There is a specific kind of magic that happens when a home learns to speak the same language as the land it sits upon. For our recent project in Hyams Beach, the brief was written by the landscape itself—a quiet dialogue between the wild, silver-green of the eucalyptus and the stillness of the interior sanctuary.
By leaning into a palette of sage, clay, and sand, we sought to create a space that feels like an exhale. Led by our Design Services team, Tara, Gonia, and Michelle, we combined our contemporary collections with unique, one-of-a-kind pieces sourced from around the globe to bring "instant soul" to the home. Step inside the process of how we bridge the threshold between the rugged coast and this home's daily rituals.
I. The Approach: A Journey in Layers
We first visited the house on a Tuesday morning in autumn. The drive from Huskisson takes you up a gravel road, through bush that thickens as you climb, until the street narrows to almost nothing and the canopy closes overhead. You forget the ocean is just minutes away.
Julia met us at the door. She and Tim have owned the house for twenty-five years—long enough for the timber to hold the warmth of every summer, every Friday night arrival, every morning on the back deck with the birds. She showed us through every room, as though introducing us to someone she loved. She spoke of the cedar, the kookaburras, the way dusk changes the colour of everything.
“It happens in layers,” she said. “An hour out of Sydney, your shoulders come down. Walking through the double doors is the final bit.”
Our brief was to style the home for its next chapter. Yet it already carried such character and charm—pitched ceilings, warm timber, the bush pressing in at every window. The work was less about adding, and more about listening.
II. The Architecture of Hyams Beach
Hyams Beach is a village of 137 people on the southern shore of Jervis Bay. One road in, one road out. Seaside cottages have stood here since the 1920s. The local Aboriginal name for this part of the coast is Booderee, meaning ‘bay of plenty’. While the world knows this area for the whitest sand on earth, those who live here know it for the bush.
The home itself is a cedar chalet, a rare architectural find in a coastal village. It features steeply pitched ceilings, exposed timber beams, and wide-plank floors. It is a home built from the earth, and it feels as though it has sprouted from the ridge it sits upon.
In our interior design process, we recognised that the architecture was the lead protagonist. Our role as stylists was to provide the supporting cast—pieces that wouldn’t fight for attention but would instead settle into the shadows and highlight the grain of the wood and the softness of the light.
III. Simple Rituals:
A home is more than its walls; it is the inherited habits of the people who love it. Julia’s home is a testament to the slow life.
01. The Bath at Dusk Julia is a bath person. Always has been. The outdoor bath looks out to the bush through the trees, and she goes straight there most Friday nights, letting the week dissolve in warm water and the sound of cicadas. It is an act of decompression. Once, during a winter soak, a giant kangaroo hopped along the natural path in front of her, paused to look, and then continued through the bush. It is these moments of "unfussy" luxury that define the property.
02. Feeding the Birds A ritual started when the children were small: bird food on the back deck, every morning. At peak, fifteen kookaburras laughing together. King parrots, too. Now, their fifteen-year-old still keeps it up without being asked—the kind of inherited habit that tells you everything about how a family has loved a place.
03. The Silence Julia often prefers no music at all—just the birds, the cicadas, and a deep sense of stillness. When she does play something, it’s soft and in keeping with the surroundings. Most of the time, the house provides its own soundtrack. This silence is the ultimate luxury for those looking to escape the outside world.
IV. Design Notes.
When we began the styling process, Gonia, our Senior Interior Designer, spent hours simply sitting in the living room, watching how the light hit the cedar rafters.
"Some homes tell you what they need almost immediately," Gonia says. "This was one of them. The architecture was confident and warm. The clients had loved it well. Our job was to honour that, and then elevate it"
The Palette We moved away from traditional "coastal" blues and whites. Instead, we drew from the lichen on the eucalyptus bark, the filtered afternoon light, and the muted clay tones of the Jervis Bay soil.
