Laura Byrne and Matty J have done what so many city dwellers have dreamt of and purchased a run-down, in-need-of-a-renovation property in the dream coastal location.
The couple, who met on the fifth season of The Bachelor Australia, found their dream oceanfront makeover property on the South Coast of New South Wales—a beloved holiday location for Sydneysiders.
“A couple of months ago we bought a dilapidated old house down the south coast,” the couple shared on Instagram, describing the property as “a little glass house on the seaside filled with stories, and history that had been left locked up and empty for the past two years, known as Chante Mer (sing the sea).”
The house boasts an enviable oceanfront location in Ulladulla, a small coastal town on the New South Wales South Coast, and is only a few moments from the popular and family-friendly Racecourse Beach.
For Matty and Laura, who share daughters Marlie-Mae and Lola, the home’s dreamy coastal location and renovation opportunities are all part of its appeal.
“The south coast is a magical place to us, it’s where we got married, and now it’s where we will make memories as a family,” they shared in their Instagram post.
“We don’t know what we are doing, or what this house will become, but if you want to follow along the chaos @chante.mer.house while we restore this old beauty, honour it’s joyous little quirks and resist the millennial urge to paint everything white.”
While perhaps in need of a facelift, the property’s unique original features are part of its charm and to our relief, don’t seem to be something the family are planning of getting rid of.
Worth around A$2.2 million, the seaside home is a certainly a valuable addition to Matty and Laura’s growing property portfolio, which also includes a $5.2 million semi-detached home in North Bondi.
The renovation process
Laura and Matty J have started sharing the renovation process on their Instagram page and while Laura’s ideas for earthy coloured patterned tiles on the fireplace wasn’t appreciated by viewers, people have been more excited by the fact the couple are planning to keep the stunning stained glass on their front doors.
“If the beige brigade come for these doors… I will riot,” Lauran wrote. “These old beauties are staying, but the big question is do we strip them back to all wood, or paint white?”
The second decision the couple are currently discussing is what colour to pain the bedroom walls.
On Instagram, they shared that Matty wants a salmon pink as a “testament to the sea life in the ocean” while Laura wants an off white with a feature door.
After testing the pink, Matty admitted that maybe Laura’s idea was the winner.
When it came to deciding the colour of the bedroom cupboard doors, the couple’s two daughters put the sea green and bright yellow shades to the test.
We’re excited to see what colours they end up settling on.
The kitchen
While the rest of the property offers plenty of opportunity for Matty and Laura to make the home their own, we were hoping that the couple would choose to preserve the kitchen’s unique tiling and wood cabinetry.
The couple have shared that unfortunately, the kitchen tiles were too damaged to preserve and have lead to a full kitchen rip out. While we did love the wood cabinetry, we’re also excited by their decision to remove the servery window and shelving to make the most of the incredible sea views.
The bathroom
While the original upstairs bathroom may have been very pretty in pink, it felt a little dated with a number of design flaws—including having a bidet in the room next to the toilet.
After lots of thought, Matty J and Laura have decided to remove the bath altogether and replace it with a spacious double shower, sharing that this will be a “bath-less house.” It also looks like they’ve opted for a modern type of shower storage, with a shower bench visible in their update pictures.
Colour-wise, the couple have gone for a muted green palette with striped green and white tiles from Tile Cloud covering the room from floor to ceiling.
See inside Matty J and Laura Byrne’s Ulladulla holiday property
Matty and Laura’s new holiday house is located on a generous 746 square metre block with a sun-soaked deck and thriving front garden overlooking the sea.
There also seems to be a sweet summer house (or perhaps future children’s cubby) in front of the main home.
Likewise, this quirky breakfast nook with original wood banquet seating is an opportunity to embrace the unique character of the home.
Almost every room boasts enviable ocean views, including this spacious lounge area that opens out onto the deck and front garden.
However, with three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and a study area, the property offers plenty of places of play—just look at those floor to ceiling windows in the master bedroom.
At the back of the house, there’s also an enclosed alfresco area, which we’re sure will see its fair share of late summer barbeques and children’s parties in the years to come.
With such an opportunity to turn this characterful property into something special, we’re excited to see what they do with it.
This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.
