BEAUTY AND THE FEAST

WITH DESIGNER DETAIL, HAIR STYLISTS ON HAND AND DINING DESTINATIONS ON THE DOORSTEP, THIS ISN’T YOUR AVERAGE AIRBNB

Byron Bay is setting the scene for a new kind of B&B. A loft-style love nest curated by hairdressing wunderkind Jaye Edwards is seducing the style set with chic bed and beauty getaways.

That the converted warehouse happens to be one of the most Instagrammable backdrops imaginable hasn’t hurt in spreading its reputation.

While colour-splashed wall murals from artist Brian Connolly clamour for attention with the cactus garden, it’s the detail that sets Cacti Mi Casa apart from your average Airbnb. Sleep-in on a soft cloud of dove grey and blush linen in the lust-worthy bedroom and borrow The Beach People towels when it’s time to hit the sand.

A roomy rainshower dominates the sleek bathroom, where the Edwards eye is evident in little luxuries like a GHD straightener and Kevin Murphy’s Angel Wash replacing the standard issue.

Of course, professional help never goes astray when it comes to staging spontaneous shoots for social and that’s where Cacti Mi Casa’s connections come in handy.

With my partner sent to scope out the surf, it’s just a few steps through sliding doors to my appointment at the adjoining Edwards and Co salon.

An ocean dip at Tallows may be a shortcut to sea-salt waves, but their stylists are masters of the mermaid mane. You can even have a wine while the magic happens.

After one heavenly head massage and a few twists of the tongs, I’m ready to explore.

Cacti Mi Casa is in Byron’s industrial estate — a few minutes’ drive to the town’s traditional tourist heart, but if you know where to look you’ll find everything you need within its boundaries.

The peaceful pocket off Ewingsdale Road is home to an eclectic assortment of designers and diners, circus schools and studios, brewers and boardshapers, each espousing Byron’s creative soul in their own unique way.

Cementing the precinct’s emerging reputation are restaurants the calibre of Barrio, which means “neighbourhood” in Spanish.

Supplying a smartly styled setting for lingering rosé-fuelled lunches, it builds on the culinary tradition of wood-fire and charcoal.

That smoky flavour elevates the everyday — in these hands, blackened eggplant becomes unforgettable, the broth spooned over grilled fish a talking point.

Even the cocktails are in on the intrigue — smoked carrot margarita, perhaps?

Eating in the Spanish style is as good an excuse as any for a siesta back at Cacti Mi Casa.

We revive in time to soak in the sunset from the balcony, where a swing seat angled at the hinterland horizon is bathed in golden light. The views extend over rolling farmland to Mount Warning.

If you can’t bear to budge, the thoughtfully equipped kitchen (no cobbled-together cutlery here) has everything you need to make eating in feel special.

If you do, the short trip into town rewards