. “The wooden shelf is from a local Australian Men’s Shed Association, which I then oiled to achieve the perfect colour.”
Sofa: Plush; coffee tables: Uniqwa Collections; rug: Coco Republic; green occasional chair: GlobeWest; cushions: Eadie Lifestyle.
The open-plan living area beside the kitchen is the central spot in the home where the family gathers to relax, watch television and spend time together. “Everything here needed to be hardwearing and easy to clean, with a sofa big enough for the whole family to sit comfortably,” says Dibble.
An L-shaped sofa in leather and a pair of round timber coffee tables add an earthy, organic feel to the space. “The tables were purchased raw, so I had them lacquered to provide some extra protection,” she says.
The open-plan living area beside the kitchen is the central spot in the home where the family gathers to relax, watch television and spend time together. “Everything here needed to be hardwearing and easy to clean, with a sofa big enough for the whole family to sit comfortably,” says Dibble.
An L-shaped sofa in leather and a pair of round timber coffee tables add an earthy, organic feel to the space. “The tables were purchased raw, so I had them lacquered to provide some extra protection,” she says.
The pared-back scheme speaks to the owners’ love of minimalism and makes the busy family home easier to keep clean and tidy.
The olive green, white and timber used in the interior scheme were carried through to the alfresco entertaining area to provide a seamless sense of flow.
A fully-specced outdoor kitchen and a generous dining table outside make alfresco mealtimes a breeze.
A fully-specced outdoor kitchen and a generous dining table outside make alfresco mealtimes a breeze.
“With this project, it was important that everything in the home had a place, and the interior wasn’t cluttered or over-accessorised,” says Dibble. The result is a dwelling that is both functional and calm – the perfect antidote to busy family life.
The main bedroom. Wall art: Nature to Grain; wall lights: Enlightened Living.
“The client found this beautiful wall hanging, which we then had customised to suit the area above their bed,” says Dibble. “It features Australian flowers in shades of pink that harmonise with the pinks in the rest of the room scheme, such as the art and bench-seat cushions.”
“The client found this beautiful wall hanging, which we then had customised to suit the area above their bed,” says Dibble. “It features Australian flowers in shades of pink that harmonise with the pinks in the rest of the room scheme, such as the art and bench-seat cushions.”
A built-in bench seat in the main bedroom creates an inviting spot to curl up and read a book during quiet moments, with drawers underneath it for additional storage.
Main ensuite.
Guest room. Bed linen: The Sheet Society; cushions: Eadie Lifestyle; bedside tables: Brosa; lamps: MRD Home; artwork: Olive et Oriel; walls painted in Rice Cake: Resene.
The client’s only request for the guest room was for it to be comfortable, giving Dibble free rein with the colours and furnishings. “I decided to bring in the soft pinks and greens used elsewhere in the house, add Australian artworks and a funky olive leather chair,” she says.
The client’s only request for the guest room was for it to be comfortable, giving Dibble free rein with the colours and furnishings. “I decided to bring in the soft pinks and greens used elsewhere in the house, add Australian artworks and a funky olive leather chair,” she says.
Moss chair: Coco Unika; rug: Miss Amara.
One of the children’s bedrooms.
Each of the three children’s bedrooms was personalised to suit the occupant’s age and personality, making the spaces feel uniquely their own.
Each of the three children’s bedrooms was personalised to suit the occupant’s age and personality, making the spaces feel uniquely their own.
One of the children’s bedrooms. Hideout bed: Freedom; wall decals: Little Rae Prints; dresser and stool: Mocka; shelf in the shape of Australia: One Two Three.
With its gum tree and wombat wall decals, this bedroom reflects its young owner’s love of native wildlife and flora. “This was such a fun room to design,” says Dibble. “The client had already chosen this tent-style Hideout bed from Freedom, so I worked the rest of the scheme around it.”
With its gum tree and wombat wall decals, this bedroom reflects its young owner’s love of native wildlife and flora. “This was such a fun room to design,” says Dibble. “The client had already chosen this tent-style Hideout bed from Freedom, so I worked the rest of the scheme around it.”
One of the children’s bedrooms.
Warm pinks and a mermaid theme created a sweet bedroom for one of the client’s three children.
Warm pinks and a mermaid theme created a sweet bedroom for one of the client’s three children.
Kids’ rumpus room. Wallpaper and art: My Hidden Forest; sofa: Trit House.
The new rumpus room needed to tick several boxes – offer somewhere for the children to play, do craft, watch television and store their toys. “I included dedicated storage and reading areas, a craft table, and a comfy, wipeable sofa that can be moved around,” says Dibble.
The new rumpus room needed to tick several boxes – offer somewhere for the children to play, do craft, watch television and store their toys. “I included dedicated storage and reading areas, a craft table, and a comfy, wipeable sofa that can be moved around,” says Dibble.
An easy-access drawer unit makes clear-away time at the end of the day as smooth as possible.
Kids’ craft table.
Home office. Casadeco wallpaper: James Dunlop Textiles; chairs: Sarah Ellison; rug: Armadillo.
“I added this beautiful wallpaper to the wall in the home office where the owners run their business to add texture and depth to the space,” says Dibble.
Thoughtful touches like these also help bring the outside in, helping to create the laid-back, indoor-outdoor lifestyle the family can enjoy for years to come.
Your turn
Which idea would you steal? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Interested to see another nature-inspired Queensland home? Check out this Brisbane Houzz: A Magnificent Home Inspired by Nature
“I added this beautiful wallpaper to the wall in the home office where the owners run their business to add texture and depth to the space,” says Dibble.
Thoughtful touches like these also help bring the outside in, helping to create the laid-back, indoor-outdoor lifestyle the family can enjoy for years to come.
Your turn
Which idea would you steal? Tell us in the Comments below. And don’t forget to save these images, like this story and join the conversation.
More
Interested to see another nature-inspired Queensland home? Check out this Brisbane Houzz: A Magnificent Home Inspired by Nature
House at a Glance
Who lives here: A couple with three young children
Location: Glenview, Queensland
Number of bedrooms and bathrooms: Four bedrooms and 2.5 bathrooms
House size: The house is approximately 500 square metres and it is set on approximately two acres
Budget for the redecoration: Around AU$100,000
Interior decorator: Carly Dibble at Meraki Home Design
Builder: qldBUILT
With three young children and an online business that required space to store their company’s products, the couple decided to swap their Brisbane home for a generous acreage further north in Glenview where they could build their forever home.