Set foot in this wonderful sun-drenched weatherboard on Sydney’s northern beaches and try to resist unleashing your smartphone. There’s a pastel-pink front door just begging to be snapped; a perfectly positioned hanging chair swaying gently on the deck; statement bathroom floor tiles that read more like graphic artwork; and a luxurious outdoor shower framed by a baby frangipani tree.
And yet for all its obvious aesthetic appeal, there’s more to this cottage than a series of carefully constructed photo opportunities.
Homeowner Merrilyn’s parents, John and Barbara, first bought the property 20 years ago, lured by its location just five minutes from the beach and its crowd-pleasing credentials; the block of land boasted a main two-story house at the front, plus a two-bedroom granny flat out the back. “My dad was all about looking after the family,” explains Merrilyn. “He purchased this place so my grandmother would have somewhere to live.”
Over the decades, the main house has enjoyed various refurbs and renovations (including a memorable one that was featured in the August 2015 issue of Home Beautiful), but only recently did attention turn to the cottage. “I moved into the main house after both my parents passed, but I wanted to continue their legacy and keep the cottage for our family,” says Merrilyn. With grown-up daughters – including one who lives in New York – visiting regularly, plus a sister in Queensland and friends dotted across the country, it seemed only fitting that she convert the flat into a fulltime guest quarters. And, Merrilyn decided, should there be a gap in the calendar, she would throw open the doors to Airbnb visitors.
Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Home Beautiful.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra March 2020-utgaven av Home Beautiful.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
BRING TO LIGHT
A DULL AND UNINSPIRING HOME IS REINCARNATED AS AN IDYLLIC SEASIDE ABODE FOR A FAMILY OF FOUR
CALI CLASSIC
TAKING INSPIRATION FROM THIS BUNGALOW'S EXTERIOR, A COUPLE REVIVED THE INTERIOR WITH CALIFORNIA SOUL
SEA CHANGE
A DATED PROPERTY IS TRANSFORMED INTO A FAMILY'S FOREVER HOME WITH A FRESH BLACK AND WHITE PALETTE
Paradise found in LOS CABOS
ON THE POINT OF THE BAJA CALIFORNIA PENINSULA, THE DESERT MEETS THE SEA AT THIS AWE-INSPIRING MEXICAN OASIS
THE gardener's LOG
With only one month until spring is officially here, August is the last chance to give your plants a winter prune and shape your garden for summer
COME RAIN OR SHINE
It took two months of dedicated, daily work to transform an almost bare yard into this contemporary garden
BOLD STROKES
DARE TO EMBRACE THE DETAILS THAT MAKE YOU DIFFERENT FOR A KITCHEN DESIGN THAT FEELS PERSONAL
CREATIVE connections
THE RENOVATION JOURNEY OF THIS BANGALOW HOME TOOK A EUROPEAN-INSPIRED ROUTE BACK IN TIME
SET IN STONE
WITH ITS ALLURING MIX OF MATERIALS AND ERAS, THIS HOME OFFERS A MASTERCLASS IN ENDURING STYLE AND ELEGANCE
Escape time
WELCOME TO THE ULTIMATE COUNTRY RETREAT, A SOUTHERN HIGHLANDS WEEKENDER WHERE THE ONLY CHALLENGE IS BRINGING ONESELF TO LEAVE