I don’t know about you, but I choose my getaway locations based on the accommodation on offer! Staying at a beautiful and bespoke hotel or guesthouse adds so much to the experience. So, now I’ve come across ‘Pretty Beach House’, I’m going to have to book a trip to New South Wales’ Bouddi Peninsula!
Surrounded by ancient angophoras and with views through eucalypts down to the sparkling Brisbane waters, Pretty Beach House (sitting pretty above Pretty Beach) offers four luxurious pavilion-style guesthouses just a 90 minute drive north of Sydney.
I was exploring PBH’s website and social media accounts and found these words:
Raw / Earth / Authentic / Texture / Safe / Solid / Heart / Soul
As you explore the images below, you’ll see how spot on these words are when it comes to the look and feel of this incredible retreat.
It must be said, Pretty Beach House was only ever going to be just that. At its helm from concept design through to choosing scented candles to add those finishing touches was interior designer, Michelle Leslie. She collaborated with many Antipodean artisans and craftspersons to bring this project to life. The dining room features original art by legends such as John Olsen, Sidney Nolan and Arthur Boyd, while pieces by Christopher Boots (Melbourne based industrial designer) and Busatti’s Kate Nixon (Sydney based interior creative) add to the remarkable level of style and sophistication throughout each of the bespoke spaces.
Pretty Beach House really does evoke the senses and deeper connection to the earth; to the country; to the spirit of the place. In fact, I’d go as far as saying the name doesn’t do this remarkable place justice. It’s so much more than ‘pretty’. On the PBH website is a tribute to the traditional custodians of the land – the darkinjung people and the Guringai people, and the tension between the traditional use of the land, and what sits there now is considered and tasteful throughout all of the design.
The main building is intimate, it feels safe, solid and authentic, with a mix of repurposed and new, brass and stone, timber and travertine. The build used locally sourced sandstone, hand made mud bricks, sandstone blocks from the local Gosford quarry, carpeting 100% recycled from PET bottles and huge hand crafted timber posts from a the old Towradgi train line. All of the interiors and furnishings are inspired by the colours and textures of the surrounding bush and landscape. This connection feeds into extra experiences that guests can enjoy…
To celebrate our heritage and our indigenous peoples, we are proud to offer an Indigenous smoking ceremony incorporating dance & didgeridoo around the fire, to all of our guests. Learn ancient dreamtime stories told by traditional elders, hear the sounds of the didgeridoo and clappers and watch on as the performance unfolds. The ceremony offers guests time to reflect on the true spirit of our country.
Look closer and you’ll also find handcrafted furniture and fine Italian Busatti linen (hand loomed by a third generation artisan loom which is over 350 years old), hand made brass pendant lights suspended from the exposed beams, imported hand engraved cutlery direct from England and the hand-forged brass counter top in the communal bar. That’s not to mention the hand made Stefano Ferrara Italian pizza oven, infinity pool and beautiful open fireplace… all aspects that make this place a true 5 star experience.
So (if and when budget prevails!), I’ll be booking into a stay on this half acre property… the hard part will be choosing which pavilion to stay in: the Treetops, Bayview, Hideaway or The Retreat…
Nice