Inspired by the Italian Amalfi Coast – the Nash family forever home
In the words of Stephen King, “you can, you should, and if you’re brave enough to start, you will.”
The home of Blake and Ben Nash, and their three young children, Xander, Layton, and Kalani celebrates what it is to be brave. It’s a home of great risks, great vision, and great craftsmanship.
It is a peek inside the very creative mind of its brainchild – Blake and the team at Shac Architects.
Blake Nash
Blake and Ben thought they had their forever home. They had a beautiful house in Macquarie Street, Merewether, that they believed was just perfect. When they undertook the build Blake was pregnant with their eldest son, Xander. Four years later Blake and Ben were parents to three children under four and it was time for a bigger home.
Two years ago they started planning their new ‘forever home’ to be built on a block they purchased closer to the beach and in the zoning area they wanted for their children to start their schooling journey.
With a few developments behind the two of them, Blake knew what she wanted to achieve with this build.
“It’s inspired by Positano and the Italian Amalfi Coast which I think is one of the most beautiful places in the world. I told my husband we were going to build a pink house and he thought I was kidding. He thought I was completely nuts. I said, trust me… I have a vision!
“I started pulling together different pictures and inspiration and assembling a mood board. That’s where it all started.”
There is no mistaking its Italian identity. The front gates were designed in conjunction with Blake and Jalmer Designs in Western Australia. They are a wrought iron masterpiece of vines, leaves, and grapes.
The wrought iron design continues inside with bespoke panels positioned inside cutouts in the walls, also made by Jalmer Designs, and a custom balustrade made by local company, Exklusivemetal.
The theme of vines, grapes, and wine extends into the circular entry that surrounds the exquisite curved staircase and a wrap-around wine cellar that houses the couple’s wine collection.
“Some people collect art. We collect fine wine.”
Blake proudly shows me the workmanship Ben has put into the wine cellar; the solid doors throughout the home; the curved walk-in-wardrobe; the balustrade railing; and the pièce de résistance: a circular wooden feature at the top of the curved staircase that features a custom made wrought iron chandelier as its centre piece.
“My husband happens to be the most talented person I know when it comes to woodwork. He did the majority of the woodwork throughout the house using an exquisite walnut timber.”
When Blake tells me what a talented woodworker Ben is, she’s not kidding. By trade, Ben is an aeronautical engineer and has no formal training in woodwork beyond high school industrial arts and YouTube. She points to the full-size billiard table in the pool room.
“Ben made this for his Year 12 assignment.”
With so many unique and beautiful design features to look at, I ask Blake if she did all of the interior design herself.
“Yes, I have an appreciation for all types of design. I like themes that are a bit more unique and have a lot of character.”
“I started with my mood board. I do room by room and started with the bathroom. I pick out the colour palette, then make specific selections. I piece it together as I go. Then I move onto the next room. I see different images in magazines, online, travel shows, etc. I’d see something I like and then try and source it online. Bit by bit. Pieces came from everywhere. We just pulled it all together.
“If I was going to give anyone advice on undertaking a project like this, I’d say to know what you want to do before you start it. Figure out your budget and your rooms before you start. Have a plan for everything. Make sure you’re on the same page as your partner if you have one. Compromise is important. Always come back to your initial goal.”
Italy is well known for its natural stone and ceramics and Blake has used this inspiration thoughtfully throughout her interior.
The floor tiles from Mirror Ceramics are large format limestone, laid in a French lay pattern that flows seamlessly to the outdoor entertaining area.
The stone on the kitchen benchtop and bar is leathered granite that has an ethereal textural quality and in Blake’s words, is “indestructible.” The walls are all rendered, with the exception of the children’s bedrooms, the walls are all rendered, which is another detail that makes this aesthetic work so beautifully.
The light fixtures from ‘Lights of Tuscany,’ a California-based company, look very much at home in the space and contribute to the feeling that the house has been there for decades, even though it is yet to turn one year old.
The kitchen has every modern convenience, including fully integrated appliances, chef oven, and butler's pantry; yet the solid walnut joinery, leathered granite, and rendered walls give it an inviting, lived-in aesthetic.
Considered design decisions such as a curved dropped ceiling to house the air conditioning, mirroring the curvature of where the carpet meets the tiles, are subtle touches that show the level of detail in this build.
“The project grew as we went along and we realised so many opportunities to improve it and make it better.
“Working with Guy Bunder, Simon MacDonald, Taylor Gibson, and the team from MADE was fantastic. We also really enjoyed working with Josh Fahey and Nick McLaren from Insight Electrical. I’m sure there were times when I was nobody’s favourite person but they always found solutions.”
As I admire the rendered, curved gas log fireplace in the living room, Blake recalls the lengths they went to to achieve her design.
“I was adamant this was the design I wanted for the fireplace. The curved bench underneath is rendered brick. When you see this fireplace design in pictures online, it’s always for log fires. I didn’t want a log fire because of the mess but I was told we couldn’t enclose the gas fireplace with a solid structure as it would prohibit access for servicing and repairs.
“I refused to give up on the idea until the guys at MADE came up with an out-of-the-box solution. They turned up with two massive blocks of foam and we started to sculpt it to shape by shaving it down. Once we got the perfect shape, it was rendered and now you’d never know it wasn’t a solid structure.”
The master bedroom is a spacious adult retreat. The windows are furnished perfectly by the team at Valley Vogue and the carpet is soft underfoot. Behind the bedroom is a curved walk-in-wardrobe hand-crafted by Ben that Blake is slowly but surely taking over with her collection of clothes and shoes. Beyond the wardrobe is the couple’s ensuite.
As I stand there open-mouthed in awe, Blake explains.
“This is definitely my favourite space in the house. I knew I wanted a round bath, so we built the ensuite around having the bath in the centre.”
The vanity curves around the wall on the left-hand side with mirrors aligning the wall. An antique wrought iron chair painted by Blake in champagne gold to match the tapware sits alongside the vanity to serve as a makeup station.
“I love that chair. It used to belong to my grandmother. My grandfather used to say she was the best-dressed woman in Newcastle. I was very close to her.”
Above the round free-standing bath is a round cutout in the ceiling illuminated from an overhead skylight. To the right of the bath is a walk-in shower tiled with travertine Kit Kat tiles sourced from DiLorenzo, and a separate toilet. This space conjures up images of 1950s Hollywood glamour. I can see why Blake loves it so much.
This is no ordinary house. I ask Blake about the challenges they faced during the construction process.
“It was a complicated build. I could think of a million roadblocks and things we had to change. For example, the chandelier was dropped in transit. We had all the scaffolding in place and ready to install. When we opened it up it was all bent. It would have taken another 8 weeks to have another custom built, then there would have been a further delay with freight. Luckily, our builder was able to repair it. I could write a book about all the things we had to change.”
It wasn’t until the end of our interview that I noticed very little art on the walls. There are gorgeous family photos on the wall in the pool room, but Blake has resisted the temptation to install art anywhere else throughout the house. The house itself is art.
Blake and Ben are now planning a development on a newly purchased vineyard in the Hunter Valley. This time she has her sights set on French Provincial style and has already started her mood board. It will be the latest in accommodation options in this beautiful part of the world, so keep your eyes peeled for its launch. It’s bound to be something special.
