Real Homes: Dave and Jaime

March 4, 2016 by Hayley Leave a Comment

Yay, I love doing these posts! I’m sharing another beautiful home that I discovered on Instagram. I follow so many people on Instagram that have gorgeous homes. Families actually live there, they are not styled for magazines, just a real home, with real people and real stuff. I’m hoping to share lots of them with you this year.

Let’s be honest, who doesn’t love a peek inside somebody else’s home, and you might just find some new friends to follow on IG! Here are the links to few I’ve shared in the past – Ingrid’s house, Mels’s house, Jo’s house.

Today we are meeting Jaime from @bay_beachhouse

Tell us a little bit about yourself ?

Dave and I have been married 13 years and have two children, Tom 11 years and Ivy 9 years. My husband is a Primary School Principal and I am Primary School Teacher. While my babies were little I took some time away from Teaching to study photography and found a love of newborn and family portraiture. I returned to teaching once my children were older and have only picked my camera up recently after deciding to document our journey with Bay Beachhouse. For as long as I can remember Dave has had a green thumb and a brilliant eye for colour. With his landscaping and gardening passion and my love of interior design and photography we have endeavoured to create a home that has character and warmth.

Why did you choose your current house?

We purchased our house in 2011 after stumbling across it whilst my husband was driving laps around the block waiting for me to come out of the hairdressers. We had three things we were looking for in a house. My husband wanted a large shed, the kids wanted a pool and I wanted a plantation style home with character. When we found Bay Beachhouse we knew we had the trifecta!

Did you have an idea of what you wanted to do with it, or did you decide after you moved in?

The renovation was designed by Jared Poole Design and all the building work was completed by a local builder Bob Smith who was the person we purchased the home from. Whilst much of the major building work was complete when we moved in we still had a considerable amount of work to do outside and some minor changes to make inside.

What changes have you made, tell us about it?

The most significant change to our home occurred before we moved in and this is when the home was converted from a two bedroom one bathroom run down shack to the home it is today. This involved a complete re-build with bedroom 2 and 3 the only original features left standing. The kitchen was converted into the main bedroom and newly built additions included the lounge room, outdoor room, ensuite, sunroom and kitchen with cathedral ceilings. On the outside we only have one original tree left standing and we have completely re-designed our entire yard to incorporate a new pool area, kids play area, formal garden and vegetable garden. Since moving in we have re-designed our main living area to include a fireplace and changed the colour and lighting scheme a number of times.

Do you have any further plans, or are you finished?

We are always making changes and this year we are looking at incorporating VJ paneling in our bedrooms, kitchen and lounge room and building a fire pit in our rear garden. Our long term dream is to build a guest house at the rear of our property and add an additional level to the main house which will enable us to have views of the ocean which is only a couple of streets away.

What’s your favourite space in your home, and why?

Our favourite space is certainly our rear indoor/outdoor verandah. It has been designed to capture the sea breeze all year round and it has a great view of our swimming pool. It links to our kitchen, lounge room and main bedroom via recycled French doors which completely opens our entire home. We spend many summer days and special occasions in this space and many of our family and friends comment on the relaxed feel of this area.

How would you describe your style?

We both always say, “Less is more.” I am crazy about ‘white’ and find myself constantly drawn to a style that reflects a beachy, relaxed vibe. I do think however, that my husband is a little OCD with his hedges and lawn! His hedges are always cut to perfection and his lawn is cared for so meticulously.

Where do you find your inspiration?

The inspiration for our home comes from the beach houses of Noosa and Byron Bay. We love the relaxed white and bright designs that can be found on the beaches of these holiday destinations. Instagram has been a huge part of our renovation journey and we follow many amazing stylists/interior designers and landscapers whom have similar styles to ours.

Where are you favourite places to shop?

My favourite place to shop is at Peregian Beach Village as they have an eclectic mix of homeware stores with a beachy/boho vibe. I have purchased a number small pieces of furniture and homewares from these beautiful shops.

What’s on your current wish list?

We are about to build a fire pit with a surrounding outdoor deck in preparation for Winter. I would love to redesign our sunroom by stepping out of my comfort zone and bringing a boho vibe to that space.

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Isn’t it beautiful! I feel like a tropical vacation just looking at it!
If you want to see more you can follow Jaime on Instagram here.

Do you have a beautiful home you think I should share? Or maybe you know of one? Send me an e-mail, tag me on Instagram, get in touch and let me know.

Hayley x

OMG, OMG, OMG … It’s here!!!

October 7, 2015 by Hayley 1 Comment

Yes, I am a little bit excited! Pottery Barn, PB Kids and West Elm are in my hood, Squeeee!!!!

Three of the world’s most successful and stylish furniture and home wares stores have moved in to a fabulous big retail space in Brisbane’s hip James Street.

If you’ve been living under a rock and haven’t heard of them, let me introduce you.

Pottery Barn is a global retailer of high quality products for your home. Their range is primarily based around comfort, quality and style. I have been a huge fan of Pottery Barn since I discovered it on our travels back in 2005, I remember hearing about this place called ‘Pottery Barn’ on the TV sitcom ‘Friends’ and when I saw a store in Los Angeles I ventured in out of curiosity. Oh my, it was filled with gorgeous glass lanterns, shiny silver table ware, plush sofas and the most beautiful bed linens I had ever seen (that I could actually afford). And so it began, my love affair with Pottery Barn. From that day on every time we travelled I spent hours oohing and aahing in every Pottery Barn and Pottery Barn Kids we came across. I would buy anything that I could fit in my suitcase, and sometimes more than would fit, I have had to purchase an extra suitcase a couple of times!

