This Cosy Coastal Home In Jervis Bay Is An Idyllic Getaway
Interiors
The living room.
Owners Gemma Cavallaro and Brooke Cavallaro styled the home with pieces from Life Interiors, McMullin, and secondhand finds from Facebook Marketplace.
The light-filled dining room.
Stairs lead to the bedrooms upstairs.
Bedlinen by Carlotta + Gee.
Bedlinen by Carlotta + Gee. Print by Hotel Magique.
The sisters took inspiration from the travels to India, Japan, Italy and Spain to curate the cottage’s aesthetic.
The refreshed bathroom.
Tiles from TileCloud. Towel by Baina.
A servery window connects the kitchen to the backyard.
After searching up and down the expansive coastline of New South Wales for just the right property, sisters Gemma Cavallaro and Brooke Cavallaro came across a cosy cottage in the Jervis Bay area.
The three-bedroom home was exactly the kind of ‘creative project’ they’d been looking for: a beachside abode with potential to create an idyllic Airbnb, set to the backdrop of sparkling-white sands, crystal-clear waters, and plenty of nature.
‘We were looking for something close to the water, as we’ve always spent our young years by the beach with family and friends,’ Brooke says.
‘The idea for Baia came from a shared desire to offer others the kind of experience we seek when stepping away from the pace of Sydney — something slower, more intentional, and rooted in a respect for the place and people around you.’
Brooke and Gemma moved into the home with an initial plan of staying for about a year while they got to know the area and added their own flair to the residence.
But as most renovations do, it ended up taking them almost two years before they finally opened Baia for bookings.
‘The biggest transformation was in the landscaping. We’ve always loved entertaining outdoors, and the original house didn’t have much of a backyard, so we knew that’s where we wanted to invest first,’ Gemma says.
They enlisted Landscapists to create a lush garden, complete with a fire pit, dining space, and even an outdoor shower.
Meanwhile inside, local builder CSC Builders helped create thoughtful additions like a new breakfast bar with a servery window overlooking the refreshed backyard, and custom bench off the fireplace, which became ‘the perfect little nook for reading or resting’.
The bathroom also had a ‘glow up’ with new checkered-tiled flooring for a touch of retro character.
‘We wanted Baia to feel like a home. We spent many nights scrolling marketplace, searching for quality second-hand pieces that felt right for the space,’ Brooke adds.
This ethos comes to life in all the finishing touches they curated with their guests in mind: from the Baina towels in the bathroom, to the Carlotta + Gee bedlinen, and artwork from Hotel Magique.
The sisters say the most magical thing about Baia is its proximity to breathtaking coves, Booderee National Park and bush walks. If you’re lucky, you might even spot some dolphins while you’re down at the water!