1940’s Sydney beach house transformed into modern family home

We all love to see a renovation done well. Today, I’m sharing a Sydney Northern Beaches home that was once a dated beach house, and is now a modern family home full of sunlight, natural materials and a calming vibe.

After contemplating whether they should sell or renovate, Nikki and Adam Yazxhi, decided to stay in the house that they purchased 15 years previously, and create their dream family home.

“With the boys being 11 and 14 we were at a crossroads on whether to sell and buy something bigger, or stay and renovate to make the house work better,” says Nikki creator and editor of lifestyle website bellaMUMMA.

“We decided to renovate and to put the money that we would have spent on moving and stamp duty into creating our ultimate dream home.”

Nikki and Adam, creative director at Maxco, a brand strategy and design agency, bought the 1940s-weatherboard beach home in Avalon on Sydney’s Northern Beaches after falling in love with the area all those years ago. They had already completed two renovations on this place, and for this final makeover, they brought in their friend and interior designer, Nina Maya of Nina Maya Interiors, to direct and style the home renovation. Named the ‘Petaluma House’ project, this final renovation involved Nikki, Adam and their kids moving out for three months so that the house could be gutted and rebuilt.

A refined palette of neutrals makes for a simple and elegant interior, with only natural materials used, such as European oak flooring, marble, stone and brass. The new layout maintains the home’s original charm, while maximising the indoor areas with added storage. The renovation included the removal of the original wall separating the living area and the kitchen. Plus, in order to increase the connection to the outside, full-height glass bi-fold doors were installed on the back deck and skylights were added to boost the amount of natural light shining in.

The kitchen is one of the first rooms the family had outgrown. With Adam’s love of cooking and the couple’s passion for entertaining, the kitchen was maximised and upgraded with new ASKO Elements range appliances for a modern and contemporary space.

I’ve got to say, I think my favourite part of the home is the reading nook in the living room, with the sunlight streaming in, the gorgeously styled bookshelves and the incredible ‘Husk’ chair from Space Furniture.

Take a look below!

Styling by Stephanie Powell and photography by Maree Homer.