Tequila-sunrise colour palettes and playful design at bougie La Palma

La Palma, a sunny seaside villa on Sydney’s Northern Beaches, combines liveability and eclecticism thanks to a masterly use of colour, prints, art and texture.

It’s a home away from home and holiday rental property for a busy Sydney couple and their family, who gave Yasmine Ghoniem from YSG Studio the task of transforming the early-2000s two-level home filled with cliched nautical elements and weathered features.

“The owners wanted to tap into a dreamy resort vibe that savours the feeling of summer all year round,” Ghoniem says.

With visions of Ibiza beach clubs and Cancun resorts dancing through her head, the designer conjured up a playful take on beachside living, creating spaces filled with personality, stories and a sunny disposition.

Global touches, vivid colours and prints galore deliver a ripple of energy and a deep sense of space throughout.

A lively artwork by Studio of the Sun in the living room provided the starting point for much of La Palma’s palette and personality. Its palm trees are hand painted on a door and on the children’s bedroom wall, and cheerful raffia pendants above the dining table resemble the painting’s vibrant sombrero hats.

Above the artwork, a loosely painted rust datum extends from the top of its frame making the painting appear to melt into the wall while breathing vibrancy into the space’s neutral palette.

The home’s original windows and doors were replaced with lighter versions, and the weathered flooring throughout was swapped for warm timber and cream-coloured floorboards, and rose-tinted marble and checkered tumbled marble pavers that appear inside and out.

“The French-washed walls and ceilings on both levels add a gorgeous settled patina to the home,” Ghoniem says. “We even hand-painted swirls to soften the beams in the sunroom, transforming them into timber-like rafters for a fraction of the cost.”

With Studio of The Sun’s artwork front of mind, Ghoniem and her clients raked over the archives of Think Positive – a leading textile design and digital printing company – searching for the perfect prints to cover soft furnishings like cushions and headboards as well as the owner’s existing furnishings.

“We looked at patterns and iconography that ranged from rodeo cowboys to clusters of clay urns and rippled teal zebra stripes, charging every room with personality and padded comfort,” she says.

“Homes should ultimately reflect the personalities of their owners, so adding a sense of playfulness can speak volumes.”

The bathrooms were gutted and revived in tones of gentle blush, rose and rhubarb marble.

The kitchen was treated to new joinery and a giallo Siena marble island bench that Ghoniem describes as “the colour of a freshly poured tequila sunrise”. A pop of red is provided by a sharp stripe through its centre, and by bold Astra Walker tapware.

One of the two guest rooms was transformed into an additional main suite, with his-and-her spaces and en suites that breathe in Pittwater views and accommodate the couple working separately from home.

Outside, around the pool, heavy paving and greyed timber were replaced with characterful marble cobblestones.

The balcony was extended to open the home up to the view, and old timber furnishings were painted a warm shade of ginger.

“The mood had to be playful,” Ghoniem says. “Tumbled marble pavers arranged in checkerboard patterns and earthy tones lay the foundation, citrus accents keep the mood light and – along with Adam Goodrum’s Trace armchairs and citrus-yellow Kartell stools – the scene is completely refreshed.”