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My Houzz: A Fun Beach House on Sydney's North Shore

Orange and avocado might sound like a salad, but it was actually the original colour scheme of this newly-renovated beach house

Monica Kovacic 2 July 2014

I blog about Australia's most interesting houses - from the derelict to the incredible on http://www.thehousehunter.com.au. My focus is on houses and apartments that have interesting stories as well as eye-catching design elements, and I am a sucker for heritage.

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Donna and Chris Allen’s home in the beachside pocket of Clontarf, 13 kilometres north-east of Sydney’s CBD is a lesson in compromise. “We had architect-designed plans approved to knock down the existing house and rebuild a new, eco-friendly home from scratch, but the economy put our plans on the back burner,” Donna says. Instead, using Donna’s interior decorating background, they decided to take on budget-friendly renovations to their outdated spaces and bring in their playful, relaxed coastal style.

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Donna and Chris Allen, with their dogs José and Nacho
Location: Clontarf, Sydney, New South Wales
Size: 186 square metres (2 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms)
Interesting point: Native possums, lorikeets, cockatoos and water dragons frequently visit their doorstep

Monica Kovacic

The last time the 1950s beach house was fully renovated was in 1970. Donna says: “When we moved in we had lots of outdated wallpaper, burnt oranges, avocado greens and timber panelling.”

Donna gave the home a chic do-over in a beachy style with bold contrasts and vibrant colour schemes. “Nothing here is serious,” she laughs.

Monica Kovacic

Donna, an interior decorator for The Space Within, put bright red and blue furnishings against the home's existing timber framework and whitewashed the original timber floorboards throughout the living space.

Vintage bus scroll: Doug Up on Bourke; lamp: Coco Republic

Monica Kovacic

The pair is now in the middle of installing a new fireplace. The house had a chimney, but they couldn’t find the fireplace until they removed a bit of shelving and panelling.

A gallery of family travel photos hangs on a yellow accent wall.

Armoire: Dock One (now closed)

Monica Kovacic

A subtle beach theme, evoking sandy getaways, flows throughout the home. “I love salvage and antique stores where I can find original industrial pieces – furniture, signs, paraphernalia,“ Donna says.

Console: Complete Pad

Monica Kovacic

Donna’s office is a mix of industrial style and eclecticism. “I tend to mix and layer styles without being a slave to any one in particular,” she says. “I do love things with a history and a patina developed through age and use, though, hence the industrial bent. Currently, I can’t seem to get enough of Abigail Ahern‘s approach to dark spaces and layering of unexpected details. Also, I love Jonathan Adler‘s use of bold colour and his philosophy that decorating should be fun and not taken too seriously. Finally, I think Sarah Richardson is a genius with mixing fabrics.”

Stainless-steel benchtop: IKEA; mirror: Meizai

Monica Kovacic

The guest room was originally Donna’s study. She swapped the rooms so that she can enjoy the views across Middle Harbour while working. The room has now been adopted by their dog José.

Monica Kovacic

The master bedroom on the second level has a private deck and leads into Donna's dressing room.

Monica Kovacic

Donna’s dressing room, also with views of the water, is large enough to be a spare bedroom.

Shelf: Expedit, IKEA

Monica Kovacic

When the Allens moved here, the kitchen cabinetry was an unpleasant, faded pink. “We couldn’t work out why anyone would install a pink kitchen when everything else in the room – tiles, light fixtures, blinds – was burnt orange and avocado green,” she says. “I pulled the door handles off to paint the cabinetry, and it turns out the cabinets were originally burnt orange, faded to pink over the years!”

During a month-long renovation, the couple refreshed the kitchen with navy blues and crisp whites, designing it with an open layout and plentiful eat-in space.

Kitchen island: The Country Trader; weights: David Met Nicole; industrial vinyl flooring by Polyflor

Monica Kovacic

“I love having the harbour at our doorstep, the ocean next door and the abundance of native wildlife,” Donna says. “We have possums, lorikeets and cockatoos that visit every day and, in summer, the water dragons come out and sit by the pool. Recently, we’ve been joined by two brush turkeys who like to roam up and down the street.”

Monica Kovacic

Donna hangs out in the backyard with José and Nacho. “There are more design plans in the works,” she says. “The list is long, but after the fireplace we hope to tackle the main bathroom and to repaint the exterior.”

My Houzz is an ongoing series in which we visit and photograph creative, personality-filled homes in Australia and the people who inhabit them. Share your home with us and see more inspiring projects.

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Margaret Kottelenberg

I have read several times now that people's guest rooms have been adopted by a dog or cat. I find that gross. I would never want my guests sleeping in a room that was full of pet hair and smell.

Do love the view from the office though ...

1 Like 7 September 2012 at 7:54pm

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Susan Parker

All houses in Sydney have harbour views, like the one that's the "highlight of Donna's office". And after the native possums, lorikeets, cockatoos and water dragons have visited the doorstep, kangaroos hop up and down the street and the koalas come out to play. Truly magical!

1 Like 13 September 2012 at 4:44pm

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