WHEN YOUR BEACH SHACK HAS LITTLE MORE THAN A FEW ROOMS, three baths may seem a little excessive. But
for Sonya Marish, director of Jatana Interiors, it’s the perfect amount. “For me, baths evoke feelings of holidays, relaxation,
warmth and romantic vibes. I can’t imagine not having them in my holiday home.” And though the small weatherboard
shack is only 10 minutes down the road from her actual home in the Byron Bay hinterland, owning a little beachside
getaway was always a childhood dream of Sonya’s. “Since I was a little girl, I loved the idea of living on the beach.”
POTENTIAL PLUS That dream was realised three years ago when Sonya spotted, and fell in love with, what she calls
a “classic ’70s beach shack” just behind the sand dunes on Belongil Beach. The previous owner had lived there for 65
years and to say the home needed a bit of love would be an understatement. “You really needed a vision to see what
it could be, but as soon as I walked in, I was like, ‘I want it now’,” Sonya recalls.
IN WITH THE OLD She and her husband Anthony did the renovations themselves, keeping the rustic structure
of the house, but completely gutting the inside, which revealed big wooden walls hidden behind all the bad pine and
corkboard. They also added a verandah, and, of course, a couple of extra baths – including one outdoors so they
can soak beneath the stars. The whole space was created using salvaged or reclaimed materials, with Sonya’s
trademark use of colour, and of course, Jatana tiles as far as the eye can see. The challenge, though, was not in the
massive refurbishment, but in pulling back the interiors, which goes against Sonya’s natural inclination of having
everything on show. The aim was to create a true sanctuary, a space where they could go to find some peace. And
obviously it resonates, with the couple’s daughter Taya often escaping there to study during stressful exam periods.
PEACEFUL RETREAT While colour features prominently, the space is inherently calm and relaxing, the perfect
antidote to a bustling family home. “It’s beachy, it’s earthy, it’s casual, friendly, warm, open... and most of all it’s simple,”
Sonya says. “On the weekend we just want to get out of our house with all our things and go to a nice clear space.”
That, and luxuriate in one of the many baths, obviously. RAussie lifestyle With a focus on getting back to the simpler things in life, Sonya and
her family enjoy a traditional Hills Hoist in their yard and the beach just beyond their gate.Daycare do-over The two red
Art Deco chairs in the sunroom
once belonged to the couple’s
daughter’s daycare and have since
been reupholstered. The Moroccan
floor cushion came from Marr-Kett.@reallivingmag
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