White Wash

Virgine and Scott have brought a French shabby chic sensibility to their beach house in Sydney, where layered textiles and nature from outside ensure their home has depth and personality

- Jo Leevers

Calico and chalk. Milky and opaline…

Virgine loves every version of white under the blazing sun of her Australian home. There is depth in her whitewashed aesthetic, added using varying weights and weaves of fabric and textures such as scratched-up metal and weathered timber. And then there’s the constant presence of nature, which has made its way indoors from the beach and nearby hedgerows. The stark beauty of dried branches and crisp leaves, foraged on long walks, stand out brilliantly against Virgine’s pale backdrops.

‘I love how the passing of time adds texture,’ says Virgine. ‘That can mean paint peeling or metal flaking away. Things that could be perceived as imperfections become significant, creating character.’ The effects of water, wind and sand are all part and parcel of the beach life that Virgine has embraced since moving to Australia from France 18 years ago. After starting out in Sydney, Virgine, her husband Scott and their children, Kenyon, 20, Ella, 15, and Liam, 11, have now settled near the town of Avalon, in the Northern Beaches region.