Taking the relaxed elegance of the New York state region Long Island as inspiration, interior designer Di Henshall and interior architect Zoe Wallis from Di Henshall Interior Design have transformed this Sunshine Coast home into a haven of sophisticated calm.
“Long Island is where the Hamptons style originated from. It’s an interior style that we always find to be especially popular here in Queensland, and one that our clients for this project specified in their design brief to us,” says Di Henshall. “They wanted us to design them a beautiful Long Island-inspired home with a coastal touch.”
Close to the Noosa River, the home’s location is perfection, but its footprint is tiny, so the scale of all fixtures, fittings and furnishings had to be carefully planned.
“A lot of the architectural features, such as the fireplace, chimney breast, beamed ceiling and soaring windows were all meticulously designed by myself and Zoe Wallis, the interior architect in our team,” adds Di.
The central open-plan kitchen and lounge space make a clear Hamptons statement, with an incredible high-level coffered ceiling with VJ inserts, a fireplace with full height chimney breast and feature tile inserts and classic wainscoting panelling – a detail that continues through to the beautiful timber-tread staircase.
The home’s new Long Island style has been legitimised with a pair of statement chandeliers, sourced and brought over from New York by Di Henshall Interior Design, which offset the soaring ceiling.
The kitchen showcases Di’s knack for designing functional and stylish spaces for living and entertaining, with Shaker-style cabinetry with traditional cup handles, a brick bond subway-tile splashback, butler’s pantry with wine fridge, a freestanding oven and cooktop, integrated dishwasher, overhead cupboards, long drawers and an oversized stone benchtop. “I really love this kitchen,” she says. “We’ve opened up the room with a huge picture window, which frames the swimming pool beyond. It’s as if the house is floating above the sparkling water, with its tranquil waterfall.”
Upstairs, three separate bedroom zones are soothing spaces for the homeowners and their guests to retreat and relax into. The luxurious master bedroom features a king-size bed and a custom-designed walk-through wardrobe with strip lighting, and a master ensuite with a bespoke vanity with his-and-her basins, a recessed shaving cabinet and a large twin shower.
This stunning Sunshine Coast home by Di Henshall Interior Design is a superb example of sophisticated Hamptons style tailored for the relaxed Queensland lifestyle.
Photography: And Ever Collective
