On the right WAVELENGTH
Jewellery designer Celeste Twikler finds refreshment in the surf, and inspiration in her delightfully revamped North Coast NSW cottage.
For an avid surfer, the cold, dark waters of Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula can prove to be a real challenge. So Celeste Twikler upped sticks and moved up to the north coast of NSW seven years ago, to enjoy the seemingly endless summer that comes with living in Byron Bay.
Surfing is a daily ritual for the jewellery designer, who recently released a homewares and clothing range. “Sometimes it’s a ‘whole daily’ ritual, as I find myself surfing for up to seven hours when the waves are good,” she says. “But I make up for it in studio time and usually work until all hours of the night.”
Four years ago, Celeste found a rare freestanding bungalow on a large corner block within walking distance of the beach. Even though the exterior was bright blue, with a yellow-sponged feature wall inside, Celeste’s discerning eye could see past the unfortunate paintwork to a potentially ideal home, which is just what it’s become for her and Staffordshire terrier, Nala.
The charming two-bedroom house is surrounded by a wide covered return verandah, an ideal spot for relaxing and watching the world go by. High windows abut raked ceilings that reach 3m in height, allowing beautiful north-eastern light to stream into the internal spaces year round. Inside, the open-plan kitchen, dining and living areas open up to the verandah and connect the internal spaces to the garden.
The first thing Celeste did after buying the property was take out a subscription to H&G for inspiration. She then turned to her jack-of-alltrades dad to help problemsolve and execute renovation ideas, and the first order of business was a thorough colour transformation. “I didn’t move a thing in until all the internal walls were painted white,” she says. “There is nothing better than a fresh canvas.”
Structural changes began with the building of an outdoor shower, a no-brainer in this subtropical climate. “I never use the indoor bathroom, not even in winter,” says Celeste. “It’s even better when it’s cold and raining and I’m having a hot shower.”
Next step was to set up a work-from-home scenario, which was made possible with the addition of a studio to the side of the house. Using large recycled windows and french doors, Celeste and her father created a space that can be opened up to the outdoors. “I wanted to work in natural light and in an open space,” she says. It’s now the engine room for Celeste’s collections of jewellery, clothing and homewares, which she sells through stockists Australia-wide as well as online.
The garden is as much a living space as the interiors. Celeste often throws down kilims around the fire pit in the front yard to create a comfy outdoor room, screened by established trees and shrubs. Agaves and other lush succulents have replaced the bushy ferns and lattice that prevailed when she moved in.
The most challenging decision was how to deal with the blue exterior. At first Celeste thought she would choose the classic look of a white cottage but at the eleventh hour she happened to discuss the idea with the team at Byron Vintage Homes, a local home design and renovation firm. After hearing about Celeste’s passion for nature, surfing and all things vintage, they suggested stripping the exterior paint back to the hardwood chamfer boards (a type of weatherboard cladding with a distinctive profile), as a means of achieving the raw and recycled look she desired. White doors and window frames now pop against the timber tones, while the front door has been treated to a rust-effect finish for a weathered, beachy vibe.
Inside, that aesthetic continues with an eclectic assortment of new and vintage pieces, many bought at local markets, scored secondhand or discovered during Celeste’s travels overseas. In fact, she finds it hard, she says, not to come home with “a million different things”.
With her sentimental surf-style abode now complete, Celeste is enjoying all that it offers. “I am very content with my home,” she says. “It might be small and humble but it’s more than I could ever have dreamt of.”
Celeste Twikler, Byron Bay, NSW; celestetwikler.com.