Let the natural light shine in

If a home is a retreat from the the outside world, author Melissa Ambrosini and musician Nick Broadhurst aimed to escape as far as they could.

Melissa Ambrosini and Nick Broadhurst in their Noosa home. Picture: Glenn Hunt

If a home is considered a retreat from the pressures of the outside world, author Melissa Ambrosini and musician husband Nick Broadhurst aimed to escape as far as they could.

The couple modelled their Noosa apartment around the concept of health and wellness, embracing light and white styling to create the atmosphere of a relaxing sanctuary.

That was important because of the amount of time the couple spends at home.

Affectionately called The Treehouse, the open space full of natural light and breezes is used to spark inspiration for music, writing and podcasting.

An airy kitchen conveys a sense of peace and relaxation

The prime positioning just metres from Noosa’s famed sandy shores and the luxury of an at home yoga space offers a much needed separation between work and rest.

“When we travel or tour, it’s nice to come back and have a place where you can literally recharge in like a day because there’s so much nature here. It’s so rejuvenating,” Nick explained.

“We both had periods in our life where we both lost our health. We both have really big health challenges in our life for different reasons, so health is one of our core values. Building this place ­really was a longevity play for us.”

The home is full of musical instruments

The home is a far cry from the dated 1970s unit they purchased on an unassuming block back in 2010, which still had the original blue-tiled bathroom and spa. The red brick and interior walls were either painted or removed to create an open plan space of warm neutral tones under the eye of architect Dirk Anderson.

Nick led the renovations, made easy by the couple’s shared relaxed style. The timber panelling and balustrades contrast against the Chinese silver travertine tiles that run through the home. Brass fittings offer a striking contrast against the dark stone sinks and bathtubs, and the bench tops crafted from Turkish marble.

The hero of the space, though, is the 300kg custom table suspended from the island bench top spanning the length of the dining area and creating natural separation from the lounge.

“We always spoke about wanting to open the home,” Melissa said.

“The house actually came very separated with walls and the placement of the stairs. We knew straight away we wanted to get rid of that and open everything up. A passion of ours is cooking: we cook every single day, three times a day. We wanted whoever's cooking to feel like they're part of the conversation.”

The bedroom continues the white theme

Music is an important part of their lives, shown through the numerous instruments and ambient sounds that play constantly in the background through a series of bluetooth speakers built into the walls. The sound of the ocean and the rustling of the trees that surround the home also filters through.

It is not just the audio that is played either, with the home also a hub of creation from Nick’s latest music project and Melissa’s twice-weekly motivation and mindset podcast, The Melissa Ambrosini Show.

It is all recorded in the small mezzanine loft that was purposefully built into the tall cathedral ceiling overlooking the main living space to give the couple a shared workspace.

Benchtop appliances are kept to a minimum, with the toaster, kettle and fridge each having their own hiding spaces behind the wall of black shelving. Even the television — the first thing seen in most households around the country — appears to be missing, only revealing itself when it pops out of the custom-made timber storage unit built into the living space.

The airy space is also where Melissa sets to work on her writing or numerous other projects, including acting as brand ambassador for premium oil brand, The Wild Olive.

Relaxed, calm and close to the sand, Nick and his teenage son hit the beach when he comes to visit during the school holidays.