Australian Home Beautiful – August 2019

E

ven if she won the lottery, Bianca can’t imagine ever wanting

to live anywhere other than her own custom-built beach

house. In the home town where she grew up, on the mid-

north coast of NSW in the picturesque Manning Valley,

Bianca and her husband Nathan poured their heart and

soul into building their new home from the ground up. “Every section

of the house tells a story because we were here doing it together.,” she

says. “We put so much time into it so it’s sentimental to us.”

After buying their first house on the same street seven years earlier,

the young couple built a big extension on the back, only to realise the

home wasn’t what they – or rather, Bianca – wanted. “It wasn’t a very

big house and we had no backyard,”she recalls. “I wanted something

that wasn’t like everything else and I wanted cladding and an angled

roof to set it apart, but still tie in with the beachy neutral tones...

My husband wasn’t impressed,” she laughs. Before long, a larger block

of land became available further along the street, and the decision

was made to sell their place and start again from scratch.

A coastal lifestyle is all Bianca and Nathan have ever known and

they wouldn’t want it any other way. Even when they travel, the

couple find themselves drawn to seaside destinations such as Byron

Bay, the Greek islands and Bali, where they got married.

The coastal setting permeates the home. Natural objects are

collected on the short walk through the state forest at the back of

their house to the uncrowded and sandy white beaches where they

have picnics and build sandcastles in winter with their son, Flynn.

Their findings are placed into vases and bowls around the house on

a regular basis. “I always have fresh flowers or foliage cut in the house,”

says Bianca. “I just go walking and collect things.”

On their trips to Bali, Bianca fell in love with the creative use of

concrete in the cafes and restaurants there. It became a major part of the

home’s interior and has been carefully balanced with natural textures

and timber features. In their stunning kitchen, which won first prize in

our ‘50 Beautiful Rooms’ competition in our February issue, the bold

use of tiles on the island kickboard is a showstopper, while the glass

window splashback provides views to the sculptural plants outside.

The main living room opens onto a relaxed outdoor area overlooking

the backyard. When they aren’t gathered around the fireplace in

winter, it’s here that Bianca sets up her legendary grazing plates

for friends to enjoy. “I get quite invested in it,” she says. “I use an

oversized piece of timber and cover it with cheeses, meats and fruits

so it’s like a display piece every time.” Family, friends, fabulous food

and the home of your dreams – a blissful combination.

DINING ROOM

Already being a carpenter comes

in handy when adding timeless,

solid pieces of furniture to a home.

Nathan built the table and bench

seats for the open plan dining area

(above), opting for a design that

would accommodate large

gatherings. He also made the

timber stools using stumps from

the local mill. For similar, try

M a r k Tu c k e y.

KITCHEN

In the stunning kitchen (opposite),

designed and built by the

homeowners, textures and

pattern combine to create

award-winning style. And the

stand-out kickboard that sings to a

monochromatic tune? This was

crafted using graphic tiles from

Surface Society. “We wanted to

create a calm and welcoming feel,”

says Bianca.

“WE’VE BEEN inspiredBY PLACES WE’VE

travelledTO SUCH AS BYRON BAY AND BALI”

~ BIANCA, HOMEOWNER

FLOOR PLAN

BATH

WC

DINING

LIVING

RUMPUS

PANTRY

KITCHEN

LAUNDRY

MAIN BED

BED

BED

BED

ENS

WIR

STUDY

ALFRESCO

GARAGE

PORCH

ILLUSTRATION

KENZIEDESIGN.COM

114 HOMEBEAUTIFUL.COM.AU I AUGUST 2019