yinjispace

INTERIOR
Five Foot One
STYLING
Kerrie Ann Jones
PHOTOGRAPHY
Jacqui Turk
EDITOR
Gina
Collection

This Newport residence is an original 1960’s beach house, purchased by our client for its distinctive architecture and strong bones. Our design brief was to celebrate the home’s mid-century charm, carefully retaining its character while making it relevant for contemporary living. The result is a home that balances playful 1960’s details with a fresh, modern sensibility.

Spatially, the entry and living areas were reimagined to improve flow and connection. The oncepokey foyer was opened up into a semi-open plan arrangement, where a new fireplace and retro glass windows reference the home’s original verandah. A custom joinery unit acts as both divider and connector between dining and living spaces, offering shelving, storage, and an integrated TV console tailored to the client’s lifestyle. A built-in banquette further enhances the living space, providing a casual dining spot that links kitchen and lounge while preserving the separation of rooms, in keeping with retro floorplans.

Throughout, materials, colour, and form reference the design language of the era. The kitchen is a showcase of retro expression, with laminate surfaces paired with mosaic benchtops and custom timber hardware. Bespoke joinery features slim linear profiles, segmented shelving, and cantilevered banquette seating, all echoing the geometric forms of the 1960s.

The main bathroom is centred around the repurposing of the original pink bathtub, creating a softer, more feminine retreat within the home. Blush-toned Bisazza mosaics wrap into softly rounded corners, complemented by a retro-inspired vanity with timber doors and tiled benchtop. In contrast, the master bedroom introduces bolder colour and pattern, combining geometric wallpaper, a richly toned carpet, and warm timber cabinetry to meet the practical need for new storage while celebrating the spirit of the era.

The service spaces were refined for modern convenience, with a reconfigured laundry and powder room designed to function independently. Downstairs, a playful new pool bar and lounge were introduced, transforming a former storage room into a bold social hub. Patterned tiles, pedestal bases, shell lights, and textured timbers create the feeling of a 1960’s pool bar rediscovered and revived, complete with an adjoining ensuite in preparation for the reinstatement of the original pool.

The design of the Newport Residence celebrates the character and optimism of 1960’s architecture while reinterpreting it for today. Playful, bold, and true to its history, the home honours its coastal setting and mid-century bones while offering a fresh narrative for contemporary family life.

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