More recently I have discovered West Elm. I feel it is a bit younger, a bit hip and it moves with the times. I love it for buying on trend items. Currently they have a great range of brass, marble and beautiful linen bedding, the price point is very affordable and the quality is great!

I was lucky enough to get a sneak peek with the media launch before opening time. There was red carpet, coffee, croissants, cookies and a ribbon cutting ceremony. But more exciting than that was the feeling in the air, the feeling that PB wasn’t just moving into our city, but moving into our community. They have utilised the skills of our local talent for the front of the counter in the West Elm store. It was hand made by local, Kylie from Paper Boat Press, you really must check it out next time your there, it is incredible. West Elm have also put the call out to local handcrafted creators to take their wares to the Brisbane store on October the 10th (this Saturday) to be reviewed and get a chance at being part of their monthly pop up stores. I love that they are supporting our little and local talent!

I also really enjoyed the styling sessions they had running in store. I felt inspired after watching Kara Rosenlund work her magic styling a coffee table. She made it look so simple!

I snapped these shots for you to get an idea of the incredible range of goodies, but truly, I would break my website if I tried to upload all the beautiful furniture and home decor they have to offer. You really must pop in when you have a chance! It’s worth a look just to see the beautiful styling, the room displays and little vignettes everywhere you turn. The shop fit-out is absolutely incredible too, just wait till you see the giant set of barn doors when you walk into the Pottery Barn entry. Grab a girlfriend, or take your Mum and make a day of it!

Pottery Barn Cortona furniture, Tenny Tile quilt cover and Belgian linen diamond quilt.

Pottery Barn Antique Silver collection with Cambria dinnerware.

Pottery Barn wall of goodies, check out those Wood Paddle Pedestals.

Pottery Barn Rope Outdoor dinnerware. — Pottery Barn Rope Outdoor dinnerware with Coral melamine accent plate.

If you don’t live close to a store, don’t worry, you can shop online at Pottery Barn here, Pottery Barn Kids here and West Elm here.

Happy Shopping!

Hayley x

Weekend Facelift, part 2

July 20, 2015 by Hayley 9 Comments

I am convinced, paint has to be the number one best thing to instantly update a space. It can change the mood, freshen it up and make everything look shiny and new. It is relatively quick and easy (especially if you hire a painter like we did for this project), and doesn’t break the budget.

First of all, let me tell you about this house. Although it is 3 bedroom, 3 bathroom, plus study, it really is a house for a couple. It was built by a couple as a holiday house where they would come on weekends, and sometimes have their children and grand children come and stay. The layout is perfect for this and that is what we had in mind when we furnished and styled it for resale.

The inside has been re-painted at the ‘Apricot Central’ house. I chose Dulux Natural white for the interiors. Unfortunately the budget and time constraints didn’t stretch to re-paint all the doors and trims, they are not a great colour and I had to work with them, while still lightening and brightening the home as much as possible.

Here’s a few before and afters of the inside transformation.

I shopped my own home for items that we either can’t fit in the new house, or can temporarily live without while we put this house on the market.

Let’s start with the kitchen. In an ideal world I would have completely re-done the kitchen, but it’s not, so I worked with what I had.

We changed the back splash to something a little more modern, although still fitting within the current design. I chose a matte white hexagon tile with grey grout to really make to shape pop. We also added 2 pendant lights, they are from Bunnings and we had the electrician hang them from existing down lights. Ideally I would have like 3, but I think they look OK and I love the way the filament bulbs look in the glass pendant.

Kitchen - AFTER - new backsplash matte hexagon tiles. — Kitchen – AFTER – new backsplash matte hexagon tiles.

Brilliant Clear Laurent light | Bunnings

I used my beloved rattan bar stools to furnish the space and they instantly update it.

Kitchen - BEFORE & AFTER — Kitchen – BEFORE & AFTER

Moving on to the dining area. The previous owners had a gigantic cabinet in the dining area which was covering the shutters that go through to the master bedroom. Yes, I know, shutters from the master bedroom to the living area is a bit strange, but I actually like it now that I have spent some time there. I have dressed the dining room very simply, keeping it classic and clean.

In the before picture below you can see that gigantic cabinet, it completely overpowered the entire dining and living area.

FullSizeRender-6 — Dining and Lounge – AFTER

The lounge area from the previous owners was dark and heavy and didn’t do the space any favours. I put my linen modular there which is a lighter colour and fills the space without taking over the space. I added a rug (probably a bit small) to define the space and some cushions for a little bit of colour. I chose not to put a TV in this space, I don’t think anyone requires 2 in this small space. I’d rather sit with a book and cup of tea and look at the beautiful view.

Lounge and Family - BEFORE — Lounge and Family – BEFORE

FullSizeRender-7 — Lounge and Family – AFTER

The TV/family area (far right on the ‘before’ pic) is quite small, the previous owners tried to squeeze a 2 seater sofa and 2 recliners into the space and it looked cluttered and messy. I have used two rattan chairs with ottomans and a small side table. It doesn’t over power the space and is perfect for 2 people.

The front entry ‘before’ had a big round table with an apricot ceramic base, oh gosh I wish I’d taken a photo of it! It had a pair of pink ceramic flamingos each side and a huge bunch of faux flowers on top, not the good kind, the plastic layered in dust kind. Not pretty!

I put my big round Madras jute rug from Freedom there, with my eBay round table. I added a big blue and white monkey vase from Botticelli House, I filled it with palm leaves and I think it looks very inviting.

FullSizeRender-8 — Entry, looking towards the front door.

I’m looking forward to showing you the outside, actually I’m looking forward to seeing it myself, it is currently a very tuscan terracotta colour. I am having it painted in Dulux Hog Bristle, with a Dulux Lead Colour trim. I can’t wait to see it.

What do you think?

Hayley x

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