A once dilapidated and burnt-out compound tucked away in the Gold Coast hinterland, The Block’s Carlene and Michael Duffy have carved this unique property into their own tropical escape.
Carlene and Michael Duffy purchased their dream property in the lush Tallebudgera surrounding back in 2009. “Our first home was a little old beach shack in Labrador, on the Northern end of the Gold Coast, which we sold to buy our Tallebudgera home,” Carlene tells us. “Michael used to scour realestate.com as a bit of a hobby and stumbled across this place by chance.”
What started as a bare concrete slab surrounding an oversized swimming pool, and a three-storey house damaged in a fire and left uninhabitable, has taken over a decade of love, hard work and patience to become the modern coastal sanctuary it now is for the Duffy family.
“We bought this place ten years’ ago and we’ve been slowly chipping away at it ever since. Our renovations have been staged, which has allowed us to live here through it all,” Carlene says. The house has quite the history. In another life it was student housing, and before that the property was a clubhouse to a nature retreat.
The dynamic duo were well-equipped for the job at hand. “Michael is a carpenter and licensed builder, and I developed a passion for interiors during maternity leave with baby number two. I had an insatiable appetite for all things design and would consume design imagery around the clock. It helped me in defining my style.”
Appearing on The Block in 2014, with the hopes of winning enough money to complete their home, the couple has since leveraged the experience as a platform to showcase their work to the design world. In 2015, they launched a full-service interior design and styling studio called Cedar & Suede.
Carlene, Michael, their children Paddy and Stella and labrador Harry now enjoy the rewards of their efforts in the sophisticated compound home. It’s the kind of place you might get lost in, exploring the multitude of detail in the design, build and styling, and it’s easy to see it has been a true labour of love. When asked what the biggest challenge was for the family, Carlene tells us it was the sheer scale of the project.
“Everyone thought we were nuts taking on a project like this, but we were in love… And, here we are. We were young and blissfully ignorant. We’re also innate optimists which helps,” Carlene muses.
Positioned up high in the hinterland, the afternoon breeze drifts through the breezeway that connects the old part of the house with the new. Surrounded by native trees, the Duffy’s welcome the chorus of birds and other fauna that frequently visit.
“The house wraps around the pool allowing us to take in the water at every angle, but being flanked by ginormous, ancient gum trees is really what makes this property feel like such an oasis,” Carlene says.
With its brick tower and black timber cladding, the exterior has a certain modern mid-century, palm springs vibe while blending into the environment. “The brick tower provides a strong contrast and it was important to me that it not be repeated anywhere else on the front facade.”
The mix of black cladding and white window frames was inspired by men’s clothing store Rod and Gunn, situated on Hastings Street in Noosa. “I fell in love with the modern-coastal, barn-like feel,” she says. Michael put his carpentry skills to good use constructing the front door from blackbutt.
Inside their luxurious home, Carlene has carefully selected a palette of blues and greens, with pops of salmon combined with the texture of brown timber furniture and leather accents. “Layering shades of the same colour is the ultimate way to create a resolved, calm and cohesive space, regardless of the colour,” Carlene tells us.
Describing her style as “eclectic” and “a meshing of styles with always a touch of Australiana”, the interior decor has a timeless appeal heightened by the Easycraft Easy VJ panelling painted in Resene Mantle – perhaps echoing the leaves of the giant gum trees framing the property. The effect is modernised by the vast polished concrete floors, sleek appliances, and general spaciousness of the home.
In the kitchen, a circular dining booth has been custom-built into the stone island bench. It’s a cosy yet sophisticated nook, where the Duffy’s enjoy breakfast together. The main bedroom is a relaxing and quiet space to retreat to, while the couple’s master ensuite is a stand-out with its black aluminium shower screen handcrafted by a local welder, and White Cloud marble mosaic wall tiles create a sense of opulence.
For the Duffy’s, their home is all about the lifestyle it provides. The property feels remote and secluded, yet it’s just 15 minutes from the Gold Coast beaches and amenities. “The Gold Coast is just a very cool place to live. We love a morning beach session followed by a cruisy afternoon at home just pottering about,” Carlene says.
“We’re beach-goers and bush walkers. We’ve got the best of all the worlds here. There is honestly nowhere I’d rather live.”
@michaelandcarlene @cedarandsuede
Q&A
Designers that inspire you?
YSG, Steve Cordony, Flack Studio, Amber Interiors, Arent and Pyke, Tamsin Johnson
Favourite pieces in your home?
Love my Concrete Nation, St Tropez pedestal basin in our powder room. The colour is sublime. I also love looking at our spiral staircase. I look at it more than I use it.
Biggest splurge?
Window dressings. They’re not cheap but try not to compromise too much, as they can really make or break a space.
Greatest budget buy or budget decorating tip?
Some of my favourite pieces of art are quirky op shop finds that cost as little as $7.
Favourite places to eat and shop in your region?
Jimmy Wah’s does the most delicious Vietnamese pancake and Banh Mi, and Light Years do really yummy dumplings and some mean Bao buns. I don’t have much patience for foot shopping, but if I do I head to Pacific Fair so I can get everything I need in one hit.
WORDS: KATY HOLLIDAY IMAGES: SUPPLIED
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