BahaMar: a Caribbean-inspired home featuring light and airy sheers

Hi Renee, congratulations on your new build project, BahaMar! It feels like we’ve been transported to the Caribbean. Could you tell us how your Bahamas-inspired look came together and where you found inspiration?

Our idea was always to create that holiday feel at home. We had enjoyed some resort style holidays, and wanted to bring that feeling to our everyday lifestyle. Beachside living lends itself to the Hamptons style and contemporary living styles, but the BahaMar takes that idea one step further to create holiday living. My inspiration for BahaMar comes from some of the beautiful hotels in the Bahamas, as well as the colonial hotels in Singapore such as Raffles.

Every detail is styled to perfection and the space feels so liveable and fresh. What are your top tips for styling a home?

• Make each room an experience. The idea of creating flow from the front door right through to the outdoor living space was very important to us.
• Give each room its own identity. Rooms that are generally plain, such as the laundry and mudroom, can have wallpaper and art just like the main areas of the house.
• Provide multiple living options, like we did in our open-plan space by adding daybeds and bar seating. The house ended up with 7 daybeds inside and outside, so there is plenty of room to lay around and feel as if you are on holidays. Highlight furniture, such as the hanging chairs on the deck and in the living room, creates separate spaces to hide away.
• Sheer curtains and planting add the final touches. The sheers give the main living room and master suite a luxury vibe. Planting brings the tropics inside, and we used plants in nearly every room. Together these two styling solutions create that feeling of holiday luxury at BahaMar.

What is your favourite thing about building new homes, if you had to choose?

I love that feeling of designing a concept and seeing it come together. On a project you start with a plan of what you will create, and initially the final concept only exists in your head. We worked with a great team of architects, builders and tradespeople. They are experts in their areas and helped transform all our ideas into the incredible finished product.

It’s great for the team to see a completed project, and for them to know they played a big role in helping it come together. Our Revolution team are very much part of our success, and we appreciate their patience and creativity.

There are thousands of design decisions to make on large projects or renos, as many of our customers know. How do you stay focussed and not get overwhelmed by all the options?

With BahaMar, keeping a clear idea of the style we wanted was the key. If we didn’t think something fitted in with our holiday theme, we would keep looking until we found the right option. There are so many styles and ideas out there, but choosing our main theme and sticking to it was important.

Budget is also a factor; make sure you spend money on the important things, then also include some cheaper options when you can.

You nailed your floor-to-ceiling curtains. The sheers ooze relaxed luxury! What do you love most about curtains and the impact they make in a room?

The light! Our sheers filter the light perfectly. In the living room we have a large run of sheers - our track is nearly 9 metres - so they are a big statement piece in our design. The way they filter the light when they are closed, and then open in both directions gives us so many options to work with.

You chose a premium fabric from our Centennial collection, colour Ghost. How important are texture and tactile materials to you?

We really love the plush texture of our sheers as it helps to create the feeling of luxury. The light colour allows the most light to pass through when we need it, and enough privacy in the bedrooms. On future projects it will be hard to choose another option as I love this range!

How did you and your team find the process of sampling, designing, measuring and installing DIY curtains and can you offer any tips to our customers?

The DIY Blinds team were fantastic. We ordered online and the team contacted us to check the measurements and confirm all the details. We hadn't installed sheers previously, so needed a lot of guidance on the measurements. They talked us through everything over the phone. Due to the 9 metre long tracks, we chose the option of having a DIY Blinds expert come out to install our sheers. He was great in completing the process for us. After watching him install, I now have a better idea of how it all goes together. I think maybe we could try the installation ourselves next time.

Can you tell us what projects (or holidays!) you have planned for the rest of this year?

We have existing projects with Revolution Building Projects in Sydney coming up, as well as branching out to extend our company to the Far North Coast. Our new residential projects in Sydney are close to the beach, and we're working on three beach houses on the Far North Coast. But it's not all about the beach. We are also renovating an 100 year old farmhouse, so we like a challenge!