Sunshine oasis An idyllic coastal haven with global flavours

A DANISH EXPAT EMBRACES THE VERY BEST OF AUSSIE BEACH LIFE ON QUEENSLAND’S SUNSHINE COAST TO CREATE A CALM, WHITE SUMMERTIME SANCTUARY WITH GLOBAL FLAVOURS

SUMMER SERENITY The pool is definitely the place to be at the charming whitewashed beach house that Nilla, a chef, and her two daughters, Emma (pictured opposite with Sunny, their Maltese fox terrier cross) and Sofia, call home. Within earshot of the waves splashing the Sunshine Coast, it’s an oasis of tranquil whites and rustic textures, with a taste of Marrakech. “It was just a beach shack with a few little things I fell in love with,” says Nilla, pictured opposite, of her first impression of the three-bedroom home she strolled through during an open house in 2016. “The girls hadn’t seen it, but I just knew it would be perfect for us.” She worked within the existing footprint to update the home, and added a luxurious 12-metre pool (above) and merbau deck below the verandah. >

Like so many wanderlusting Europeans, Danish-born Nilla, who now calls Australia home, stuffed her backpack and set off on an adventure to the other side of the world in search of vast sandy beaches and never-ending summers. The young traveller couldn’t have known that she’d never really return to her former life in Denmark’s oldest town, Ribe, on the small country’s west coast. Love and marriage followed, and soon there were children too. “My then husband and I did move back to Denmark for a while, but when my eldest daughter [Sofia] was one we returned to Australia – first to Gerringong and then Noosa,” says Nilla, who is also mum to 22-year-old Emma.

A chef devoted to clean, seasonal cuisine, Nilla soon opened her first cafe – Vanilla Food – at

Noosa’s renowned Belmondos Organic Market. Life was busy, and her teenage daughters would spend their spare time working at the cafe as the business grew. Now single, and in search of a place to retreat from the huge workload of running a small business, Nilla went hunting for a home that would prove the perfect tonic for relaxation and quality time with her girls. She found a seaside enclave, not far from Noosa. “I came across this little beach shack on a quiet street close to the beach with a nature strip directly opposite,” recalls Nilla. It needed an update, but its raked ceiling with milky white exposed beams and cork floors won her over. “With three bedrooms it is definitely a full house when both girls are home, but there are loads of little areas to hang out and have our own space,” she says. >

whitewashed “THE BEAMS REMIND ME OF MY house PARENTS’ SUMMER IN DENMARK WHERE I SPENT MY CHILDHOOD SUMMERS” ~ NILLA

“WE LOVE OUR KITCHEN perfect BENCH SPACE. IT’S FOR COSY DINNERS, CUPS OF TEA AND LONG CHATS ON OUR COMFY STOOLS” ~ NILLA

Nilla’s updates to the home have been considered and methodic. First, she tackled the bathroom and added VJ-look panelling to the walls throughout, brightening the interior with an alabaster palette. Then, the kitchen was given a makeover with a new 2.5-metre concrete-topped counter that doubles as a space-smart dining zone.

But this trio of beach lovers prefer their meals alfresco and adding a gas-lift servery window to connect the kitchen to the verandah proved a masterstroke. On weekends, friends gather around a recycled Chinese elm farmhouse table laden with share plates piled with locally-sourced produce. “The window makes entertaining so much easier,” says Nilla. “The girls and I can be cooking and can easily chat with our guests.”

These days, delicious homemade dishes are served with a generous side of serenity, thanks to Nilla’s sparkling new pool. “I love looking out to the pool and the nature strip beyond from the verandah,” muses Nilla. “After work, we jump in the pool to cool off. It’s been a lifesaver in Queensland’s scorching hot summers.”

With a second Vanilla Food eatery now open in Noosa, this relaxing home with a chilled-out style has become a cherished sanctuary for Nilla and her globetrotting girls. They are rarely all in the one place at the same time – and their many mementos from journeys to the Middle East and Europe are peppered throughout, along with precious heirlooms from Denmark. Weaving it all together is a distinctly Aussie sensibility – a tangible tribute to those endless summers that lured Nilla here all those years ago.

KITCHEN

As a chef, updating the home’s kitchen (above & opposite) was a priority after Nilla moved in. The custom concrete counter by Slabshapers is a cool contrast to the cork floors and VJ-look walls in Resene Alabaster. Nilla has masterfully mixed global flavours with a Klaylife handmade bead chandelier from Africa, and a trio of Uniqwa Sweni Horn Barchairs from CLO Studios atop a Persian rug from Newrybar Merchants. A very considered collection of ceramics adorn the handcrafted hall stand by Bernie & Co.>

simplicity

“I PREFER - THAT’S VERY DANISH. AND I LIKE THE RUSTIC greenery LOOK WITH LOTS OF TO BRING THE OUTDOORS IN” ~ NILLA

BATHROOM DETAIL

“It’s made out of recycled timber,” says Nilla of the rustic vanity

(top left) she had custom-made in Byron Bay by Bernie & Co. “It’s probably my favourite piece of furniture in the whole house.”

The sink from NCP Bathroom Centre and timber mirror from CLO Studios tick the boxes for style and function. Tropical tiles from Ahoy Trader are a nod to the sandy expanse a stroll away.

MAIN BEDROOM

“I love that I have doors that open onto the verandah,” says Nilla of her bedroom (left & top right). It’s a haven of calming neutrals blended with treasured pieces from far-off lands. Bedding and lightweight sheers that dance in the summer breeze are from Hale Mercantile Co, and a Uniqwa Malawi chair transforms a corner of the room into a relaxed reading nook. “I found the old chest of drawers at an antique shop years ago and my sister bought the rug back from Afghanistan for me,” adds Nilla. The pared-back palette is complemented with minimalist artwork from Ahoy Trader.

BATHROOM

Renovating the bathroom (opposite) was the first change Nilla made to the home after the family moved in. She channelled the call of the sea for the colour scheme, choosing blue and white Moorish Night tiles from Jatana Interiors and white subways for a crisp pairing on the walls. Nilla kept the existing freestanding tub on timber blocks, adding a new chrome showerhead and tapware from NCP Bathroom Centre. A trailing devil’s ivy completes the spruced up space.

POOLSIDE

“We often jump in the pool after a long day at work and I try to do laps every day, even throughout winter,” says Nilla of the pool she had installed by Nautilus Pools after the family endured their first steamy summer. “It has been a blessing,” she says. Nestled below the verandah and in front of a nature strip, privacy – and a tropical backdrop – is paramount. Merbau decking will slowly silver over time and blend beautifully with the home’s whitewashed exterior.

VERANDAH This breezy space is the perfect retreat on a steamy Sunshine Coast afternoon (above), and a gorgeous daybed from Eclectic Style offers ample room to stretch out after a long lunch. “Summer in here is great,” says Nilla. “We spend most of our time on the verandah with a gin and tonic and a grazing platter.” A white pot from Acres Garden Centre overflows with silver mist next to a rocker from CLO Studios.

LIVING ROOM “I love a comfy couch and a big wing chair,” enthuses Nilla. She found the perfect fit for her living room (opposite) at One World Noosa and kept the tones neutral so she could add subtle colour with art and soft furnishings. On a trip to Morocco, Nilla picked up the vintage rug. “It took a lot of rug shopping and it was a very tough choice, but I fell in love with this one,” she says. An authentic splash of Australia comes courtesy of art by Julie Dempsey Napaljarri, while a weathered mirror, rustic bench and African urn from CLO Studios (below) are right at home in the beautifully eclectic space.