25 Beautiful Homes July 2022

Many of us have enjoyed embracing the concept of the indoor-outdoor home in recent years and in this issue we have some inspiring examples of how people have put that idea into practice. For a house to drool over, turn to page 16 where Thomas and Liliana Griem have installed a retractable sliding door to give them a full panoramic view of their stunning Mediterranean garden and pool. A little closer to home, Putri and Ben Mackereth were inspired by the lifestyle of their native New Zealand when they built their new abode in south London, page 124. With two sets of doors opening onto a large patio area, they have created an easy flow between inside and out which comes into its own at this time of year. For…

Giulia and David Bos had rightly felt proud of the house they had built in the northern Netherlands but they still yearned for a place with history and character. And their wishes were granted when they found a beautiful 110-year-old villa nearby. It had a wealth of original features including latticed bay windows and French doors as well as unexpected niches around every corner. ‘We first saw the house on a spring day and coming up the driveway we were enchanted by a sea of green surrounding the property,’ says Giulia. ‘We only had to step through the door and we knew it was the one for us. The next day we put in an offer.’ RENOVATION PLANS Charming though the house looked, it needed lots of work, as well…

FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘The sliding door that leads to the garden terrace - the idea was to remove the barrier between inside and outside so it retracts into the wall’ It was a client project in Ibiza that inspired Thomas and Liliana Griem to find their own slice of sunshine in the Balearics. The couple, who run TG Studio, an interior and architect design company based in London, had long been on the hunt for the perfect location for a family holiday home. The large corner plot near the sea is located close to Palma in Majorca. ‘It was a parcel of land perfect for a family home in the sun, something I had wanted for years,’ says Thomas. ‘We searched the entire island of Majorca looking for the right piece…

A love of the outdoors and a passion for water sports were the motivation for Julia and Owen Bailey when they purchased their coastal property in Dorset, with its incredible views and sandy beaches. ‘When we first viewed the property, it looked tired and in need of updating and I wasn’t feeling hopeful,’ says Julia, ‘but when we came to the back of the house and saw the views out to the sea, there was no doubt in our minds that this could become our forever family home.’ DESIGN TIP ‘Consider the sight lines from one area to another when you have a big open-plan space – a dramatic hint of colour or texture can create interest and surprise’ The couple both have busy professional lives and decided to appoint…

Tired of their busy London life and looking for a new adventure, Carey Mann and her husband, Johan Karlberg, relocated to the coastal town of Margate back in 2015. ‘At the time we wanted to get on the property ladder,’ says Carey, a freelance interior designer, ‘which was something we couldn’t afford to do in London. We had friends in Margate and we loved the inspiring views, sandy beaches, the artisan vibe and could really see ourselves living there.’ FAVOURITE FEATURE ‘Knocking down the wall separating the two sitting rooms was a very good decision – now our living area feels spacious’ At the time, the couple had a five-year plan, part of which was making sure they had a very low mortgage, giving them the freedom to explore other…

For a number of years, Steven Cahill and his wife Lucy had dreamt of living on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula, so when the chance arose to buy a rather dilapidated house just a five-minute walk from the beach, they snapped it up. ‘We lived in the property while I made plans for a new home on the site,’ explains Steven, who co-owns the building firm Cahill (cahillbg.com.au). ‘I love designing houses so I spent months working on about eight different floor plans,’ he says. ‘Once Lucy and I had decided on our favourite option, we had it drawn up by a draughtsman.’ At this stage, the couple approached Kate Walker of KWD (katewalkerdesign.com.au) for help with achieving their vision for a modern Belgian farmhouse aesthetic. ‘Kate had some incredible ideas to…