Beach House beauty

The quintessential Aussie dream brought to life by interior designer Karen Akers. A place for family and friends to come together and celebrate summer. Once an old bowling club house that had been moved by previous owners to the dunes of Gerroa beach on the New South Wales coastline, the decision was made to renovate not demolish. No beachside McMansion this. No, Karen has created a casually elegant family home with a sense of place and style. And the view! It has been shortlisted for the 2013 Sydney Design Awards. Head here and cast your vote before September 8.

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Stalking on a Saturday

I'm stalking another wonderful example of the imperfectly perfect or is that the perfectly imperfect? All I know is the location is perfect, Avalon in the Northern Beaches/Pittwater area of Sydney. The house is a perfect little shack. A little shabby but as stylish and chic as a shack could ever want to be. And the view from the deck is ... sigh ... perfect. Please someone buy it and keep it just as it is. It's being sold as a development site (it will no doubt have a ridicously high reserve price) but in the perfect world of my dreams this little shack will be bought by my best friend who will let me use it any weekend I like. Link here while it lasts.

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Copa Luxury Beach House

Take me away. Please, please take me away. It's Monday. I'm swamped. I can't remember when I last had a day off and I just want to melt into a comfy chair, read a soppy book (really just fall asleep) and forget all the stress and deadlines. Here. Here is perfect. Copa Luxury Beach House. I don't need to weave a story. The pictures tell it all. Literally.

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La Grange Interiors

A big thanks to Pia for tipping us off to South African interior designer Sumari Krige of La Grange Interiors (Pia had been to one of their showrooms). This home designed by Sumari is a stunning example of coastal holiday living. Cozy, beachy and neutral with bits of blue and green - a perfect backdrop to the outdoors. 

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Storm Cottage

I love the New Zealand bach. The beach side cottage, the seaside shack, often painted black, pared back, perhaps even a little rough. Somewhere to escape, to interact with nature, to relax, to retreat. The Storm Cottage by architectural firm Fearon Hay with interiors by Penny Hay displays a robust exterior to the world but once inside it is warm, cocooning with a simple luxury. A stylish shelter in the wilds.

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