Photography: Armelle Habib Styling: Heather Nette King
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Meet and greet: Laura Restein (film and TV publicist), her husband Andy Restein (property consultant), and their English bulldog, Elliott.
The property: A renovated five-bedroom ’70s weatherboard home.
Describing her home in cinematic terms is hardly surprising for someone who has worked in the film and TV industry for more than a decade.
“As soon as I saw the house, I could imagine Meryl Streep in the garden discussing renovation plans with Steve Martin, so I had an immediate vision of creating that cosy, relaxed Nancy Meyers movie style,” says Laura Restein, who, with husband Andy, knew that some clever tweaks could make her home (and 1.2-hectare garden) worthy of a Cameron Diaz or Jude Law cameo.
During the pandemic lockdowns, the couple moved into the five-bedroom home. Originally built in the 1970s, the home underwent partial updates in 2015.
“The time spent in lockdown was the perfect opportunity to work out exactly how we used the space and what changes we wanted to make. We loved the bones and energy of the existing outside landscaping, and an entire makeover,” says Laura.
The couple’s vision required a few structural changes, but the overall footprint was perfectly scaled.
“We knew that we wanted to open up the kitchen and make it a bigger, more usable space. Though we weren’t sure how to make that happen,” says Laura.
“We also wanted to open up the wall of windows and really make the view a feature. The black-steel window frames were something we were set on before anything else started taking shape.”
The only other tweak to the layout involved relocating a doorway in the bedroom to convert the existing bathroom into an en-suite.
A self-confessed “inhaler of interiors”, Laura had a Pinterest board. Post-it notes on books and magazines, and a big “Saved” folder on Instagram. She narrowed everything down to an efficient PowerPoint presentation with separate pages for each room. Then called on the expertise of interior expert Sophie Davies.
“Her work has the lovely classical feel we were hoping for. We were very clear about how we wanted the house to feel, and the word ‘cosy’ kept coming up again and again. We were dreaming of warm, inviting, classic spaces that people wouldn’t want to leave.
The home sits on a concrete slab, so after sanding and levelling it. Oak floorboards were laid in the living areas, instantly creating that first layer of desired cosiness. Then their attention turned to the kitchen.
“We loved the bones and energy of the existing house, but wanted to update it a little.”
“Although it was super cute, the original kitchen was outdated and not really suitable for everyday use, so we enlarged it and also reoriented it to overlook the garden and the sea views in the distance,” says Laura.
A substantial island bench now anchors the kitchen space and is the perfect spot for informal meals or gathering people around.
“Andy sourced a rustic timber beam from a former local jetty, which was inserted above the stove, adding another beautiful texture as well as a lovely nod to the area’s history,” says Laura.
The lived-in movie set vibe of the home is reflected in the couple’s choice of classic contemporary furniture throughout. Layered with works by some of their favourite artists, family photographs, and treasured wedding gifts.
It’s a home for all seasons, with two indoor fireplaces and an outdoor fire pit. Plus huge deck and grass areas, making for a seamless transition from cosy winter cottage to a summer dream home.
Reflecting on her first interiors project, Laura says she loved the experience of working with Sophie on all the interior design aspects.
“I really wanted to challenge myself,” she says.
“This was the first time I’ve ever done a renovation, and it was such a joy to see it all come together.”
Not ones to be without another project for long, Laura and Andy are now planning to buy a base in the city as well, so stand by for the sequel.
Lessons learnt
Wait for the quote before you start a project
“ I was dead set on having hand-painted kitchen and living-room cabinetry. We had all the doors prepped to do so before we got the quote back from the painter, and to say we fell off our chairs would be an understatement. We were too far into the process to revert to 2-pack [a specialist two-part paint finish], so we moved forward with it. The cabinetry looks incredible, but was so wildly expensive, we probably won’t ever make that choice again.”
Related articles:
- 8 essential gardening jobs to complete during winter
- How to make your kitchen work for your lifestyle
- 10 tips that will help you pull off a flawless bathroom renovation
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