Makeover

Designer Kate Walker’s new ‘Caribbean Colonial’ family home

October 24, 2021

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“The style that immediately came to mind was British Colonial, but being so close to the bay I wanted to add more of a luxe, coastal hotel feel with a Floridian, Island vibe,” says interior designer Kate Walker of her sparkling new home ‘Biscayne,’ located on Victoria’s Mornington Peninsula. The bayside Mt Martha residence is situated on over 2000 square metres and includes four bedrooms, three bathrooms, two powder rooms, gorgeous gardens, a pool and tennis court.

Powder room — Stunning Gucci Heron print wallpaper makes a sizeable statement in the powder room

A renovation of an existing home, Kate incorporated existing architectural elements in the makeover – the large double-deck verandah is one of them and it certainly helped dictate the home’s British Colonial vibe. Elsewhere wide hallways and luxe finishes imbue the home with grandeur – think floor to ceiling wide glass panelled doorways, myriad artworks and colonial inspired finishes.

The interior walls are filled with texture, colour and pattern, from white walls adorned with gorgeous artwork to Gucci Heron print wallpaper in the bathroom, alongside wood, brass, marble and porcelain – all the elements add up to create a refined yet eclectic aesthetic.

Most notably, new architectural details were added with the application of cornices and wainscoting on the walls and ceilings, ensuring a seamless finish throughout. “Gyprock plasterboard was used throughout the home, it was part of every room and gave us the opportunity to create the perfect blank canvas for featuring the much-loved artwork and wallpaper,” says Kate.

And while the original house had great bones and was well built, it needed some major reworking in terms of spatial planning. “We redesigned the floor plan, which included restructuring how the entrance worked and changing the location of the kitchen,” says Kate. The team also turned an external verandah into an internal room utilising Gyprock to cover up the external brick walls. “Using Gyprock made transitioning external walls to internal walls such a simple and smooth process,” says Kate.

Unsurprisingly, the designer is absolutely thrilled with the result. “To see your vision come to life is the most rewarding aspect of what I do. I designed Biscayne with resort-living in mind and I wanted to make every part of the property a pleasure to be in. Now that I am living there with my family I have absolutely fallen in love with my home.”