A Designer’s Charming A-Frame On A Modern Family Homestead

A Designer’s Charming A-Frame On A Modern Family Homestead

Homes

by Lucy Feagins, Editor

Harry Bertoia diamond chair, found in a vintage store. Eros side table by Angelo Mangiarotti from Galerie Terminus. Art prints by Billie Justice Thomson. Assemblages Book Girth belt by Lightly. Vintage armchairs in original upholstery from Facebook Marketplace. Shell Check Cocoa cushions from Bonnie & Neil. Queen Anne lace and Dahlia flowers from The Flower Bar Co. Striped stool and vase from MUDsmith. LEDlux Floor lamp from Beacon Lighting. Walls painted Dulux Beige Royal.

Vintage travertine coffee table. Ceramic hibiscus flowers, found in an op shop. Ceramic amphitheater by local ceramicist. Design books from Bodhi Living.

Kimberley Wiedermann with her beloved dog Leni, dressed in ROWIE the label. Walls painted Dulux Beige Royal.

Assemblages Book Girth belt by Lightly. Vintage armchairs in original upholstery from Facebook Marketplace. Shell Check Cocoa cushions from Bonnie & Neil. Queen Anne lace and Dahlia flowers from The Flower Bar Co. Striped stool and vase from MUDsmith. Vintage tapestry by Kimberley’s mum’s godmother made over two years in the 1980s. Walls painted Dulux Beige Royal.

Living room view to outdoor patio. Cane armchairs, found on Facebook Marketplace, painted and reupholstered. Art prints by Billie Justice Thomson. Indonesian Cat Table, found on Facebook Marketplace. Walls painted Dulux Beige Royal.

Designated desk space (‘but I’m generally sprawled with drawings and work all over the dining table,’ says Kimberley). Arch mirror from Kmart (bottom hung upside down). Eames Softpad management chairs in cream leather, bought second hand. Dining table restored and painted in Dulux Bungalow Brown. Branch vase in shell pink from Bodhi Living. Floor lamp found on Facebook Marketplace. Walls painted Dulux Beige Royal.

Kaboodle Kitchen Ghost Ash pantry cabinet doors, Sea Salt cabinet doors, Basalt benchtop and shelving, Half Moon handles painted in Dulux Beige Royal from So Watt, Striped vase by MUDsmith, Tizio table lamp, Alessi Plisse kettle, collection of ceramics collected or gifted over the years, Half Moon handles from So Watt. Walls painted Dulux Beige Royal.

Kaboodle Kitchen cabinet doors in sea salt. Basalt benchtop. Half Moon handles painted in Dulux Beige Royal from So Watt. Vedel bird sculptures. Domeniconi Cucu Cuckoo Clock from Space Furniture. Lamp and striped side table from MUDsmith. Cane chair found on Facebook Marketplace, painted and reupholstered. Walls painted Dulux Beige Royal (bagged finish).

Exterior painted in Dulux Heifer.

Biagio table lamp by Tobia Scarpa from Galerie Terminus. ‘Mountain, Lake’ by Timothy Hanley. ‘Blocks’ by Kersti Wiedermann. Vintage Italian B&B Nest 3 Kartell side tables. Lemon Temple vase and Swirl white small bowl Bodhi Living. Totum Project bedding from Island Luxe. Orchid from The Flower Bar Co. Walls and ceiling painted Dulux Beige Royal.

Two established gum trees frame sandstone paths around the outdoor fire pit, surrounded by Pennisetum alopecuroides (Cream Lea), Dracena Draco (Dragon tree), Lomandra Evergreen Baby (mat rushes), with views up to Nikola and Dean’s home.

The pool area is large enough to accommodate family and friends throughout the year. Pool by Mullumbimby Pools.

The pool at 15m long spans the front face of the two main dwellings on the property.

Sandstone pathways through Pennisetum (foudntain grass), Casuarina (green wave), Adenanthos sericeus (woolly bush), Lavandula Dentata (French lavender) and Banksia Integrifolia (costal banksia).

Views over the Coopers Shoot hinterlands, through to Broken head and Pacific Ocean. Veggie patch by Bay Estates.

There’s one thing that really stands out when you hear interior designer and stylist Kimberley Wiedermann talk about her home; the importance of family.

Located in Cooper’s Shoot, in Byron Shire, she affectionately refers to it as ‘a bit of a commune’.

That’s because, joining her petite A-Frame on the 1.8 acres of tropical grounds is a four-bedroom home owned by her sister Nikola, brother-in-law Dean and their four kids Remi (7), Ayla (6), Bowie (3) and Van (1); and a three-bedroom home belonging to her parents, Kersti and Frank.

In 2018 the family had found themselves living together in Bangalow, after all separately moving to the area from Melbourne in the space of 12 months.

‘We loved being together,’ explains Kimberley. ‘But, that was a little too close.’

So, in 2019 when a property with two main dwellings and a studio space came up for sale, the family jumped at the opportunity to extend their multi-generational living set-up, with just a touch more space.

‘The houses were outdated and required a lot of work, but the wraparound verandahs with views spanning across the hinterland to Cape Byron, Lennox Head and the Pacific Ocean made the property unique and desirable,’ says Kimberley.

Her own home on the family complex is a charming A-frame, formerly the studio space. She stripped the structure down to its bones and set about creating a simple but eclectic home, inspired by an Italian guesthouse with textural, warm walls, linen curtains and terracotta floors.

This gentle interior palette provides the perfect backdrop for Kimberley’s ever-changing collection of furniture.

‘I love mixing and matching styles, incorporating old and new… I never want my space to feel expected. It might not be everyone’s cup of tea, but as long as I love the items and they reference a feeling, a time, a memory, then they’ve got a place,’ she says.

But perhaps the most notable part of the home is the lush garden vistas, creeping in through every window.

‘The property as a whole has an emphasis on outdoor living, with integrated areas between the family homes,’ explains Kimberley.

The grounds themselves got a major overhaul when the family first moved in, transforming the garden into a tropical paradise with stone pathways, grassy zones, play areas, firepits and the piece-de-resistance; a large pool big enough for the whole family.

There’s also a vegetable patch, outdoor entertaining area with a pizza oven and an infrared sauna and spa room!

Thanks to the balmy climate, Kimberley and her family make the most of outdoor living year round – even the pool is still used in winter, albeit only by Kimberley’s father Frank.

‘Family is important to us all,’ says Kimberley. ‘We never expected to be in this position, but the element of multi-generational living and getting to be a huge part of the early years of my nieces and nephew, and being able to support each other through this stage of our lives is a special time.’

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