HOUSE 18: CREATING THE ULTIMATE PARENTS’ RETREAT
Three young boys. One swimming pool. A backyard made for boisterous games. An alfresco area built for long lunches that roll into dinner.
House 18 was never going to be a quiet house. And we wouldn’t want it any other way.
This is a home designed for living BIG. Friends dropping in, barbecues firing up, wet footprints through the house and approximately 437 games of Marco Polo before someone finally calls it a day.
But at some point, the grown-ups need somewhere to escape to.
Enter: the parents’ retreat.
We wanted this entire part of the home to feel like checking into a gorgeous boutique hotel… only better, because you never have to check out.
Calm, indulgent and decidedly grown-up, it’s a little pocket of peace tucked away from the action. Somewhere to close the doors and pretend, just for a moment, that nobody is yelling “Muuuuum!” from the other end of the house.
A LITTLE HINT OF WHAT’S TO COME
The parents’ retreat sits just off the foyer, where a pair of grand Corinthian doors signal there’s something pretty spesh waiting on the other side.
Open them and the mood shifts instantly.
Dulux Hog Bristle Half wraps the room in the same creamy neutral you’ll find elsewhere in House 18, creating flow while giving all those beautiful details room to shine.
Intrim mouldings and skirting boards bring character and craftsmanship, while natural materials and soft textures create that quiet, cocooning feeling we were chasing.
It’s refined without feeling formal. Special without feeling precious.
Basically, you can kick off your shoes, flop onto the bed and still feel like you’re somewhere fabulous.
THE WALL THAT’S WORKING OVERTIME
Facing the bed is a full wall of Carrera by Design custom cabinetry, giving the room loads of storage while keeping everything beautifully streamlined.
But there’s a little secret hiding in there.
An oversized LG TV, ready for a post-Marco-Polo Netflix binge, is completely concealed when it’s not needed.
Because sometimes the giant TV is essential. Looking at the giant black rectangle all day? Less so.
Gorgeous Lo & Co hardware acts like jewellery for the cabinetry, adding another layer of detail.
Practical AND pretty. Our favourite combo.
OLD BEAUTY, NEW LIFE
One thing we definitely didn’t want to conceal was the room’s original fireplace.
Its beauty had been hidden beneath various additions over the years, so we stripped everything back and let the original feature take centre stage again.
Then we gave it a Maison Soleil twist.
For the hearth, we introduced TileCloud’s Kirribilli Sand Travertine Look tiles in Sandstone and paired these with Pink Marble-Look tiles, echoing the floor treatment used in the foyer and entrance.
It’s a little moment that tells the story of the whole renovation. Rather than erasing the home’s past, we uncovered the beautiful bits, celebrated them, then introduced new materials that felt like they’d always belonged.
LIGHT, TIMBER AND LOVELY SOFT THINGS
The oversized Stegbar windows bring gorgeous natural light into the bedroom and we kept their frames in their natural timber state.
Against the Dulux Hog Bristle Half walls, the timber adds warmth and connects beautifully with the Woodcut timber flooring flowing in from the rest of the home.
Luxaflex soft Roman blinds give us that dreamy, relaxed look during the day while cleverly concealing blockout roller blinds for privacy at night.
Underfoot, the creamy Yosefa shag rug from Miss Amara softens all that timber and adds another cosy layer.
Now, onto the bit that really turns this bedroom into a retreat…
A WALK-THROUGH WARDROBE WITH HOTEL ENERGY
We dialled up the five-star feeling with a walk-through robe connecting the bedroom to the ensuite.
A marble-topped console defines the dressing zone, subtly separating it from the sleeping area while adding generous storage underneath. Custom made by Carrera by Design, it’s every bit as hard-working as it is beautiful.
And then you walk through to the ensuite.
Oh boy.
A BATHROOM MADE FOR ESCAPING
If the bedroom whispers luxury, the ensuite is allowed to speak up a little.
Its generous proportions instantly give it that day-spa feeling, with enough breathing room for the Reece Kaldewei Puro Duo bath to have a proper moment.
We continued the Reece Milli Etch tapware in brushed bronze used throughout House 18, bringing warmth against the natural stone tones.
Then TileCloud came to the party.
We repeated the Kirribilli Sand Travertine Look in Sandstone used on the fireplace hearth with Kirribilli Beige Travertine Look in Sandstone, creating subtle variation while keeping the palette warm, earthy and serene.
Even the grout joined the holiday mood with TileCloud Ultracolour Grout in Caribbean.
Caribbean! In the parents’ retreat!
Coincidence? We think not.
THAT LIGHT, THOUGH
Look up and you’ll find one of our favourite features: a VELUX Solar Opening Skylight.
It floods the ensuite with natural light from above, making the space feel brighter and bigger while still maintaining privacy. Winner winner.
The custom Carrera by Design vanity is finished in Dulux Hog Bristle Half and topped with spectacular Art of Marble Breccia Pernice Light marble.
It’s the same marble used on the console in the walk-through robe — and that repetition helps these spaces feel like one beautifully considered suite.
The marble. The warm whites. The timber. The travertine. The brushed bronze.
Nothing has been chosen in isolation. Everything talks to something else.
And THAT is where the magic happens.
THE CALM AFTER THE VERY FUN STORM
What we love most about the House 18 parents’ retreat is the contrast.
Outside those doors is a home designed to be lived in. Hard.
Kids. Mates. Food. Footy. Swimming. Entertaining. Wet towels. Noise. All the wonderful mess that comes with a full house.
Inside, everything slows down.
The colours are quieter. The lighting is softer. Clever storage keeps clutter tucked away, while natural materials and beautiful little luxuries make the space feel like somewhere you’ve escaped to, even though you’re still at home.
And really, that was the whole idea.
Because a dream family home doesn’t have to mean every square metre is dedicated to the family.
Sometimes, the best thing you can give the grown-ups is a beautiful place to shut the doors at the end of the day, sink into bed and enjoy the silence.
Well… until someone yells “Muuuuum!”
It was nice while it lasted.
