Endless summer Hamptons meets the tropics in this stunning home

A QUEENSLANDER IS REVIVED IN STUNNING FASHION WITH HINTS OF THE HAMPTONS AND A HEARTY TASTE OF THE TROPICS

Chasing long, warm summers and a home within day-trip distance of the beach, Natalie, a stylist, and husband Gerry, a business owner, packed up their lives in New Zealand on a whim to put down roots in balmy Brisbane, where Gerry had been offered a job. “We love it here,” he says (pictured). “The weather is perfect, and apart from missing our family and Kiwi friends, we plan on staying put!” That might have a lot to do with the resort-style home they have created in the innercity suburb of Paddington. You can almost feel the salt in your hair as you cross the threshold of the gleaming white Queenslander, which exudes the breezy vibes of a hotel in paradise. “We are outdoor people,” says Natalie. “We love the beach but we also love living in the city and walking to our local shops. So we wanted to bring the beach to us.” The home sits grandly on a corner block on one of the suburb’s signature undulating streets. It’s impossible to miss, and neighbours have watched the evolution of the couple’s diamond-in-the-rough property with interest. A pair of serial renovators, they were smitten by the charms of old Queenslanders and had been looking for one to make their own. “We fell in love with this one because the old cottage had a warmth and street appeal about it, and its corner site would allow us so much open-plan living and light,” says Natalie. Then began an arduous renovation that took two years. “What wasn’t involved in the reno,” laughs Natalie. “Originally we thought we would add a modern box extension to the character home, but then we changed our minds on the last set of plans and decided on a traditional extension, which excited us much more,” she says. First, the old house was moved to the back of the block and raised, to allow for a ground-floor living zone underneath. “We knew there would be a few areas that would need replacing and for us it was the old front verandah,” says Natalie. “We also replaced 95 per cent of the original weatherboards.” An extension to the original home, now the upper level, became their cathedral-ceilinged master suite. Natalie’s vision for the interior of the house was a melding of her favourite styles – French provincial meets Hamptons meets St Barts. “The part that kept me awake many a night was ensuring the tropical aspects made sense in a renovated Queenslander,” she says. “I had no problem sticking to it, but I had to coach others into understanding it wasn’t going to be a typical Queenslander renovation. I don’t know how many times I said, ‘just trust me’.” As soon as the home was liveable again, the couple moved in, even before their furniture. “We had a long weekend to start the landscaping, so we camped on a mattress,” laughs Natalie. “We sat on the verandah floor with a beverage and watched the sun go down.” Since then, the duo has enjoyed many a sundowner in their little slice of paradise. And those intrigued neighbours often score an invite to join them poolside for a barbecue on a summer evening. It’s an oasis in the city, and the perfect tonic after all their hard work. “This home brings a smile to our faces every day,” says Natalie.

DINING AREAStunning French oak parquetry from Wildwood Aged Timber Flooring is laid in a basket-weave pattern, providing the warm and beautifully textured canvas throughout the open-plan living, kitchen and dining zone (left). “Gerry and I designed the dining table and had it made on one of our buying trips to Bali,” explains Natalie, who co-owns Found Bali Safari. A rug from Freedom and art purchased on a trip to the Cook Islands offer pops of black, while a ‘Yaana’ pendant light by Uniqwa hangs dramatically overhead.