The kitchen is a space for hosting, with a new barrisol ceiling overhead. A Servomuto Bikini wall light sits above a Terracotta Pitcher stool by Adam Goodrum for New Volumes. Ellison Studios Pierre counter stools perch at the counter.
Hecker Guthrie’s renovation of a Byron Bay townhouse draws inspiration from the sun-baked villages of Spain and Mexico. It’s a sanctuary-like holiday home that feels unhurried, inviting and impossible to leave.
There is nothing accidental about the way this Byron Bay townhouse feels. There is a warm earthiness that creates a sense of ease—something that Melbourne studio Hecker Guthrie worked prudently to achieve.
The property sits within a small block of brick townhouses on a hillside in Byron Bay. Built in the late eighties, it was unremarkable from the street, and left largely untouched in the intervening decades. For Stacey van Harn, Hecker Guthrie director and interior designer, the original interiors were a time capsule of a coastal development from another era. But the design team saw how much potential remained beneath the dated shell. Like, for instance, the texture of the painted brickwork, and the Tongue & Groove timber ceilings in the bedrooms. With a judicious eye, they found ways to work with what was already there rather than against it.
The resulting renovation comes to life with a rich and inviting material palette. Deep terracotta floor tiles from Artedomus establish the tone from the ground up, running continuously from inside to outside. What immediately catches the eye is an unusually wide grout line that becomes one of the project’s most distinctive details.
A commitment to tactility carries across every surface: textured plaster wraps walls and ceilings in a single, seamless gesture, while the bathrooms are finished in poured terrazzo and waterproof micro-cement in the same warm, ochre tones. Each room throughout the home receives the same attention to materiality, creating a sense of wholeness that makes the compact floorplan feel far more generous than it is.
Central to the project was rethinking how the living spaces needed to function, and making sure they could cater to hosting friends and family. Part of the brief was to have a space for minimal food prep, rather than a full chef’s kitchen. In response to this, a freestanding terrazzo island sits front and centre, with integrated appliances tucked out of sight.
Nearby, a custom sofa stretches the full length of the living room wall, scaled generously enough to accommodate a crowd on a rainy afternoon or a few extra people overnight. The real entertaining happens one level up, on the rooftop terrace, where an outdoor kitchen encourages barbecuing, and dining around an eight-person setting from Tait—making the most of the balmy Byron Bay evenings.
Lighting throughout is handled with a particular inventiveness. Keen to avoid the flatness of downlights, Hecker Guthrie installed Barrisol fabric light panels above the kitchen island—a spot where the ceiling is also raised to dramatic effect. The same technique is used in the wet areas, reading as a softly glowing skylight that shifts the mood entirely.
Throughout the home are bespoke commissioned pieces, including a standing floor lamp by artist Lana Launay, along with wall sconces in the bunk room.
Able to host all the kids with ease, the bunk room—which was originally a large laundry—is filled with handcrafted pieces. Four custom-built timber bunks line the walls, designed as a series of self-contained sleeping pods, they come with their own light, integrated storage and power. And each is adorned with a handmade curtain in linen, silk and wool by textile artist Emma Shepherd of Sundance Studio.
Byron Bay Residence is a holiday home designed for the ebbs and flows of family and friends. Nothing here is overly precious—it’s a home that can handle the sun, the salt and the chaos of a full house while still being a welcoming place to escape to.
A large custom sofa runs the length of the living room. The space feels decidedly cocooning with textured walls, and terracotta floor tiles from Artedomus. A custom Armadillo Terra rug adds warmth, along with a Nikari December armchair in a tan saddle leather and vintage Brass floor lamp from Tigmi Trading.
A specially commissioned Lana Launay floor lamp commands attention in the corner, alongside a GUBI Pacha chair and Geometric side table by Marco Santucci from Tigmi Trading. On the terrace just beyond is a C317 outdoor armchair from Feel Good Design, paired with a New Volumes Echo Low table in terracotta.
To make the bathrooms feel like spa-like retreats, a waterproof micro-cement has been used, drawing in the same ochre tones seen throughout.
As a holiday house that needs to accommodate a family with four kids, the original, large laundry has been converted into a bunk room. Making the space feel extra cosy are custom Lana Launay wall lights, and handmade curtains from Sundance Studio.
The rooftop terrace is the perfect place to enjoy the languid summer evenings—eating around the Tait Trace dining table and Swing outdoor chairs—cooking on the outdoor BBQ.
