Houzz Tour: Lush Australian Beach Retreat Invites the Outside In
Part home and part habitat, this tropical vacation getaway offers an escape from the daily grind
Julia Fairley
May 23, 2018
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture that is thoughtful, sophisticated and champions an element of the unexpected. Before graduating with a Bachelor of Arts at UNSW and becoming a journalist, I studied interior architecture. For over a decade I have interviewed inspiring creative minds from around the world to write about design in its many different forms. Recently, I have also become an accidental gardener, to everyone's surprise.
Chief Sub-Editor and Writer, Houzz Australia and New Zealand. I love design and architecture... More
Cut off from the town’s water supply and hundreds of miles away from the busy professional lives of its owners, this vacation house on the northeastern coast of Australia is dislocated from reality in the purest of ways. Welcome to Bruce and Rachael Jackson’s home away from home.
The Jacksons, who live in Sydney, have owned the Far North Queensland property for many years. Yet it wasn’t until 2015 that they demolished their original two-story house to make way for the beachside retreat you now see. The couple chose local builder Nathan Verri to construct their home. Sean Reason, of Cairns-based bàlay Vandyke, led the project until it was completed in 2017.
The Jacksons, who live in Sydney, have owned the Far North Queensland property for many years. Yet it wasn’t until 2015 that they demolished their original two-story house to make way for the beachside retreat you now see. The couple chose local builder Nathan Verri to construct their home. Sean Reason, of Cairns-based bàlay Vandyke, led the project until it was completed in 2017.
Photos by Louise Roche of The Design Villa
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Sydney residents Bruce and Rachael Jackson when vacationing at Spice at Oak
Location: Oak Beach, Australia
Size: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: bàlay Vandyke
House at a Glance
Who lives here: Sydney residents Bruce and Rachael Jackson when vacationing at Spice at Oak
Location: Oak Beach, Australia
Size: Four bedrooms, three bathrooms
Designer: bàlay Vandyke
The Jacksons traveled to India to find the vintage Rajasthan front doors. Rest your palm on their hand-carved surface and you’ll feel the rich grain of the wood; push them open and you’ll step into a different world.
The moment you cross the threshold and shut these doors behind you, you will feel a departure from the daily grind as you arrive in a tropical sanctuary. It does exactly what every vacation home ought to do, and bàlay Vandyke, together with the Jacksons, achieved this through careful design and material selection.
The moment you cross the threshold and shut these doors behind you, you will feel a departure from the daily grind as you arrive in a tropical sanctuary. It does exactly what every vacation home ought to do, and bàlay Vandyke, together with the Jacksons, achieved this through careful design and material selection.
The design process wasn’t rushed; it evolved over nine iterations and was finalized only when every space fulfilled the clients’ vision.
The result is part home, part habitat, where the distinction between interior and exterior is blurred. Separate wings and rooms are linked by arbors and alfresco areas. This is a home where the great outdoors is as much a design feature as the structure of the house itself.
The owners were closely involved with every design decision, and Reason credits the overall success of the build to their architectural vision and exacting tastes, describing it as a team effort.
“Our clients, with a very keen eye for interiors and finishes, steered this project to the beauty you see today,” he says. “They hand-selected the recycled timber that is used throughout this home with the builder and sourced it from Brisbane.”
Recycled ironbark wood: Kennedy’s
The result is part home, part habitat, where the distinction between interior and exterior is blurred. Separate wings and rooms are linked by arbors and alfresco areas. This is a home where the great outdoors is as much a design feature as the structure of the house itself.
The owners were closely involved with every design decision, and Reason credits the overall success of the build to their architectural vision and exacting tastes, describing it as a team effort.
“Our clients, with a very keen eye for interiors and finishes, steered this project to the beauty you see today,” he says. “They hand-selected the recycled timber that is used throughout this home with the builder and sourced it from Brisbane.”
Recycled ironbark wood: Kennedy’s
Vintage finds and decorative objects from the couple’s travels pepper their home and make an appearance here in the reading nook, which flanks the arbor leading from the front gate to the main living area.
“The reading nook was something our clients always wanted,” Reason says of this restful space with its custom concrete seating. “Designed centrally to the home, it provides access for everyone to just grab a book and rest out on a lazy afternoon.”
“The reading nook was something our clients always wanted,” Reason says of this restful space with its custom concrete seating. “Designed centrally to the home, it provides access for everyone to just grab a book and rest out on a lazy afternoon.”
