The Design Files: Tamsin Johnson's transformed 1970s-style beach bungalow

Who: Interior designer Tamsin Johnson, her husband, tailor Patrick Johnson, and children Arthur (3 years) and Bunny (18 months)

What: A transformed 1970s-style apartment

Where: Tamarama, Sydney

Tamarama is tucked between Bronte and Bondi Beach in one of Sydney’s most enviable beachside locations. Interior designer Tamsin Johnson and her husband Patrick stumbled upon their 1970s home here, and purchased it the very next day, before undertaking a complete redesign for their young family.

The couple share the serene space with kids Arthur, 3, and Bunny, 18 months.

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The beach bungalow is typical of the older style houses in the Tamarama area, with simple bones and an interior layout of many little rooms.

The couple quickly set about gutting and reconfiguring the house. “We retained the facade, but not much more,” Tamsin says.

The redesign included converting six small rooms into one large space on the top floor, for a more open-plan approach. The renovations also entailed upgrading a series of small windows into a huge opening to welcome in the ocean views, complete with bifold steel framed doors that open out onto the terrace.

With the structural renovations complete, Johnson put her interior design skills to task, transforming the interiors into a calm, refined space that feels like “an extension of the coastal surroundings”.

The aim was to create a home that would offer both “warmth and togetherness in the winter” and “freshness and tranquillity in the summer time”.

Johnson describes her design approach as one that “relies on the warmth of materials, the smell of the ocean, natural finishes and collected furniture”.

A neutral base palette and chalky white walls also provide the perfect backdrop for the Johnsons’ enviable art collection, which they have built over the past 12 years.

The family love the Tamarama area, and the strong sense of local community. “We know all the neighbours and the kids play in the streets after school,” Johnson says.

Connected to its surroundings, yet sleek, cosy and intimate, this is a home that gets the balance just right.

How to layer art and objects

The finishing touches in any home are the art and treasured objects you choose to surround yourself with.

• Challenge your idea of what “art” can be. Alongside paintings and prints, think about ways to frame and display treasured photos, a scrap of sentimental fabric or even a love letter.
• Group small artworks together by theme or colour. For instance, display black and white photographs, prints or sketches in a cluster on one wall.
• When it comes to objects, group by material. Ceramics and/or glassware look great displayed en masse – the key to avoid a cluttered look is to stick to a theme.
• Books always add character to a space, but please don’t organise your book spines by colour. A great collection of well-thumbed books looks best when displayed in a more ad-hoc way, alternating between conventional rows, and vertical stacks.