How a Millennial couple turned an ‘ugly’ 1950s house into a beachside retreat

When Tom Cotton and Emily Basham purchased a deceased estate in Mona Vale four years ago, the original 1950s home lacked charm and was decked out in various hues of dark brown.

The couple, aged 35 and 34 respectively, have since transformed it into a stylish mid-century family home with a Scandinavian twist, ocean views and a self-contained guest suite.

“The house had very little endearing features about it. It was a pretty ugly 1950s house and not a good ’50s house, ” said Tom.

The windows were small, so the rooms felt dimly lit and there was virtually no indoor-outdoor flow.

But the couple recognised its potential, given its double brick foundations, north-facing orientation and proximity to the beach, about 500 metres away.

“It had the potential for ocean views upstairs, which was a big factor for us,” said Tom.

Tom Cotton and Emily Basham took an original 1950s home and gave it a major update.Credit: Rhett Wyman

So in October 2020, they bought the home for about $2.4 million and moved in. While they lived there not a single modification was made, although they engaged consultants and engineers, and discussed plans with architects and builders.

Their lives became even more busy in July 2021. “We had twins at that time as well just to add to the chaos!” laughed Tom.

At one time the kitchen sink stopped working and wouldn’t drain. Knowing they would be ripping it all out in the renovation they didn’t want to spend extra money and put a bucket over the sink instead.

Living in the home as it was – despite issues with the sink and toilets - meant they learnt what they hated and what they wanted to change. They worked out how the building and the land responded, where the sunlight touched and where sitting areas should be.

They were set on the style of mid-century architecture with a Scandinavian twist. Collaborating with Ben Selke and Felicity King from Studio Barbara they emphasised the importance of cross-ventilation.

After a year of planning and a couple of months through council, they got the green light to commence work in February 2022. The family moved into a rental in Avalon. Each morning and evening Tom travelled to the site before and after his work as a director of a construction supplies business.

There was relentless rain, which meant three months of delays.

Emily, a primary school teacher, was the go-to person for anything related to design.

The original home came in shades of dark brown.

There was extensive use of white, natural timbers, glazing and terrazzo. Hues of pink and green were used in the kitchen and bathrooms.

At each milestone there was joy in watching the crew from Woodco Constructions work, from breaking ground to pouring concrete slabs and starting framing.

“I learnt how to use an excavator,” Tom said. “I took every Thursday off work for three months and did all the landscaping myself as a project.” This hands-on participation became a cherished accomplishment.

Their ocean view dream was realised and they even included a self-contained downstairs area with separate access perfect for visitors or potential income.

There was joy at every milestone of the project.

If they could do it all again they would engage a quantity surveyor, which Tom felt would have helped them create a more accurate budget. While they planned as much as possible with design decisions and material selections – often ordering and stockpiling tiles months before they were needed – they under-budgeted overall.

They budgeted $750,000 for the renovation and spent $1.3 million.

As their budget blew out, after seven months of renting they moved in with Emily’s parents for the remaining five months of the build.

”I didn’t like the financial unpredictability of it, with spiralling material costs. There were quite a lot of unknowns,” Tom said.

Tom and Emily created a mid-century family home with a Scandinavian twist.Credit: Rhett Wyman

This was the couple’s second project after refurbishing a deceased estate unit in Collaroy.

While their main objective was fiscal they absolutely love renovating. They are already eyeing a third local project.

“For our generation - it’s a way to pay down the mortgage,” he said.

“We love it. It’s hard work. But it is a fun thing to do together if you both like doing it.”

The home is light and bright inside.Credit: McGrath Pittwater - Avalon

The property at 29 Cook Terrace is listed for auction on February 10 with a price guide of $4 million.

Selling agent Callum Docker from McGrath Pittwater, Avalon said the home is light and bright.

“They’ve positioned the property to really capture the sunlight from morning to afternoon, as you walk through,” he said.

The home’s proximity to parks, Mona Vale Beach and Warriewood Beach made it an attractive lifestyle address, Docker said.

“It’s an amazing location. It’s got a pool, a nice flat backyard, and a kitchen that looks straight out to the yard. All those really mean it ticks the boxes for families,” he said.