This guest bedroom reaches out through the greenery from the body of the house.
“The [goal] for this project was quite ethereal. Rather than being focused on hard and fast requirements, it was imparted by look, feel, smell,” Reason says. “Both Bruce and Rachael wanted to see the texture and for the home to feel like it had been there for centuries.”
To achieve this, Reason eschewed glitzy on-trend products in favor of recycled materials, natural patinas and earthier elements. He paired these with custom cast- and hand-rendered concrete accents, such as the bathroom vanities and wall niches you see throughout the house, including in this ground-floor bathroom.
Instead of shying away from the elements, this bathroom and connecting laundry embrace nature with an outdoor shower and retractable doors and screens.
Floor tiles: Eco Outdoor; sliding doors: Cottonswood Creations
To achieve this, Reason eschewed glitzy on-trend products in favor of recycled materials, natural patinas and earthier elements. He paired these with custom cast- and hand-rendered concrete accents, such as the bathroom vanities and wall niches you see throughout the house, including in this ground-floor bathroom.
Instead of shying away from the elements, this bathroom and connecting laundry embrace nature with an outdoor shower and retractable doors and screens.
Floor tiles: Eco Outdoor; sliding doors: Cottonswood Creations
The ceilings — often forgotten surfaces — were also hand-coated with an undulating concrete. Wood rafters on the undersides give them added texture.
Faucets: Sussex Taps
Faucets: Sussex Taps
“Our clients have a passion for handcrafted, textural finishings and spent many months sourcing the various decor from either trips overseas or through importers,” Reason says. “The styles overlap and mesh together very well to suit the tropical coastal energy that blows throughout the home.”
Look closely at the Jacksons’ vacation home and you will spy a mixture of Moroccan motifs, Indian influences, Balinese flourishes and a Mediterranean flavor.
Look closely at the Jacksons’ vacation home and you will spy a mixture of Moroccan motifs, Indian influences, Balinese flourishes and a Mediterranean flavor.
Reason also gave careful consideration to the relationship between the Jacksons’ vacation home and its immediate environment. “Spice at Oak is cut off from town water and waste services, so we needed to accommodate and design [15,850 gallons] of water storage beneath the garage but contend with a rather high water table,” he says, adding that this presented one of the biggest challenges of the project.
“Careful design of [rain]water-harvesting systems were worked through to ensure no cross-contamination of ground water infiltrated the drinking supply. This all had to be timed to work around a looming wet season.”
Bifold doors: Cottonswood Creations; recycled ironbark ceiling beams: Kennedy’s
“Careful design of [rain]water-harvesting systems were worked through to ensure no cross-contamination of ground water infiltrated the drinking supply. This all had to be timed to work around a looming wet season.”
Bifold doors: Cottonswood Creations; recycled ironbark ceiling beams: Kennedy’s
The central hub of the home is its open-plan kitchen, living and dining area, which runs through the site like a spine. On both sides are picturesque views through glass doors — “breathing space” that encourages you to take a deep breath and relax.
“By opening the custom-made bifold doors to each side of this space, the ground floor is then interconnected to the beautiful outside, essentially borrowing that space, too, and making everything feel automatically larger,” Reason says.
Cabinet fronts: Axolotl; countertops: Nathan Verri; windows: Cottonswood Creations
“By opening the custom-made bifold doors to each side of this space, the ground floor is then interconnected to the beautiful outside, essentially borrowing that space, too, and making everything feel automatically larger,” Reason says.
Cabinet fronts: Axolotl; countertops: Nathan Verri; windows: Cottonswood Creations
On one side of the living area, the sand of Oak Beach runs parallel to the home and the Coral Sea beyond.
On the other side of the living area, you find the pool and outdoor cabana with the rainforest in the distance.
Pool: Nathan Verri; pool tiles: Bisazza
Pool: Nathan Verri; pool tiles: Bisazza
The Jacksons rent out their vacation home when they are in Sydney, so a touch of resort-style luxury was an important aspect in the design of this $1.3-million project. Nonetheless, together with bàlay Vandyke, the couple resisted letting the design fall victim to the impersonal style of many hotels you find around the world. Instead, it was equally important that the house should feel like a home away from home.
