Provide some insight into the home that you renovated; what was it like prior to the makeover?
A: Our Newport NSW beach house had a whole lot of potential, set over three levels with stunning ocean views from the top floor to the bottom. The home had originally started as a two bedroom 70’s beach cottage and grown over multiple decades to a 5 bedroom, 5 bathroom, multiple living area home.

It sounds good on paper, but the expansion of the home included styles and trends from conflicting decades and was a big mishmash – think 70’s mod, 80’s colonial influence with archways added everywhere, closing in spaces and blocking the potential of the glorious view.

Sounds like it had amazing potential. Tell us about the style of the renovation; what inspired the look you selected?
A: Our renovation structural plan was to bring the entire home into a cohesive space and open it up to capitalise on the dramatic coastal vista. We wanted the home to feel like it belonged to, and is totally worthy of, the prime position where it sits. The view looks over gum trees, native palms and across the golden sand, enjoying stunning glimpses of the multiple colours of the ocean, from the waves to the horizon.

Did you follow a particular colour palette to achieve your desired look?
A: The entire view from the house was the inspiration for the colour palette, including the pink skies at sunrise. The style guide was to reflect the environment, it had to feel like it belonged, and the vibe needed to be coastal. In saying that, in our opinion, there is a big misconception with the Hamptons/coastal aesthetic. Oftentimes it is taken too literally and becomes about being all white and grey, or adding navy, it’s very cliched. 

We loved what we saw of the Hamptons style when we lived in New York through the 90’s. It was not at all cookie cutter white, grey and navy – it was actually very eclectic and probably more beachy/boho than the way we interpret it here in Australia! We decided that this home would have hints of true Hamptons style, it is a relaxed, yet sophisticated beach home with all the modern conveniences while still feeling anchored in its environment, hinting that it was intended to be this way from its origins. There are luxury inclusions, but it has maintained a relaxed energy that we hope will make our guests feel comfortable and want to stay longer.

How did you select your hard flooring; what products did you use and what are their features and benefits?
A: When it came to flooring we knew the direction we wanted to go – it was all about the home and the environment. When interior styling any home and particularly with flooring, we try not to be swayed too heavily by trends, as the styling and most definitely the floor will stay in place way longer than any trend. In our view, it's important not to get caught up in trends, it has to be a personal choice. Our home looks over gum trees and native palms with the view extending across the sandy beach and out to sea – the floor covering had to nod to this spectacular colour pallet.

For the timber floor throughout the living areas and hallways, we wanted warm tones in lighter shades, almost a cross between the colour of the gum trees mixed with the sandy colour of the beach. We considered herringbone pattern, but we felt regular boards would sit more comfortably with the casual vibe of a beachside home. We pondered over everything in the Carpet Court range and it just had to be the Precinct Oak in the colour Pine. The colour and texture is perfect, with just enough detail. Plus, being real timber it is hard wearing and will stand up to the grandkids' sandy feet walking across it. 

And what about the carpets in the home?
A: For the bedrooms we just love carpet, we know a lot of people continue the timber flooring through to bedrooms and use rugs, but we love that feel of quality carpet underfoot when you get out of bed. The Correa Wool Carpet in Natural Seed was a perfect transition from the Precinct Oak timber floor in the colour Pine, the colours worked beautifully together and the texture and underfoot comfort was pure luxury. This carpet has a generous loop and doesn’t form a lined pattern, so has a very organic look and feel. The fact that it is natural wool is important to us, in that it doesn’t promote the use of synthetics, will be long lasting and we have the benefits of natural fibres in the home.

How did your installation process go?
A: Literally from the time we selected our timber flooring and carpet, the installation happened within four weeks, allowing us plenty of time to have some levelling done for the timber floor and remove the sad old carpet to make way for the luxurious Correa Wool Carpet to be installed in the bedrooms.