Sunshine Dreaming

Summertime Bliss Comes Easily in This Newly Built Queensland Coastal Home With a Year-round Holiday Vibe

- Kylie Jackes

 BEACHSIDE

The relaxed coastal home of Karen, David and their fluffy friend Ruby (pictured below), has a modern palette of calm tones, textural layers and gorgeous vintage pieces. Setting the mood for what lies on the two levels below, the entrance features a decorative mirror from One World and a timber bench from Eclectic Style that showcases memories, mementoes and finds picked up by Karen, who is a keen decorator. “Because I’m not great conceptually, I sort of endured the design phase to get to the decorating phase,” she says. One must-have in the recently built home was a pool, allowing David to take a dip after a surf (opposite).

LIVING ROOM

The heart of this home is undoubtedly the central living space – “It’s my favourite place,” says Karen – with considerable engineering going into its design to allow for a six-metre opening to the stunning outdoors, with a disappearing glass door. “We really do feel like we’re outside a lot of the time, with the benefit of being sheltered from conditions year round.” As the chef in the house, David’s favourite spot when hosting is the kitchen (opposite), cooking up a storm. “He’ll be in there making us tapas, all night!” says Karen. Overhead pendants from One World add a chic touch.

Karen and her husband David have been living in their beachside abode on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for more than a year, yet Karen still can’t quite believe she now calls her favourite holiday destination home. “Every year as a family we’d spend a month over Christmas here, and our summers at the beach are my fondest childhood memories,” she says. “It was my dream to live here and we’ve finally done it!”