Envisioning a Coastal Home – Cove House by Decus Interiors

Reimagining an existing home, Decus Interiors fuses a refined and layered approach to add and express the occupant’s personality through space. Taking inspiration from the surrounding context, Cove House unfolds as a series of spaces deeply connected to place that open up to and embrace its enviable location.

In its coastal locale, Cove House embraces it setting and reimagines its existing bones through the proposing of revised addition and amendment works. Reinvigorating its comprising parts, a more deliberate sense of purpose and place become key influencers, ensuring the resulting home connects its occupants internally, while allowing the home to create its own sense of identity. A contemporary and layered approach sees custom joinery, openings and curated artwork, furniture and objects all add richness, texture and meaning to each of the spaces, while also adding an element of the unexpected. Decus Interiors opens up the existing house through the lens of liveability, to propose a home of connection and quite calm, where a welcomed balance between the expansive coastal surrounds is grounded in the break down in scale internally.

In its coastal locale, Cove House embraces it setting and reimagines its existing bones through the proposing of revised addition and amendment works.

Integral to the new works was the introduction of and access to natural light. The resulting pop-up copula element stands as testament to this. The ceiling above the dining space is intentionally raised, full-height glazing is introduced, and the sliding operable façade allows a direct connection between inside and out. Ensuring the natural flow between indoors and the outside environment and allowing for the spill over of spaces were also key, with socialising an important requirement for the home. While many of the existing structural elements were immovable, it was an embrace of these design moves as part of a greater whole that allowed for a continued sense of purpose.

Taking inspiration from the feature eucalypt tree that shades the home, a palette of muted neutrals is used throughout, allowing more expressive colour and texture to be celebrated. Curving the polished plaster fireplace adds both movement and texture, while also hinting at the flow and circulation within the home. The subtlety of its intervention highlights the key elements underpinning the home. Throughout, there is a clear connection between the architecture and the interiors, with each space interconnected and cross-functional. In the use of restraint and controlled measure, there are references to the more traditional residential condition, while also altering these with fined and subtle details to create moments of curiosity.

Reinvigorating its comprising parts, a more deliberate sense of purpose and place become key influencers, ensuring the resulting home connects its occupants internally, while allowing the home to create its own sense of identity.

Cove House is a light-filled family home that combines unexpected gestures with the familiar. Optimising the location and enviable setting, Decus Interiors reimagines and repurposes the existing home and, in the process, ensures its relevance for many years to come.

A contemporary and layered approach sees custom joinery, openings and curated artwork, furniture and objects all add richness, texture and meaning to each of the spaces, while also adding an element of the unexpected.