Shelley Craft’s new family home in Byron Bay is inspired by Tuscan villas

Television presenter Shelley Craft has graced Australian screens for more than 30 years. In that time, she’s worked on countless home improvement themed shows, gaining a wealth of knowledge to fuel the projects she completes with her real estate agent husband, Christian. But the work has also required near constant travel, something that has only made Shelley appreciate the feeling of putting down roots even more.

“I really enjoy coming home,” she shares. “It’s my sanctuary.” The style of her new home takes inspiration from Christian’s Italian heritage. “It’s Tuscan hillside villa meets beachside Byron Bay,” Shelley describes. “Very grounded, very earthy, with a soft palette of creams and pinks.” Natural materials, especially stone, envelop guests in every area of the home, effortlessly connecting the indoor and outdoor zones.

Some people collect coins, others artwork or even shoes. For television presenter Shelley Craft and her husband, Christian, renovations and new builds are the collection of choice. My 12-year-old says she’s had more bedrooms than birthdays,” Shelley jokes. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

As an ambassador for ABI Interiors, Shelley was excited to fill her home with their kitchen and bathroom fixtures. “It’s a one-stop shop,” she explains, adding that the product range encompasses every fixture needed in a home, aiding a sense of consistency and cohesion as you move from room to room.

Who lives here?

Shelley Craft, host of ‘The Block’, and her husband Christian, a real estate agent, with their children Milla, 14, and Eadie, 12; plus their dogs, Rocco, five, and Rip, seven months, both Ridgebacks.
What does home mean to you? Shelley: “Everything. Ever since I was 17 I’ve travelled almost every week for work. I appreciate what it is to come home.”
Top entertaining tip? “Don’t stress yourself out. If you’re not having a good time as the host, then no-one’s having a good time in your space.”
How do you spend your weekends? “I’m a soccer mum and a dance mum. When we don’t have a building site to visit, you won’t find me anywhere. I’m doing absolutely nothing.”

The butler’s pantry provides extra storage space for Shelley’s appliances. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

Kitchen

The beautiful kitchen fixtures add a rich and striking contrast in this space and comes in the form of the ‘Elysian’ pot filler, ‘Elysian’ commercial kitchen mixer and a ‘Zalo’ double kitchen sink, all from ABI Interiors in brushed gunmetal. ‘Le Mana’ limestone flooring from Gather Co carries a consistent tone throughout the home and was one of Shelley’s must-haves.

These handy kitchen essentials should be on everyone’s tapware wish list in our view. Shelley opted for an Elysian pot filler in brushed gunmetal from ABI Interiors. It features a wall-mounted extendable arm so when it’s not filling pots and pans it can be folded out of the way. For more options in the Elysian range, visit ABI Interiors.

We love… pot fillers

Two benchtop materials were used. On the island, Finestone Granite and Marble’s Dolce Vita stone was used with a leathered finish. On the benchtop that leads into the butler’s pantry, Dekton (a combination of quartz, porcelain and glass) was used in the colour Nacre and supplied by Cosentino. Joinery was made with ‘Evenex Sincro’ in Grey Elm from Elton Group.

Dining area

What started as a small renovation on a house they had owned for a few years quickly turned into a major project, complete with difficult engineering feats like raising the height of ceilings and incorporating larger windows and doors to make the most of an idyllic view. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

One of Shelley’s favourite spots in the home, the built-in banquette seating was custom made by Belcon Constructions. Painting ‘Seed 22’ by Berny Bacic complements the neutral hues of the Laguna leather seating, in colour Sesame and upholstered by The Dusty Road.

Living area

The feature wall, made of Gather Co ‘Tangelo’ quartz, adds a tactile touch to the open-plan living and dining areas. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

Designed to foster shared experiences, the living room benefits from a combination of ‘Cosmos’ sofas in Mocha from Bodhi Living and a vintage ‘Soriana’ leather armchair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa atop a Bodhi Living ‘Nomad Touareg’ rug.

“The home is timeless, understated and elegant. I would say its complex in it’s simplicity of design.”

Shelley

Bathroom

All fixtures in the home are from ABI Interiors, including the ‘Barre’ progressive single mixer, ‘Namika’ wall-mounted spout, ‘Pius’ glass panel clip and rounded rectangle mixer and spout backplate. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

The main ensuite is a study in using contrasts to create harmony. ‘Ravello’ travertine inverted finger mosaic tiles from ABI Interiors create a concave pattern that brings texture to the space. The warm tones are complemented by the Dolce Vita stone from Finestone Granite & Marble, used on the joinery, and ABI Interiors ‘Melia’ concrete basin in almond. These soft hues needed something to ground the space so ABI’s brushed gunmetal finish was selected for the tapware.

“It’s a lovely complement to the steel-framed matte black doors,” explains Shelley, “but it contrasts beautifully with the pale, creamy pink colours that we have throughout the home.”

Eadie’s bedroom

In Eadie’s bedroom, a Tigmi ‘Natura’ lamp gives ambient lighting while a Steel Window Design sashless window allows extra natural light. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

Shelley takes care to involve Milla and Eadie in the design decisions, especially when it comes to their bedrooms. “I hope we’re teaching them something along the way,” she explains. “Not just about aesthetics and design, but about questioning what they like and voicing their opinions with us.”

In Eadie’s bedroom, walls finished in Dulux Sandy Day evoke calm. Stripes abound, subtly with the MCM House bedhead, upholstered in French Stripe linen, then more boldly with the Fenton & Fenton bone inlay curved bedside table in Almond. Bodhi Living bedlinen in Chestnut and Stone provides layers of comfort, complemented by the Ballina Curtains & Blinds curtains, featuring Charles Parsons Interiors ‘Cosmo Spice’ fabric.

Outdoor living

The outdoor area is decorated with wicker chairs from MCM House to encourage relaxation. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

Gas strut steel windows from Steel Window Design enhance the connection between the kitchen and outdoor area. All Steel Window Design products are custom made. Commissioning them was one of the first decisions Shelley made. “That’s where I started,” she says. “That solid, raw feel of the matte steel doors and windows adds a grounding element.”

Pool area

Set on almost an acre of land, the house has the feeling of being situated in the middle of a park, despite being in the middle of a suburb. “It had a really calm, loving family feel,” says Shelley. After one year of work it was tools down for the family. Now, having lived in their home or two months, Shelley says they’ve loved every minute. (Photography: Lynden Foss / Styling: Carlene Duffy)

“Even though there are a lot of hard surfaces, I do feel like the house sort of wraps around you like a hug.”

Shelley

The exterior has materials seen throughout the interior of the home, creating a seamless connection between the two zones. Around the pool, ‘Le Mana’ limestone flooring is paired with a ‘Tangelo’ quartz wall, both from Gather Co. The built-in seat was upholstered by The Dusty Road using Sunbrella fabric in ‘Action’ linen, with ‘Ravello’ travertine rounded finger mosaic tiles from ABI Interiors laid underneath.

Builder: Belcon Constructions, 0478 511 671, belconconstructions.com.
Joinery : Custom Kitchens and Interiors, 0410 780 707, ckandi.com.au.
Landscaping: Landart, (02) 9199 0680, landart.com.au.

SOURCE BOOK

This article originally appeared on Home Beautiful and is republished here with permission.