Checkmate by YSG

In Checkmate, YSG’s eclectic take on a Byron Bay family home, a kaleidoscope of colour and pattern is grounded with 1970s-style browns.

The brick-and-timber property pulls influences from diverse eras and styles, resulting in a space littered with eye-catching details. An anathema to the classic Byron Bay vernacular of white walls and windows that direct the gaze outwards, here YSG turns sightlines inwards towards a space that cocoons its residents in a nostalgic palette of warm, earthy colours. Unexpected additions – including a vast fibreglass moon light custom designed by YSG hovering above a sunken lounge – assert a new vision of a laidback family home.

Here YSG turns the gaze inwards towards a space that cocoons its residents in a nostalgic palette of warm, earthy colours.

Clever structural changes update the home for modern living. The lofty effect of the pitched ceiling was tempered by adding heavy timber accents via surfaces and joinery at the ground level, drawing the eye down. This grounding effect is continued in the enclosure of an upper-storey internal balcony, which now creates a passage through to newly enlarged bedrooms, while an angled wall installed on the ground floor provides a snug breakout living zone.

The kitchen was completely gutted and expanded, with an L-shaped counter added to the galley. A circular island inlaid with marble breaks up the angular lines of the kitchen, while chrome balustrades – inspired by skate parks – demarcate the kitchen and sunken living room while also offering space to lean during social gatherings.

Unexpected additions – including a vast fibreglass moon light custom designed by YSG hovering above a sunken lounge – assert a new vision of a laidback family home.

Beyond the structural changes, pattern and colour are key to the project’s success. A checkerboard theme – which gives the project its name – is the connecting thread between each room. Custom terracotta pavers from Anomolous, divided into square grids via thick grouting, are embedded in the communal living areas, and this motif is continued in the guest bedroom with a chessboard-like application of Kimberley sandstone tiles in contrasting patinas. In the main bedroom, checkerboard cork provides a spongey counterpoint to the tiles. The pattern is also echoed in delicate mosaics lining a bathtub and an outdoor ledge adorned with grid-like tiles.

Timber framing and slatted separators have become a YSG hallmark. Here, a slatted screen camouflages the kitchen scullery. Upstairs, a latticed timber panel pulls light into the newly created hallway, while on the nearby balcony, vertical timber battens on the slatted ceiling pull double duty; they shield the zone from neighbours’ sightlines while protecting the lounge below from harsh sunlight.

The studio’s magpie-like approach to selecting artworks and vintage furnishings from Australia and Paris embeds visual depth.

The studio’s magpie-like approach to selecting artworks and vintage furnishings from Australia and Paris embeds visual depth. A limited-edition Cassina denim armchair contrasts with the browns and pinks of the living room. The sandstone-toned microcement render of the monumental sunken lounge, which flows down to the floor, is also used in the main bedroom’s bedhead and the kitchen walls and ceilings, tying the spaces together. Polynesian wall hangings and bedspreads as well as embossed French wallpaper contribute to the sensuous appeal of the home.

YSG upends the language of the classic coastal home by bringing eccentricity to create a richly textured, visually vibrant space.

Interior design by YSG. Build by Webber Build.