SEATING: RELAXED RETRO

A banquette not only allows for a generous dining table within the petite footprint of this Sydney holiday home, it lends a wonderfully beachy, retro vibe to the space. “We opted for vinyl upholstery for practicality, and coloured it to blend into the wall so it virtually disappears,” says interior designer Brett Mickan. “All my theatrical tricks had to come into play to make the small open-plan area function well for a family of seven. I’ve used colour to define and sculpt it.” Vintage bentwood chairs add interest and texture, as does a rattan lightshade from Orient House. The playful prints are Mickan’s work. “I started with stock photographs of the Manly area and hand-coloured figures of children playing at the beach and applied them over the image.” bmid.com.au