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MEDIA STAR DEBORAH HUTTON’S SEASIDE ABODE IS A TESTAMENT TO HER LOVE OF COASTAL STYLE – AND HER NEWLY DISCOVERED RENOVATING PROWESS

Launching herself into the limelight as a covergirl at the age of just 16, media personality Deborah Hutton’s career has ranged from model to magazine editor-atlarge to hosting roles on prime-time television; a journey that has taken her across the globe. But having recently settled into her newly-evolved, self-proclaimed “forever home” in Sydney’s eastern suburbs, it’s evident Deborah relishes her latest role – that of accomplished renovator. When she began the search for a new home more than three years ago, it proved a more difficult task than anticipated. “I failed at so many auctions, and now I’m so happy that I did,” says Deborah, who ended up securing the keys to a 1920s-built house by the beach, with an elevated position looking out across the Pacific Ocean. “The location is perfect, the view is expansive, but the original house really didn’t do the block justice. It really needed a revamp, just to open it up and capitalise on the light.” With a sizeable renovation to project manage, and a gorgeous home to create, Deborah was armed with very little renovating experience. “I had renovated a bathroom, that’s it,” she says, “as in, I just retiled something. I’ve never done anything like this before!” Today, however, she is quite the expert, with her own blog on renovating, renovationrookie.com.au, which follows her home’s build – a process that wasn’t always smooth sailing. “It was really hard to find the right people,” she says. After a false start with a drafstman and then an architect not quite on the same page, she found another who shared her vision. “My brief was a timeless, classic house that looked like it had been here for some time, so in 30 years it still feels beautiful,”she says. And the style starting point? “The Hamptons was the original inspiration,” remarks Deborah. “And then it was sort of coastal – it was a bit Palm Beach. But I look at the home now and I think it has a Colonial influence, a little of St Barts.” Her adventures abroad also helped shape the look. “It’s travels, imagery, movies, and even staying in beautiful hotels – they all contribute to the overall feeling,” she says. “I also think it’s part of the fact I lived in Queensland – I just love weatherboard houses.” Through the year-long renovation, she lived next door in a rental, and oversaw every detail. “The best thing about the build was it was fast, efficient and fabulous,” says Deborah, who estimates that being next door saved three months on the build time. Her hands-on approach is seen in every space, with the chic home striking that rare balance between relaxed and refined. “To me, this house was always meant to be a retreat,” she explains. “I wanted that feeling of letting out a deep breath, walking in and just listening to the ocean – it’s everything I wanted it to be and more.”