Seaside Sophistication – revisited

With summer fast approaching here in Australia, my attention turns a sublime seaside home by Connecticut-based designer Mar Silver. Having been brought on by the owners to update the twenty-year Southport home, Silver approached the renovation with the sophisticated yet relaxed vibe for which her work has become known.

One main focus of the re-design was to open the house up to not only the surround gardens, but also within itself to allow the rooms to flow from one to another and for light to soak into the rooms. Having taken down walls and added in glass partitions, Silver then went onto strip away many unnecessary architectural elements and materials with the goal to contemporise the interiors. Dark timber floors were replaced with light oak boards, joinery was design with a minimal aesthetic and door and window frames kept purposefully bare.

Adding to all of this, Silver created a furniture scheme that was unfussy and relaxed with clean lines, comfortable fabrics and a focus on natural textures with the end result being a house that feels sophisticated yet easily a space you could run into with sandy feet after a long day at the beach.