BREEZE WAY Natural materials and a relaxed elegance rule in

RENOVATE

the long view This space gives you the full picture of a unique house Architect Rachel Hudson of RH/a was first approached about this project on Sydney’s northern beaches in 2014. It took a few years for the owners to commit to the undertaking, but what they’ve emerged with is a contemporary coastal home with beautiful materials and furnishings that express the sense of calm and refinement its creator intended. Finding the right pitch for the roof was an esssential step in the design process, and the rafters on the flip side look stunning in the same white as the walls and even upholstery, against the oak floor. Turn the page to see more.

DREAM IT. DESIGN IT. DO IT. breeze way

A covered deck linking every part of this coastal home has kept a Sydney family close

WORDS JESSICA BELLEF PHOTOGRAPHY SIMON WHITBREAD

dining room Blessed with a resort-style pool aspect is the family’s generous Provincial oak table (and chairs) by The Wood Room. Borge Morgensen leather chairs (at each end), Vampt Vintage Design. Pendant, Ha’veli of Byron Bay.

backyard The sense of entrance to the back of the house is enhanced by wide timber stairs that are perfect for perching. This view also captures the new pitched roof, looking entirely at home above the ground floor. The decking is tallowwood. Furniture, Naturally Cane. INSIDE | RENOVATE

cheat sheet

Who lives here Cassandra Campana, a casual primary-school teacher; her husband Carlo, a project manager; their daughters: Chloe, 25, Bella, 22, and Olivia, 19; and Winni, the family’s chocolate labrador. Style of home A 1950s brick beach house in Newport, NSW, which was reinvented as an open-plan, contemporary, coastal home. The couple engaged architect Rachel Hudson in late 2014 and, after a pause, the renovation began in March 2018 and was completed roughly a year later.

INSIDE | RENOVATE

front garden Painted Dulux Night Sky and Vivid White, the facade is striking against the sky — and the blue of the ocean just across the road. Its balustrade detail chimes in effortlessly with the picket fence. Sandstone, Gosford Quarries.

the moodboard

Breezy barefoot ease flows through this coastal family home on the northern beaches of Sydney. A neutral palette of natural materials and paredback decor instantly lowers the heart rate, and the seamless transition from indoors to out is literally a breath of fresh ocean air. The owners, Cassandra and Carlo Campana, bought the property in 2012. They’d lived in a neighbouring suburb, but wanted to be closer to the beach and schools for their three daughters, Chloe, Bella and Olivia. This house was perfect. “It was originally a cute double-brick house, but was too small for us,” says Cassandra, who, along with Carlo, loves entertaining at home. “From the get-go, we were thinking about a renovation,” she says. “It just took us a while!”

The couple worked with architect Rachel Hudson of Rachel Hudson Architecture (RH/a,) drawn to her refined design aesthetic and the serene feeling her projects create. “She was also a good listener, so I knew she was right for us,” offers Cassandra. They initially signed with Rachel in 2014, but the process was paused when life diverted the family’s focus. The year-long renovation finally commenced in 2018, with construction company Peninsula Projects at the helm. While the facade of the original brick home remains, the reconfigured layout – complete with stunning new roofline and entertainer’s backyard – has given the close-knit family ample room to kick back and relax.

dream it The Campanas wanted a home that tapped into their neighbourhood’s laidback lifestyle and so they were keen to open up the layout and maximise the entertaining areas, indoors and out. “We’ve always been really big entertainers,” says Cassandra. Top of the wish list was a self-contained studio in the backyard to provide accommodation for guests, and a second-storey addition to the main house that would give Cassandra and Carlo a relaxing retreat.

“I wanted the house to feel calm and inviting, but have lots of warmth at the same time,” says Cassandra, who loves raw materials such as sandstone, timber and concrete: “I feel peaceful when I see those beautiful materials together.” With her confident sense of style, Cassandra looked forward to decorating the home slowly over time. “I didn’t want to rush around and just buy things to fill the house up,” she says.

CLOCKWISE FROM FAR LEFT Concordia stone, POA, Allambie Marble. Rice Husk light shade (60cm x 50cm), $250, Ha’veli Of Byron Bay. River rug in Natural (50cm x 140cm), $170, Armadillo. Thonet ‘Hoffmann’ chair, $592, The Wood Room. American Standard ‘Acacia E’ vessel basin, $475, Reece. Copper Railway outdoor wall light, $449, Fat Shack Vintage. Kado ‘Lux’ oval freestanding bath (1750cm), $1880, Reece. Pretzel armchair, $849, Naturally Cane. Dane Craft ‘Granada’ timber bench seat in Ash Timber, $425, Replica Furniture. Dulux Weathershield paint in Colorbond Night Sky, $96.90 per 4L, Bunnings.

