SEA CHANGE

A DATED PROPERTY IS TRANSFORMED INTO A FAMILY'S FOREVER HOME WITH A FRESH BLACK AND WHITE PALETTE

- KYLIE JACKES

When Emma and David purchased their Gold Coast home sight unseen in 2015, it took a leap of faith. “We were living in Melbourne at the time and looking for a new base where we’d raise a family,” says Emma.

“This place ticked the key boxes as it was close to family support, had a fantastic canal-front location and we knew it had been solidly built.”

Although already dated when they bought it, they didn’t race to renovate the 2000s build. Instead, the couple were busy raising their two daughters and considering how to eventually redesign the house to create their forever home. To devise a new look and feel, they enlisted family friend and interior designer Lynda MacDonald. “Even though the house was large, it was filled with small poky rooms, so our brief was to open it up and introduce a fresh, modern palette,” says Emma.

The makeover

During the renovation, the family moved in with David’s mum. “It was meant to be a nine-month project, but took closer to 12 due to building and material delays,” says Emma. Key to the improved layout was opening up the floor plan, which involved removing a significant number of lower-level walls. This in turn necessitated new concrete footings. While this pushed out the budget and timeframe, it also completely transformed the functionality of the home, enhancing connectivity, brightening up zones and helping draw in stunning waterfront views.