The Materials We selected materials that carry a "frequency of history." Vintage Indian furniture with original patina, forged iron accents, and warm resins. These are pieces that hold the seasons. We wanted the furniture to feel accumulated, not "installed."
V. Interior Styling for the Next Chapter
In the main living room, we placed a low, generous sofa in a soft grey-green. We layered it with cushions in earth tones and soft, long-wool Icelandic sheepskins. The coffee table—a heavy, textural piece—was styled with a quiet, lived-in ease. We included stacked books and dried florals, a composition that suggests someone has just stepped out of the room to watch the sunset.
The family room, tucked under the roofline, asked for something different. The diagonal pull of the rafters provided a ready-made composition. We emphasised this with a textural woven sofa and a dark hammered coffee table. The artwork—a loosely painted botanical canvas in soft pink and olive—reflects the landscape the clients have always loved.
VI. The Antidote to City Life
This project serves as a reminder that interior design is about more than aesthetics; it is about emotional resonance. Julia and Tim’s home was envisioned as the antidote to a stressful life in Sydney. It had to be unfussy and grounded in natural materials.
In a world that moves too quickly, this house asks you to slow down. It is a place where you don't have to feel precious. You can track sand onto the timber floors. You can leave a glass of wine on a vintage side table. The marks and scuffs are just part of the story.
VII. Design Services
At Few & Far, our design services are grounded in the same philosophy seen here at Hyams Beach. Whether you are looking for a complete home curation or a single-room refresh, we begin by listening to the soul of your home.
We believe that a well-resolved home needs the tension of the "Something Found"—an antique bench with the patina of time, a hand-carved vessel, or a weathered timber table. When these storied objects are thoughtfully combined with our contemporary furniture and refined homewares, the space truly transforms. It loses its "showroom" feel and gains a heartbeat.
Whether you visit us in our Rosebery, Berry, Bowral, Thirroul or Huskisson stores, or work directly with our dedicated design service team, our mission remains the same: to help you curate a home that feels like a "big deep breath." It is this layering of the rare and the modern that creates a home that is uniquely yours.
'A Home by the Sea' is a home that already knew who it was. We simply helped it say so.
For many of our projects, like 'A Home by the Sea', the relationship begins organically. Often, clients visit one our stores in Rosebery, Berry, Bowral, Thirroul or Huskisson, fall in love with our aesthetic, and want to bring that feeling into their own space.
The journey truly begins on the ground. Our Design Services team, Michelle and Gonia, spend time in the space to understand not only the physical layout but how it feels to experience the home day-to-day. We look at the light, the architecture, and the surrounding environment—in this case, the unique threshold between the coastal bush and the sea.
From these initial observations, we develop a tailored concept, thoughtfully curating pieces that feel layered and intentional. We then present the vision to our clients:
In-Store Experience: Whenever possible, we invite clients into our design studio for a personal "touch and feel" presentation, allowing them to adapt concepts on the spot.
Virtual Flexibility: For projects with specific timing or location needs, we present virtually, maintaining a collaborative process regardless of the distance.
Once the direction is refined, our team moves into the procurement phase. We manage all the details behind the scenes—coordinating with our global artisans and managing logistics—to ensure every element comes together seamlessly and on schedule.
The final stage is always the most rewarding moment. Our styling team provides a full white-glove installation where the space truly comes to life. This is where the vision is realised in a way that feels both elevated and effortless—transforming the brief into a home that is ready to be presented and lived in.
Looking to redesign your home?
Led by Tara, Gonia, and Michelle, our design team is here to help you bridge the gap between "Found" treasures and modern pieces.
Drawing from years of experience in homewares and design, we celebrate conscious buying, artisanal craftsmanship, and are driven by the belief that every space should be a collection of pieces that tell stories from past and present and make ways for the narrative to continue in the future. Our mission is to inspire, guide, and help you weave a unique and meaningful story within your own walls.
Designed & Styled by Few & Far
Photographed by Life in Still
