In a new light
By welcoming the use of boatbuilding techniques, natural materials and a simple white palette, homeowners Susie and Carlo Pasquale have given their 100 year-old bar beach bungalow a timeless appeal.
Susie and Carlo Pasquale are resisting trends with the contemporary restoration of their nearly 100 year-old Bar Beach bungalow.
The Pasquales had lived in the home for 12 years and after a few smaller renovations, were ready to pursue a major restorative transformation.
“It would have been easier to knock it down, don’t get me wrong,” Carlo Pasquale says.
The project at Bar Beach was a substantial ground up restoration and extension of a stunning beachside bungalow. The project was led by renowned local architect Jason Elsley of Derive Design, who worked collaboratively with the Pasquales to retain the elements that was so dear to them yet create a new vision.
“Adaptive reuse is incredibly good for the environment, retaining that built fabric. The Pasquales home did take a lot of extra work, but ultimately it was a really good outcome, they got to preserve a house that they both love,” Elsley says.
Prior to the extensive renovation the house had smaller, darker rooms. The new design brought in large windows and skylights, to brighten the entire single level dwelling. The dining room has a large picture window, allowing the Pasquales to look out into the exterior garden.
The extensive 12-month build transferred the beach bungalow to a four bedroom, four bathroom home, with a granny flat conversion in the former rear garage.
The old and the new produced a palette which would age stylishly over time. The pair opted for subtle materials which complimented the old house rather than using new glossy surfaces.
“My colleague, Lauren Maher and I worked very closely together to really understand the language of the bungalow and what we could do to add to it in a beautiful and sensitive way. We used natural timbers and natural finished tiles, materials that would age really beautifully,” Elsley says.
Jay Guess from Guess Developments was builder, ushering the project through each phase of the restoration.
Guess Developments’ signature handmade timber work is one of the hero elements of this
bespoke build. Strong lines and curves harmoniously lead you from one space to the next as brass accents strike the perfect chord.
Statement marble features on all benchtops, from the kitchen, bathroom vanity to the dining room. The joinery is custom American Oak by local joiner Boz Designz.
“Then a simple white palette that really speaks to that coastal living, simple tones and bright spaces and lots of natural light,” Guess says.
“It’s a pretty incredible house.”
Susie Pasquale says while she enjoyed watching the skilled trades team utilise boatbuilding techniques for the front door and curved window, she underestimated the time these techniques and details would take. But she is simply blown away with the results.
While the Pasquale’s are quite humble when discussing their beach bungalow, they’re delighted with the transformation. With three adult children, the pair are empty nesters, and the new renovation is perfect for when the kids come home to visit.
Rebuilt to last, it’s a forever home in more ways than one.
Find more homes in our Winter Edition of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine or subscribe here.
Story Alexandra Morris, Photography Alex Mcintyre Photography.
