Photographer: Helen Bankers
Home profile
Meet and greet: Sammy (teacher) and Scott Beadle (IT product manager), their children Sienna, seven, and Jasper, four, and Stella the miniature dachshund.
The property: Four-bedroom, two-bathroom 1960s bach with a new extension in Whangaparāoa.
Light suffuses this Whangaparāoa home, streaming in through skylights, bouncing joyfully off the white walls, striping the deck and bathing bedrooms in a curtain-filtered glow. For sunseekers Sammy and Scott Beadle, who met while they were both working on superyachts, it’s the vitamin D-drenched home of their dreams and the perfect place to raise their two beach-loving children.
Bach life
Having enjoyed an enviable balance of work and glamour onboard the yachts, Sammy and Scott’s life by the beach still looks suspiciously like a holiday. At least, it does from an outsider’s perspective.
The couple returned to New Zealand a decade ago, buying a little home on Auckland’s North Shore. But eight years ago, when they were expecting their first child, Sammy felt pulled back to the streets where she spent her own childhood.
“I knew the street. It’s this tree-lined little cul-de-sac and growing up I thought it was the fairytale street. So when I found I was pregnant and saw this house come for sale, I thought, ‘We have to have it’,” she says.
The little white 1960s bach sits at the end of the cul-de-sac, with a clear view down the leafy street, and epitomises the idyllic Kiwi beach house, where memories of barefoot freedom are made.
“It’s like growing up how we did years ago. We can see all the kids playing in the neighbourhood, we’re about 600 metres from the beach, and it’s one of those streets where everyone walks in the middle of the road and doesn’t use the footpath.”
Space juggling
Having landed in paradise, the couple was understandably determined to stay put, so when three became four (with the arrival of Jasper, now four) and the home started to feel tight, the only palatable solution was to renovate.
The previous owners brought this original retro charmer into the 21st century with a new kitchen and huge bi-fold doors to the deck. However, the footprint remained the same. It had three bedrooms (one tiny, says Sammy) and one bathroom, with all the rooms opening off the lounge. Joseph Long of LTD Architectural Design Studio was enlisted to add a further 80sqm to the home, souping up the floor plan with a second living room, an extra bedroom/home office and an ensuite bathroom.
Everything has a price, of course. Carving out such a significant addition meant sacrificing the existing garage, which they acknowledge was a controversial choice. “It wouldn’t be the right decision for everyone, but it was a tough one we had to make. We chose to let the cars live outside, so we could have that living space. It was really worth it for us,” says Sammy.
As a compromise, the renovation included a purpose-built shed with storage space for surfboards, bikes and other sports equipment.
Light effects
The positive influence of natural light on our emotions is self-evident, and for Sammy, it was essential to capture that feeling of summer bliss all year round. In addition to generous windows throughout, the couple added seven skylights, which have been positioned to pour light into dimmer spaces such as the ensuite or to amplify the sunlight in public spaces.
For example, the new living room has three long skylights in a row that create little spotlights of sun and the dining area has a skylight that is deliberately centred over the dining table.
“I love that feeling of natural light. Sitting there having breakfast or a coffee, and having the light flooding in, feels really lovely,” says Sammy.
This sun-bathed glow is further amplified by the modern coastal style the couple chose to adopt throughout the property. In fact, it’s almost impossible to distinguish the old part of the home from the new. “We gutted it all,” explains Sammy. “I didn’t want it to be like, here’s the old part of the house and here’s the new part. It all needed to flow.”
Sand-toned flooring – in a family-friendly laminate – was run throughout the whole house and all the walls were also painted a fresh, bright white. Vertical panelling was chosen to bring texture and classic coastal appeal to the home, repeated in walls or ceilings in every room, and breaking up the light with playful shadows./
Design vision
The renovation was an incredible opportunity for Sammy to flex her creative muscles and dive into the interior design world she loves. While she credits their architect for bringing her vision to life (“I spent years dreaming of the reno, but when the architect sent through the plans, they were 10 times better”), she was able to pick up a pencil herself to design her favourite feature: the fireplace in the second living room. “I handed sketches to the builder and we brought that to life,” she says.
The fireplace is a stunning design highlight. A column of travertine stretches up to the vaulted ceiling. Then, a travertine bench branches off to one side and serves as a spectacular plinth for Sammy’s decorative treasures.
While the snowy white scheme seems straightforward at first glance, Sammy’s design eye is seen in the seamless elegance of every room and in little design Easter eggs that add interest to deceptively simple spaces.
The travertine in the fireplace surround is referenced with travertine-look tiles, laid in a French pattern, in the bathrooms. They used fluted glass in the entry door, later repeated in small windows throughout and echoed in the ripple-front vanities. Meanwhile, bolder curves appear in several places. Find them in the arch between the dining space and hallway to the mirrors in the bathrooms.
The kitchen received a savvy fix; the cabinetry was too new to justify ripping out, but Sammy wanted it to blend into the background. She achieved this by painting the splashback tiles white, powder coating the handles and putting in a white mixer. The result is calming but not attention-seeking.
Holiday at home
With surfboards featured throughout the home, it doesn’t take a detective to identify Sammy and Scott as beach people. But in their refurbished home they have a space that reflects and celebrates their love of surf and sun every day.
“When we first moved back in, it almost didn’t feel like home. It felt like a B&B on the Gold Coast – in a good way. That beachy feel was a nice surprise and I was very grateful,” says Sammy.
Sammy’s tips for a contemporary coastal home
- Choose soft neutrals. Whites and beige create a serene backdrop and have a calming effect. They reflect light well and make spaces feel more expansive.
- Make it warm and cosy. Light oak wood and travertine stone bring warmth and texture, reflecting the coastal environment. Choose comfortable, oversized sofas and chairs that invite relaxation.
- It’s all about light. Opt for large bi-folds or stacker doors to maximise natural light where possible. Skylights look beautiful and add a wow factor while bringing additional light into darker areas, creating a sense of openness.
- Be practical. Good quality laminate flooring can be a great choice for a family home with many sandy toes and paws. Laminate flooring also doesn’t fade. In a very sunny room with skylights, it can help to avoid a lot of later maintenance and fading.
- Give it the slip. Slipcover sofas are a game-changer for light, neutral colours in a family home. Many disasters have been avoided by a quick wash. Wooden dining chairs are also quick and easy to wipe down.
- Plan, plan, plan. Create a mood board or even an Instagram page of looks that you love. Collect samples and bring your choices together to ensure the tones and textures work together. Trust your gut and create a home that brings calm into your life.
Shop Scott and Sammy’s Whangaparāoa batch style
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