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WELCOME TO THE BEACH HOUSE RENO SERIES.
The Beach House is my little abode located in the pumping tourist town Lakes Entrance, on the Eastern Coast of Victoria.
My parents purchased this home at the beginning of 2020 as a holiday house and renovation project and 6 months later, with the way my life fell into place, it was the best decision for me to move to The Beach House.
Pictured: Alyssa Sutherland (Director of A.S Creative Collective)
The home is a 1960’s mid century weatherboard with 4 bedrooms and a lean-to sunroom…ahhh retro heaven! The existing house is very closed off and segregated, you could say its a bit of a maze of a pedestrian plan and you find yourself stepping through different era's and periods of time between the rooms and spaces. With our laundry now renovated, it has converted into a refreshing feeling of new energy. We focused on a cooler tonal pallet and white space to bring loads of lightness into the room.
The design incorporates repetition of line elements which creates a seamless effect between the cabinetry door profile detailing, the thinness of the vertically stacked subway tiles and an equal balance reflecting on the opposing wall with the vj feature wall panelling.
The room feels grounded by the charcoal terrazzo tiles. It is obviously crucial to select a floor tile in a matt finish to ensure the space is slip resistant. We converted the exisiting window into a external door to become usable and accessible directly to the pool and clothes line.
Another must for the space was the addition of a toilet - this again creates better functionality and use when entering the house from the pool area. The house only had one single toilet in a powder room, and it was a non-negotiable for us to create space to add a second toilet, this room was the best place to maximise the space to do that.
With where the building industry is at in this weird time of history, we decided to DIY as much as we could and by we (read: my dad) !!
Cabinet makers were so booked up and we decided to look into Kaboodle Kitchens by Bunnings. These are customisable flatpack carcasses, all you do is select your desired door panels, layout and bench top. We found the process super easy to design our own cabinetry and the installation was even easier. The only hiccup we experienced was a majorrrrrr delay in receiving the order in the time frame we were told but thats the way of the industry right now and we were understanding of that.
My vision for the overhead cabinetry was to equally balance the under bench cabinetry so we opted for 3 cupboards with the addition of two timber veneer shelves for a warmer feature, these shelves are great for styling and really add an earthy natural feel into the laundry.
We selected brushed nickel hardware for the mixer and toilet roll holder by ABI Interiors, this gives a more lux finish and pairs effortlessly with the gunmetal cabinetry handles and knobs. We went for a deep stainless steel sink as this is so frequently used….I use to never feel the need for a laundry of this size, particularly for only one person, (most of the time) but ever since we completed this room I have used it more than I could have ever imagined. I would almost make it my home office I love the feeling in there so much…
Whilst this was a super fun journey and has turned out into a perfectly designed and delivered space for our beach house- its important to acknowledge that it was a tough room to renovate. Starting with a vinyl UNLEVELLED floor and out of level walls.
We lowered the ceiling, had the house re-stumped to assist with enhancing the floor level as much as humanly possible, spent months with open studs walls, ceiling and floor which of course led to a mouse infestation (don’t talk to me about it - I have serious trauma)
We loaded the walls with a LOT of new insulation batts (if you have read my blog on new build upgrades you’ll get it) and many noggins later, we re-plastered the room.
We are creating a fluidity throughout the home with the VJ feature panels to create a cohesive coastal effect, so we ensured one wall was cladded to represent that addition in this room.
Choosing a white for me is simple, my go-to and favourite white is Dulux “White on White” which we do in a low sheen on the ceiling, walls and panelling, and a semi gloss on all the trims.
My clients will often ask me, how do I style my laundry ? The answer is, make it feel beautiful with things you love, to bring in playful-ness, colour and vibrant energy. I often will have a vase full of fresh blooms, pot plants - which are perfect to have hanging down off the shelf, candles and incense burning, of course a stunning Al.ive hand wash set and a textured hand towel. Create a space with a point of interest, this room is located in the centre of my home so I get a nice view to walk past all the time.
I am thrilled to have finally revealed the laundry project and we steaming ahead well onto the next space….
Thanks for following The Beach House reno series, this is just the beginning!
Love,
A.S
The Concept
Details:
Cabinetry doors: Country profile in colour macaroon
Benchtop: Vanilla cream 40mm
Sink: Artusi bond sink
Tap: ABI interiors elysian mixer in brushed nickel
Shelves: Oak Bunnings $29 shelves
Spashback Tiles: Mode Flooring Sale, VIC
Floor Tiles: Terrazzo Matt Riviera Tiles Bairnsdale, VIC
Dulux White on White paint
External door, handle and cabinetry handles: Bunnings
Toilet roll holder: ABI interiors brushed nickel
Handwash: Alive Body
Plant and Pot: Yellow Door Garden Centre
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