Bec & Tom’s Coastal Western Australia Home

updated Apr 30, 2019

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About this tour

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Home Type

House

Location

Hamilton Hill, Australia

Style

N/A

Bedrooms

N/A

Square feet

1679

Sq ft

1679

Name: Bec and Tom Hutchinson and their daughters, Rubi Mae and Alice
Location: Hamilton Hill, Western Australia
Size: 156 square meters (1,679 square feet)
Years lived in: 2 years; Owned

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Bec, an interior decorator, and Tom, who owns his own landscaping business, are the perfect team to make a simple builder-grade house into something so much more. They have been slowly making upgrades—from replacing all the light fittings to retiling backsplashes and painting the whole exterior of the house—since they built their home two years ago. The result is a gorgeous family home that sits perfectly in its coastal surroundings.

(Image credit: Hayley Kessner)

Simple elements are used throughout the entire home to make the spaces flow and the house appear bigger than it is. The couple decided to have concrete floors laid in every room and chose to paint almost all the walls a crisp, bright white. To give the home definition and personality, Bec then layered on texture through the use of natural wood for all furniture pieces and linen for the upholstery and bedding. Pops of color were brought in with lots of indoor plants and bespoke artworks dotted throughout the home.

The outside space may be small in relation to many Australian gardens, but what it lacks in size, it makes up for in design. Tom has used his skills as a landscape designer to make the backyard an oasis—just right for when the sea breeze blows in every afternoon. There are layers and layers of plants in the raised garden beds as well as a stacked stone clad wall on the opposite fence, complete with an outdoor copper shower. The garden is the perfect complement to Bec’s design inside the home, where texture and the use of natural elements are key features throughout the space.

The coming together of the inside and the outside make for a relaxed coastal home. It feels open and spacious, while still retaining its appeal as a family sanctuary in which to relax and recharge from the busy outside world.

(Image credit: Hayley Kessner)

Apartment Therapy Survey:

Our Style: I call it a coastal beach house, industrial mash-up.

Inspiration: Coastal vibes as the beach is just down the road—with a bit of tribal thrown in. The house had to be flexible and able to withstand children, so that had to be considered with the flooring. My major inspiration was from the interior of a home by architect Eduardo Villa. The feature was published in Real Living a few years back and it looked like everything I wanted “home” to be.

Favorite Element: I love the flow from the living/dining space to the deck.

Biggest Challenge: There are constant challenges, as we are trying to turn what was a project build into the home we really want. We have big plans to add a second story… I have big dreams.

What Friends Say: They love it!

Biggest Embarrassment: That it’s a constant work-in-progress, although I don’t think that will ever change.

Proudest DIY: I recently painted the whole front of the house, although we have DIYed all the changes so far ourselves, which makes us feel pretty proud.

Biggest Indulgence: The landscaping of the garden.

Best Advice: Don’t upgrade at Prestart if you are building through a project builder! Use the money on trades like electrical and plumbing and change things after you have the keys.

Dream Sources: All the little boutiques in London.