Inala House - Before and After
There is nothing quite as satisfying in the world of interior design as a total "good bones" transformation. When our clients purchased Inala House in Rye about 18 months ago, the home was incredibly well-maintained but firmly locked in a past era.
Today, we’re taking you behind the scenes of how we took this dated coastal holiday home and transformed it into a calm, cocooning Japandi-inspired sanctuary.
Before and After - from dated to open flow.
The Kitchen & Dining: From disconnected to seamless hub
The Before: The original kitchen was defined by a restrictive, dated U-shape layout, complete with a bulky white refrigerator that visually cut the cook off from the rest of the house. Covering the floor was a mottled, checkerboard vinyl that competed with the gorgeous timber ceilings above. Adjoining the kitchen, the dining area suffered from a massive, long blank wall that left the clients entirely uninspired.
Early visualisations helped understand the potential of the space.
The Response
We completely gutted the layout to give the family the connection they desperately needed for multi-generational gatherings. By deleting the U-shape, we were able to drop in a sleek, handle-less island bench that flows effortlessly into the dining space.
To solve the issue of that long, awkward wall, we created a custom piece of hybrid joinery in a soft, muted clay tone. It cleverly conceals entry-way clutter while offering beautiful oak open shelving to display the client’s curated ceramics. A soft, sweeping curve gently guides you to kitchen and hallway beyond.
The entry is now a refined and welcoming addition to the home.
The Fine Details: Elevating with materiality
One of our favorite elements of this project was the opportunity to introduce deeply tactile, considered materials that honour both Australian warmth and Japanese minimalism.
In the kitchen, we utilized gorgeous Japanese glazed tiles for the splashback. To elevate the look, we specified a dual configuration: a vertical stack along the base to ground the benchtops, seamlessly transitioning into a horizontal stack above the shelving line.
Bathrooms and laundries also received a full overhaul, ensuring practicality and aesthetics were equally balanced.
We swapped the dated finishes for large-format sand-toned tiling and a rich, textured timber vanity. The absolute hero of the bathroom is the striking matte olive-green concrete basin, which sits beautifully against the neutral backdrop. For a sense of cohesive continuity, the same Japanese finger tiles from the kitchen splashback wrap elegantly up the wall behind the new built-in bath.
The new laundry mirrors the kitchen’s refined oak timbers, but features a playful twist: a beautiful splashback of soft, square Japanese mosaic tiles that proves even doing the beach-towel laundry can feel luxurious.
By honouring the original high-raked timber ceilings and strategically opening up the floor plan, Inala House has transitioned from a tired time-capsule into a grounded, peaceful coastal retreat ready to welcome generations of family for decades to come.
You can see more of our Inala House project here.
If you're planning your own renovation in Melbourne and want clarity on what your specific project might involve, a tailored scope conversation is always the best first step. Start the conversation here.
Build by Restore and Create, Photography by Lisa Atkinson.