Sunshine Coast Beach House Makeover by Aboda

Rethinking the traditional beach house aesthetic

DETAILS

HOUSE Coolum Beach House

LOCATION Coolum Beach, Queensland

INITIAL BUDGET $1.1m

FINAL PROJECT COST $1.1m

DATE COMMENCED October 2016

DATE COMPLETED August 2017

Home to some of the best waves on the Sunshine Coast, Coolum Beach is adored for its sandy shores and surf culture. And now it possesses a piece of real estate so impressive we’re in serious danger of soiling our wetsuits.

A hop, skip and a 150m jump to the breaking surf at First Bay sits Coolum Beach House. Prior to the site’s makeover by Aboda Design Group, the vacant north-east-facing plot with views to Noosa National Park was begging for a dose of TLC. Semi-retired clients Trish and Greg Low hoped to maximise the opportunity of the site by taking advantage of the sloping block’s amazing views, great orientation and excellent  location in one of Coolum Beach’s best streets.  Having raised their family in a nearby rural setting, they were seeking “an unpretentious, comfortable, easy-maintenance , subtropical beach house”.

The newly built beach house embraces year-round alfresco  dining, with all living spaces  on one level pivoted  around the pool and deck, which act as the focal points of the entry. The modern digs offer its occupants – and their guests, including two adult children who live interstate – three bedrooms, two and a half bathrooms, a laundry and study, plus a two-car garage with ample storage and room for two more cars underneath.

“The home was designed to cater for the occupants’ needs as they get older, with supply of a  lift shaft for future retrofit of a lift and all living zones on one level,” says Andy Bardini from Aboda Design Group, who reiterates the importance of maximising the coast and beach  views. “Maintaining scale and proportion while trying to elevate the building in order to obtain and future proof the view of the ocean and the bays were essential design considerations.”

While not formally articulated, it was  clear the clients were in the market for a design and build process they could participate in. In fact, Trish was excited to put her knack for decorating to good use by injecting a relaxed aesthetic to the interiors and  furnishings. Greg was also  involved on a daily basis assisting the builder, Richard, on-site as a labourer. “The opportunity  existed to break from the  convention of the white beach house aesthetic  with the integration of darker, moodier materials and textures. This was  complemented  by Trish’s furniture and furnishing choices, influenced by life in Bali and the  integration of the soft landscape so well realised by landscape designer E’scapes,” Aboda Design Group’s Scott Falconer adds. Harbouring a long-standing crush on Balinese joinery, which featured throughout their former home, Greg and Trish’s eclectic taste is carefully incorporated into a contemporary palette. Stained plywood walls and joinery highlight the palette and warm the space. “A darker palette was embraced due to the flood of natural light the living zones enjoy through the solar orientation and high-level glass,” says Andy. Making use of this enviable solar orientation and boosting the home’s passive solar design, the project team slapped some 6kW photovoltaic panels (with future battery storage for produced energy) onto the roof.

Operable blade screening, activated by a single-action bar, combines form and function to ensure sun protection, timber floor protection and privacy. The oversized Rosewood doors in timber and glass reinforce a softening of the built form and create cohesion when coupled with internal timber lining, batten and external plywood.

With million-dollar views and the ability to adapt to aging homeowners, Coolum Beach House is an inspiration all coastal dwellers should study with great care. As Scott says, “The result is not only the clients’ dream but the conclusion of a seamless and completely enjoyable process.”