138 MAY 2017
Design secrets
1
If you’re going for a neutral
coastal look, warm it up with raw
timber and texture and choose an
accent colour such as green or
charcoal to lift it and add a bit of pop.2
Buy once, buy well. When it
comes to larger pieces of
furniture, it’s worth investing in
something you love so you can keep
it for ever, no matter where you live.3
Indoor plants instantly add
a sense of calm, freshness and
life to a space. They’re also great
air purifiers – and green goes
with everything.C
reating a home wasn’t
a task Magdalena Roze
took on lightly. The
Australian media
personality and former
TV weather presenter went to great
lengths to create a beautiful, simple
and considered space for her family- My Kitchen Rulesguest judge Darren
Robertson and their 14-month-old
son, Archie. The couple purchased the
home just over a year ago, in the
height of summer, when Magdalena
was 39 weeks pregnant.
“I’ve heard of so many couples
renovating and buying a home around
the same time – it must be the primal
‘nesting’ thing,” says Magdalena.
The two-level, three-bedroom home
is in Byron Bay, New South Wales,
where Darren co-owns the Three Blue
Ducks restaurant.
“There’s something magical about this
place that draws you in – the connection
with food, nature and the land, the
beaches, community, as well as the
nourishing lifestyle,” says Magdalena.
Fortunately, the home was in great
condition when the family moved in,
having been renovated a few years
earlier. “There was a lot to do
interiors-wise to make it our own, but
it was all cosmetic,” she says.
The couple painted thedark
floorboards white,installed plantation
shutters and added linen curtains.
“We did a lot of work to the kitchen,
which is a focal point for us – the
original kitchen was completely
brown and blue,” says Magdalena.
They retiled the kitchen walls with
white subway tiles, added a recycled
timber shelf, painted the cabinets
white and replaced the stainless-steel
handles with recycled timber. “We
wanted to use lots of white mixed
with timber and hanging plants for an
earthy and fresh feel,” she says.
The kitchen best encapsulates
Magdalena’s clean and relaxed style,
and is where she perfected her recipes
for her bookHappy and Whole.
“I am clearly in complete denial that
I have a baby and surfer partner, with
all the white in my house!” she says.
“Surrounding yourself with things
you love, like plants, or creating a
nook with a lovely cushion for reading,
is enough to create space for a moment
of happiness every day.”AWWDesign touches of
natural textures, wood
and linen keep the
house feeling
breezy and give it
a seamless flow.