Australian House & Garden

1. “It’s a kick-off-your-shoes kind of place,” says interior designer Meryl Hare of this holiday house on Sydney’s northern beaches. The owners had commissioned Meryl to design their city home and wanted something quite different for this weekender. “The living space is pretty tight, but it doesn’t feel like it because it’s so open and informal,” she says. Meryl chose tones reminiscent of sand, sea foam and driftwood. “Everything ties back to the seaside. There are no foreign colours.” The area is defined by a 100-year-old Turkish rug. “This required a leap of faith, but I won my clients over by telling them that dates and figs were originally dried on it… how much worse could they do to it?” Bifold doors open onto a small deck, where Ici Et Là deckchairs provide an ideal spot for admiring the view. Hare + Klein Interior Design, Woolloomooloo, NSW; (02) 9368 1234 or www.hareklein.com.au.