This Country Home’s Kitchen Was Formerly a Veranda, and It’s as Sunny and Gorgeous As You Imagine
Name: Bec Beeson-Sharra, my husband, our three kids Gabriel, Ayrton, and Bella and Alonso the dog
Location: Bridgetown, Western Australia
Type of home: House, our country home also rented as Airbnb
Years lived in: 19 years, owned
Tell us a little (or a lot) about your home and the people who live there: I have worked for years in visual merchandising for furniture and homewares stores and recently moved to home styling. I met and married my Albanian husband in Siena, Italy 20 years ago. Whilst waiting on immigration I found this 1950s house three-hours south of Perth and thought it would be the perfect base for us—it felt like Italy, both the house and the surrounding country.
In these 20 years we have done a couple of renos, the largest 10 years ago when we converted the prior veranda to an enormous glassed-in kitchen. We recently added some dark color and now offer the house for Airbnb rental when we are not using it.
Describe your home’s style in 5 words or less: Eclectic, bright, interesting, homey, and comforting.
What is your favorite room and why? The darker the better! My new favorite would be the second bedroom, which is an awkward long room that now houses a queen and king single bed. The dark walls are dreamy to sleep in and I love that we retained the 1950s linoleum flooring discovered after removing carpet.
What’s the last thing you bought (or found!) for your home? I rarely buy new—most furniture and homewares are vintage and were gathered along the last 20 years but now that we have the house available for Airbnb use, I have bought all new linen. Sleeping here is a dream with my new feather pillows, Indian patterned cotton sheets, and dreamy velvet covers.
Any advice for creating a home you love? If you surround yourself with things you love you can never go wrong. And don’t be afraid of color! The brave color we have used was the best decision in creating a unique home, along with retaining some original features.
This submission’s responses were edited for length and clarity.