SEASIDE story

A creative couple design a relaxed yet refined coastal getaway for their family on Queensland's Sunshine Coast.

-  Judy Pascoe

Refining ideas from a wealth of options is probably one of the hardest processes for an interior designer and architect who are building their own home. For Leigh Boswell, principal of Brisbane-based design studio and retail store Highgate House, and her architect husband, Lachlan Walker, the property in question was their beach house.

Having looked for land or a house on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast for many years, they were finally rewarded for their search when they came across this empty block in a quiet area abutting a beachfront nature reserve. That was the easy part. Designing a home when the couple had so many ideas percolating in their heads was more difficult. “Two designers having to agree on details was a bit of a challenge,” says Lachlan.

However, the major items on their wish lists aligned – a relaxed seaside vibe, a neutral backdrop and large expanses of glass. The house they built is the quintessential family beach house, all light, bright, open and breezy with an easy flow between indoors and out.

The couple wanted the property to be “more like our home at the beach rather than a beach house”, says Leigh, adding, “however, it is very different from our Brisbane home, which is more structured, formal and tailored. This is definitely relaxed and eclectic.”