Casuarina coastal retreat is the ultimate holiday home
When the opportunity arose to build a house in this family focused area right next door to their builder, this couple knew just what to do.
The owners of this two-storey home knew what they wanted — and the best way to make it happen.
Having worked with Dean Lawrence of Custom Coast Homes when they built their existing home in Casuarina on the far north coast of NSW, when an empty block came up right next door to Dean’s place, Judi and Kris Watts made their move.
“I built their first place and we got on really well,” says Dean. “Their house was just a block away and we have kids the same age. There was a spare block next door to mine and then I got a call from Judi telling me they had bought it.”
While their first house was single storey with a flat roof, this time Kris and Judi wanted a two-storey, four-bedroom home in a coastal farmhouse style.
Because Dean had worked with Kris and Judi before, they knew what to expect.
“I had a good idea what Judi wanted so I explained to her what I was thinking,” he says. “Their former home was still a coastal feel but this house took it to the next level.”
The house sits on sand, which meant building work started with the pool in the backyard.
“When you’re working with sand, it has a tendency to collapse when you excavate,” he says. “If you do the pool first, they can pour the pool and backfill without impacting on the foundations of the house.”
To create a stable foundation for the house, Dean used a waffle pod foam system. The house is built from a combination of steel, Hardieflex fibre cement panels and pine battens using a lightweight construction to create the farmhouse feel.
“Most of the houses we build are lightweight construction because of the coastal location,” Dean says. “All the fixings and fittings we’ve used are stainless steel or hot dipped galvanised (steel) and the corrugated roof sheeting is Colorbond Ultra … There is a scale (for coastal environments) from breaking surf and we are outside that but this has potential to be their ‘forever home’ and the roof has a 25-year warranty.”
Inside, Dean went to great lengths to ensure detailing in all the joinery and flow of the spaces was spot on, while outside, custom-made cedar doors with white powdercoated frames make a strong design statement on the garage. Recycled railway sleepers set into the lawn and a rough sawn fence complete the look.
The house won Best Contract Home in the $750,000 to $1 million category in the 2019 Master Builders Association Awards.
Pictures: Andy Macpherson
Owners
Kris and Judi Watts and their two kids building their ‘forever’ home
Builder
Dean Lawrence, Custom Coast Homes, customcoasthomes.com.au
The brief
To build a family home with a coastal farmhouse feel
The site
A 500 sqm block in Casuarina on the far north coast
How long did it take
Eight months
Joinery G & A Cabinets, Currumbin, 07 5534 5569
Pool Suncatcher Pools, suncatcherpools.com.au
Fireplace stonework 3D Stone, 3dstone.com.au
Hardware Brims Hardware, brimsgroup.com.au
Originally published as Casuarina coastal retreat is the ultimate holiday home