“The cabana area — which has a private open bathroom also tucked around the corner so wet feet don’t need to enter the home — imparts a resort feel with the floating daybed,” Reason says.
“The cabana area — which has a private open bathroom also tucked around the corner so wet feet don’t need to enter the home — imparts a resort feel with the floating daybed,” Reason says.
Venture upstairs and you are greeted by more sweeping views of Oak Beach on one side and the pool on the other, with a communal indoor-outdoor balcony. Reason designed Queensland maple bifold doors and screens to run the full length of these open indoor spaces, to protect the home’s occupants from mosquitoes and the elements.
“Once open, the master bedroom becomes an extension of the balcony space,” Reason says. “Tucked around a dividing wall is the en suite, standing bath, shower and [walk-in closet].”
To echo the ground floor, bàlay Vandyke also added wooden rafters to the undersides of the upstairs ceilings. Combined with the blurred line between indoors and out, this adds to the tropical bungalow feel of the home.
Bathtub: Kaldewei
To echo the ground floor, bàlay Vandyke also added wooden rafters to the undersides of the upstairs ceilings. Combined with the blurred line between indoors and out, this adds to the tropical bungalow feel of the home.
Bathtub: Kaldewei
Ask Reason which features he is most proud of, and he speaks of the woodwork and the specially cast concrete, which you see throughout. Reason added white oxide to the concrete to negate the need for paint and let the textural quality of the material stand as a feature in its own right.
The concrete is also distinctive in design because it makes an appearance in places where you would normally expect to find woodwork, such as the shelving and storage space in the upstairs bedrooms and walk-in closet.
Louvers: Cottonswood Creations
The concrete is also distinctive in design because it makes an appearance in places where you would normally expect to find woodwork, such as the shelving and storage space in the upstairs bedrooms and walk-in closet.
Louvers: Cottonswood Creations
The home was recognized with an award for best individual home in its price category and best residential swimming pool in the Far North Queensland section of the Master Builders Queensland 2017 Housing & Construction Awards.
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
More home tours: Apartments | Small Homes | Colorful Homes | Contemporary Homes | Eclectic Homes | Farmhouses | Midcentury Homes | Modern Homes | Ranch Homes | Traditional Homes | Transitional Homes | All
Related Products
With over 8 years of experience serving the Columbus and surround area, Hoffman Exteriors, is your solution for... Read More
Related Stories
Contemporary Homes
Houzz Tour: Boston Pied-à-Terre Designed for Evenings
By Becky Harris
A designer found on Houzz infuses a condo with a sultry vibe inspired by supper clubs and luxe boutique hotels
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Camp-Like Family Compound Off the Maine Coast
On a remote island in Penobscot Bay, a summer-camp-inspired trio of cabins promotes connection to family and to nature
Full Story
Modern Homes
Houzz Tour: California Wine Country Retreat for Family and Guests
By Julie Sheer
Architects found on Houzz design a multigenerational vacation home and ADU with vineyard views
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Gravity-Defying Beach House With Nods to the 1970s
An Oregon getaway fits its coastal setting with vintage furnishings, natural colors and materials, and a laid-back vibe
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: Extended Family’s Vacation Home in the Florida Keys
By Becky Harris
Interior designers use a range of textures, contrast and organic materials to give this home a vacation feel
Full Story
Modern Homes
Houzz Tour: Modern Design Meets Local Character on Lake Champlain
Clean lines, a claw-foot tub, a sunken living room and a fresh palette mix it up in a lakefront home in Vermont
Full Story
Cabins
Houzz Tour: Woodsy Lakefront Getaway Designed for Generations
A log cabin overlooking a Georgia lake gets a do-over with timeless style and materials designed to improve with age
Full Story
Cabins
12 Cozy Cabins Tucked In Amid the Trees
Find design inspiration and a little R&R in these contemporary cabins, midcentury A-frames and other woodsy dens
Full Story
Houzz Tours
Houzz Tour: New Character for a 1980s Post-and-Beam Home
By Becky Harris
An architect and interior designer give an oddball house a pleasing, evolved-over-time historic look
Full Story
Cabins
8 Laid-Back Lakeside Cabins, Cottages and Retreats
Daydream about lake life while perusing these photos of cozy, rustic and modern getaways on the water
Full Story
I would have liked to learn more about the rain water harvesting. 15,850 gallons under the garage! Wow!
What are the tall slender palms? Would they grow outside of the tropics?