Playful Destination – La Palma by YSG

Infused with nostalgic nods to the shores of the Mediterranean and Mexico, La Palma is a celebration of an outdoor lifestyle. YSG uses a signature fervour of colour and texture to bring the encasing shell of the home alive, dissolving the boundaries between inside and out.

With views out toward Pittwater inlet, the existing home is both reworked and reoriented as an occasional residence for its owners. To regenerate a love for the property, the owners wanted to incorporate the type of playfulness found in a resort hotel, where elements create a sense of occasion and theme. By softening the existing paving and hard landscaping, and through replacing all the existing windows and doors, the form is given a crisp new outer feel, grounding the home in place for the years to come. YSG draws inspiration from balmy summer nights and a dynamic palette to create moments of curiosity throughout.

To regenerate a love for the property, the owners wanted to incorporate the type of playfulness found in a resort hotel, where elements create a sense of occasion and theme.

Using a treasured painting – currently hung in the living room – as the main musing, a series of tones and textures imply movement and balance. An array of patterned textiles is applied within the home, whilst a muted base echoes the resilience needed when living along the coast. As the home is a secondary residence, the required low level of maintenance formed part of the brief and directed the implementation of containing the home. Enabling activities to spill out into the outdoor rooms, openings also act as a source of both natural light and ventilation whilst framing views of the ocean.

Referencing the structure’s tropical inspiration, the unexpected arrangement of palm trees, raffia and pineapple paraphernalia is revisited through a contemporary lens. The result sees a curation of handcrafted pieces that speak to interest and whimsy. Both natural textures and smooth finishes are brought together with purpose – the insertion of checkerboard patterning in pastel tones becomes a familiar point of connection throughout home. Although a temporary residence, the spaces exude the personalities of the owners, and though much of the original structure was retained, the additions and rearrangements have a dominating effect.

Referencing the structure’s tropical inspiration, the unexpected arrangement of palm trees, raffia and pineapple paraphernalia is revisited through a contemporary lens.

By opening the interior and overlaying a more elevated refinement throughout, La Palma engages colour and texture to create depth and richness. YSG creates a mediative oasis that both occupants and visitors are transported to once within.