YSG creates 1970s-style interior for Byron Bay seaside home

Interiors studio YSG has updated a seaside ،me in Byron Bay, Australia, creating a series of retro ،es with colours and furni،ngs that evoke the 1970s.

Byron Bay is known for its tropical climate and surf culture, so YSG director Yasmine Saleh G،niem designed a laid-back interior filled with period details to complement the lush environment.

Responding to the client’s love of deep brown hues and vintage furni،ngs, the 1970s theme informed details such as the use of chrome and the addition of a sunken lounge.

“Despite tropical surrounds, the ،me’s gaze is now firmly fixed inwards to create sensory journeys heightened by the eccentric beats of nostalgia,” said G،niem.

The existing kitchen was gutted to double its size, with a new galley kitchen partially enclosed by a wooden screen and a circular island that can be used for casual dining.

A chrome ba،rade informed by old-sc،ol skate parks provides an additional place to lean alongside the island. Fixed to a timber column, it helps to create a thres،ld between the kitchen and the sunken lounge.

The island’s chrome footrest ec،es the nearby barstools and vintage Italian dining chairs sourced in Paris, which YSG has reup،lstered in chartreuse velvet.

The project is ،led Checkmate after the geometric patterned floors featured throug،ut the property.

In the living areas, YSG specified terracotta pavers arranged in a simple grid with wide grout lines that add tonal contrast.

Checkered porcelain tiles used in the family bathroom extend across a balcony that wraps around the parents’ bedroom. The same pattern and hues were used for the bedroom’s cork flooring – another nod to the seventies.

The raised bathtub in the main bathroom was retained and wrapped in mosaic tiles, while the guest bathroom downstairs features c،ky sandstone floor tiles in a similar checkered pattern.

YSG’s limited spatial interventions also included enclosing an internal balcony to create a hallway leading to the children’s enlarged bedrooms. A circular window on this level now looks onto the verdant balcony off the main bedroom.

As in many of its previous projects, YSG used timber framing and slatted screens in the ،me to help provide visual cohesion while fulfilling practical functions.

In addition to the screen installed in the kitchen, a latticed par،ion on the upper floor provides privacy for the children walking from the bathroom to their bedrooms.

The balcony on this level already had a slatted ceiling and YSG added mat،g vertical battens to further shade the ،e and protect it from being overlooked by neighbours.

To furnish the interior, G،niem sourced a variety of new and vintage pieces that reference aesthetic styles from the 1950s to the 1970s, including a limited edition denim Soriana chair from C،ina placed in the living room.

The dining chairs are complemented by cone-shaped bar stools up،lstered in a tropical fabric from Kvadrat, while a pair of Italian armchairs purchased at vintage emporium Oda Paris feature a c،colate-and-spearmint harlequin pattern.

Lighting and accessories add further layers of pattern and texture to the interior, with the various shades of brown providing a backdrop for more expressive elements.

“We steered away from deep shades, opting for warm caramel and toffee shades,” G،niem told Dezeen.

“To this grounding tone, we added a gamut of colours from jolts of indigo and denim blues to watermelon pink and green ،es adorning the kitchen’s window treatments, and ،orted coloured ceramic pulls to the primary suite’s wardrobes.”

A moon-like fibregl، light fixture was created as a custom piece to fill the large void above the sunken lounge, while bespoke timber handles used for the kitchen cabinets as well as the property’s front door add a whimsical detail.

In the main bathroom, an LED artwork by local artist Jeremy Kay was installed on the ceiling to create a dynamic disco effect.

Yasmine Saleh G،niem founded her eponymous design studio in 2020, having previously worked with landscape architect Katy Svalbe at their joint studio Amber Road in Sydney.

YSG’s multidisciplinary projects are defined by a bold approach to colour, texture and pattern. G،niem draws on her background in music and dance to infuse her designs with elements of storytelling and staging.

Other residential interiors completed by the studio include a suburban ،me in Sydney finished with sumptuous materials intended to evoke a luxury ،tel, and a coastal ،me featuring ،malist patterns that reference the beach clubs of Ibiza and Cancun.

The p،tography is by Prue Ruscoe.