Meet artist Jaqueline Burgess and tour her Woonona home

ele HOME chats with artist, Jaqueline Burgess, and tours her beautiful Woonona home.

Who lives here? Tell us a bit about yourself.

Artist Jaqueline Burgess. I grew up on the east coast of South Africa, I moved to London for nine years and met an Australian hunk who swept me all the way to Sydney to start a life and bring up our two girls, all whilst building my career as an artist.

Where are you located?
A small coastal village called Woonona, 45 min South of Sydney

How long have you owned your home and what have you done since purchasing?December 2015 we moved into a very dated double story brown brick home, with original shag carpet, wall paper from the 70’s that clung onto the walls , it needed to be surgically removed. All living areas were upstairs, including three bedrooms and one bathroom. Downstairs was a rabbit warren of unused smelly rooms that had no real purpose. We decided to reconfigure the layout after about a year. Bedrooms, and two studies upstairs, and living and guest suite downstairs.

We started by knocking walls out to open up the stairwell, we painted all the rooms and ceilings in Porters Paint Snow White. We replaced 14 windows and six glass doors, one of which is a large glass pivot front door, with beautiful double glazed black framed glass. We kept the archway that connected the dinning room to the living room and decided to convert this to the master bedroom, with walk-in robe. The tiny kitchen became our ensuite bathroom with a walk in double shower and his and hers vanity. The remaining three bedrooms upstairs all got new wardrobes and we kept the footprint of the original family bathroom, however we gutted it, and started from fresh.

Downstairs, we knocked a wall down in the middle of the house, joining the old garage with another room creating an open plan living area with walk in pantry. We also added bifold doors and relocated our driveway, enclosing the space as outdoor living with a fireplace. A round plunge pool with deck was recently added. The garden was landscaped and we planted 15 viburnum hedges to enclose the property from the road. We pulled out eight rose bushes, and planted beautiful lush, coastal flora to create a tropical oasis. We also built an art studio, complete with mini kitchen and toilet , next to the house.

Can you give me a bit of background on how you found the property? Are you originally from the area?

We were renting in Sydney , and had two little girls who needed more room to play and grow. I needed a larger space to paint out of and the townhouse we were renting was not quite doing the job. So we decided for a coastal change, and Woonona felt right. It was a tree lined neighbourhood, a couple of minutes from the beach. There was a lovely community vibe, and it didn’t seem as crowded as Sydney. We loved the idea of having a beach lifestyle, and very quickly we made heaps of friends, and the beautiful coastline became my muse for painting, and I started selling artworks to the locals.

Do you have design background?

I studied interior decorating in London over the course of a year, whist I was working as an art teacher. I had a subscription with every ‘house and home’ magazine on the market. We were avid watchers of Grand Designs, and always spoke about building our own dream home one day.

How would you describe your style?

Relaxed elegance, with a sprinkle of earthiness.

What do you love most about your home?

We love that it feels like we are on holiday all the time, the beautiful garden, relaxed living areas and our spacious parents retreat with views of the escarpment.

Who designed the exterior and interior of the home?

I did majority of the designing, with technical help from a close friend who used to be an architect and designer. My husband executed most of the designs with his handy work, enlisting a few builders along the way.

Who designed the garden? What type of planting have you gone with?

I designed the garden, and planted every bush and tree. We replaced the cottage style garden with lush foliage of tropical plants, coastal shrubs with silvery grey foliage to contrast with the darker glossier leaves of the tropical palms, rubber trees and frangipanis.

Your best interior design tip?

The space needs to flow for your families needs without compromising on aesthetic. If it looks beautiful, you will feel peaceful and inspired to look after and live in the space. Clever storage is key, so that clutter remains behind closed doors and drawers, allowing for only the objects of beauty and character to take up visual real estate. Plants and artwork are also key, they make a house a home.

What designers inspire you?

I don’t have a list of names per se , however the Instagram and Pinterest gods have figured out what keeps me inspired.

Favourite pieces in your home?

My Malawi chairs, an ode to my African upbringing, our round wooden eight seater dining table where many celebrations and hearty conversations have taken place.