ADDITIONAL PRODUCT SOURCING: JOSIE SMITH

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19 1 Terrace 2 Entry 3 Bedroom 4 Bedroom 5 Garage/carport 6 Bathroom 7 Bedroom 8 Outdoor terrace 9 Laundry 10 Bathroom 11 Living room 12 Dining area 13 Kitchen 14 Pantry 15 Deck/plunge pool 16 Studio/kitchenette 17 Bedroom 18 Bathroom 19 Main bedroom 20 Ensuite 21 Retreat 22 Study

kitchen Textured concrete benchtops (treated with Alpha Concrete Sealer from Domcrete) top the list of simple but beautiful materials in here. Vivid White cabinetry by Zanda Custom Joinery. Splashback, Tiles By Kate. Stools, The Wood Room.

wishlist + Open-plan living “The plan was to create a combined living, dining and kitchen area at the back of the house,” says Cassandra. + Old and new inclusions “We wanted to retain the facade and add a second storey for a roomy main ensuite.” + Calm palette “The key to this was using natural materials and carefully selecting all the accessories.” + Redesigned backyard “We had enough space for a self-contained studio plus a barbecue area, a pizza oven, and a plunge pool and spa.”

INSIDE | RENOVATE

design it While the mission was to preserve the shape of the home’ s original frontage, the roof line and floor plan had to be completely overhauled. “There was no connection between the interior of the home and the sunny backyard,” says architect Rachel. The effortless merging of indoor and outdoor space was engineered by shifting the bedrooms from the rear of the home to the front and pushing the living spaces to the back, where they could flow out to the backyard across a covered deck.

A steep gabled roof was Rachel’s solution to the couple’s fear of a second-storey addition looking like it was unceremoniously tacked on to the old home. “They did not wish for the second storey to appear bulky and incongruent with the cottage, like it was ‘piggy-backing’ the dwelling, so to speak,” says Rachel. The new profile encompasses two levels in an elegant singular form and gives the home the dramatically pitched ceilings that the family – and their guests – love so much.

Inspiration flowed freely when the time came for the Campanas to discuss the aesthetic direction of the home with Rachel. “I had a scrapbook of images, and Pinterest was my best friend!” says Cassandra. The keen ideas hunter also used social media to source furniture and fittings. “I found so many suppliers by searching hashtags on Instagram,” she reveals.

living/dining Classic Concrete Co did the concrete flooring throughout the home. It has a burnished finish with a penetrating sealer that gives it a raw look. To emphasise the already light space, the walls are painted Dulux Vivid White.

sitting area The Campanas opted for Mt Angus Sandstone on the fireplace, installed by Stone Hance & Co. Sofa and coffee table, The Wood Room. Anchor Ceramics ‘Earth Light’ wall sconces in Speckled White, Design Nation.

laundry Corian was chosen for the bench as it’s a continuous surface that was able to incorporate a sink. Mizu ‘Drift’ tapware from Reece. Cassandra bought the baskets from various places. main bedroom Calm and almost colour-free, this private space features oak on the floor and built-in side table. Caravaggio wall light (custom sprayed in Vivid White by the builder’s dad), Lucretia. Bedding, Hale Mercantile Co and Cultiver.

studio The same materials are used in this separate dwelling, including the American oak flooring with a matt oil finish by Synteko (white was added for a subtle limewashed look). Custom ladder with oak steps, made by the builder.

INSIDE | RENOVATE

main ensuite Ceramic-look floor tiles from Exclusive Tiles are the perfect base. Wall tiles, Tiles By Kate. Kado ‘Lux’ oval bath, Sussex ‘Scala’ taps and Milli ‘Pure’ shower head in Tumbled Brass, all Reece. Timber stool, Beachwood Designs. outdoor area Heading towards the pitch-roofed studio, the deck takes in a plunge pool and spa (not shown) with surrounds in Fijian Mahogany. Creating an opening for a Dragon tree breaks up the timber expanse.

do it The renovation was a relatively stress-free process. “We were very lucky to have a build with ample access and level land, and fantastic clients that made any potential challenges easy to mitigate from the beginning,” says Beau Jones, managing director of Peninsula Projects. That’s not to say Beau’s team cruised through the build. “Creating the 45-degree roof meant many weeks of hard work at height,” he explains.

With the soaring 7.5-metre ceiling in the main living space, the exposed rafters painted white, and pocket sliding doors that open to the deck, the overall effect is of a weight lifted off your shoulders. The sandstone fireplace anchors the voluminous area, featuring sun-bleached sandstone pavers that were part of the original home. The peaked roof (which encases the new mezzanine level with main suite) and the high-contrast colour palette of Dulux Night Sky and Vivid White sit very comfortably on the street. Beau, whose company has been building in the area for more than 25 years, says, “All the aspects of the home have been wonderfully curated to enhance what a coastal lifestyle provides.”

That’s precisely what the Campana family were looking for when they started the process. “I’d be happy to live here forever,” says Cassandra. “My husband says he’s still got one more renovation in him, but I don’t know about that,” she laughs. RH/a: rachelhudson.com.au. Peninsula Projects: peninsulaprojects.com.au

the best bits + Size “Our house is ideal in the sense that it’s not too big. It’s a nice size for our three adult children and, at some stage in the future, their children as well,” says Cassandra. + Stone benchtop “The Concordia marble benchtop [not shown] in the main ensuite is a personal favourite.” + Lighting “This was tricky to design because of the tall ceilings, but I feel like we got it right. I love the house at night.

Every light is dimmable, and we have uplights to highlight the rafters.”

lessons learnt

“If something isn’t right, it can be changed” CASSANDRA, OWNER “The finish on the concrete kitchen benches wasn’t right at first and would mark very easily. So it was stripped back and sealed with a different product. Alpha Concrete Sealer by Domcrete did the trick, and now it has a nice matt look.”