After documenting the process on
Instagram (@fourpalmsbyronbay) for over a
year, the new property was finally complete.
The end result was an airy three-bedroom
house, with a self-contained studio off the
main residence as a plush sojourn for guests
and family. Open areas throughout allowed
for a light-filled, easy flow between rooms.
“We’re a family that loves being close
together, so we chose to make the living,
dining and kitchen spaces into one
communal area,” says Pennefather.
Anchoring the area is the round fireplace
and custom dining table, the latter of which
holds special meaning for the family. “It had
been kept in storage on Dougall’s family
farm for 20 years! So we pulled it out, had it
sanded and stained it brown. It’s a great
centrepiece for the space and it has a lot of
sentimental value for him.” The rest of the
furniture was mostly sourced from local
traders, such as Marr-kett, Tigmi Trading,
Nikau Store and Salt x Steel, where
Pennefather is a regular customer.To lift the stark colour palette, the designer
incorporated flourishes of colour into the
décor. She balanced her penchant for
desert hues with her husband’s love for
nautical things by assigning themes to
designated spaces in the property. “It’s hard
to choose just one style! As a marine
biologist, my husband loves anything that
resembles the ocean, so we have a retro
turquoise theme in the studio, but I love
mustards, yellows, dusty pinks and peaches- so we’ve created a blush pink bathroom
and a cream ensuite, which is one of my
favourite rooms.”
The dining area follows a Mexican motif,
with colourful tiles and painted images, that
spills out into the exterior via a cactus garden
and retro rounded pool. It’s here the family
are likely to be found on an average
day, enjoying the indoor-outdoor aspect.
“Dougall loves being in the kitchen so we all
hang out together, cooking and eating while
the kids skateboard down the hallway,”
says Pennefather. E
LIVING
Hair and makeup: Luciana Rose
The retro-style pool is a
great entertaining area