Feature Friday: Beach House Life

I love Instagram!

I have been able to connect with so many like minded, house and interior loving people who are inspiring, creative and talented via Instagram. Donna, an Interior Designer who you may have already met via her Instagram account beachhouse_life is one of those.

I love Donna's relaxed, homely coastal home and had been admiring her Instagram posts for awhile. I asked Donna if she would be so kind to share her home with you all and was so chuffed when Donna agreed to let us take a tour of her Gold Coast home as part of Feature Friday.

Lets take a look inside this gorgeous coastal home shall we and learn a little bit more about the lovely Donna.

Donna doing what so many of us interior loving ladies do best - shoozing or faffing as you may call it!

Donna, it’s so lovely to have you here with us – tell us a bit about yourself.

I am a beach loving Gold Coast girl, born and bred here.  I grew up in Paradise Point on the Gold Coast by the water which I absolutely loved, but eventually moved away to live overseas for a years, in Sydney and in Brisbane but my little family and I have now come full circle and are back in Paradise Point, which I guess is always where we would come back to.  We adore our little beachside abode which is quiet, cozy and coastal and now also plays host to my home based Interior Design studio which I launched earlier this year.  

I have been following your Instagram account eagerly and I love seeing your home and gorgeous style. What do you love most about your home?

I love that my home has a relaxed and casual feel about it.  I am house proud and love every piece of furniture and accessory I have gathered over time, but don’t think too much about how it all works together, as my job requires me to think meticulously about this.  I love collecting roadside finds, garage sale gems and second hand pieces and up cycling them in whatever style I feel like at the time.  I change things up around here so much, it always feels like a new home anyway!

What does the word home mean to you?

Home to me means mean comfort, relaxation, family, laughs, memories and friends.

Describe your style?

I definitely lean towards a relaxed, coastal style of décor, but I do love using colour to brighten my home right up. 

Your inspiration for your home?

Most definitely it’s beachside location.  Living by the water dictates my home’s relaxed and coastal feel, it perfectly depicts our lifestyle. 

Favourite Room?

Our Living Room is my favourite room in our home, it’s bright and fun, but also warm and cozy and it’s where the 4 of us (including our giant puppy!) kick back and watch movies, have TV dinners, play board games or just chat and catch up over cups of tea.  

Biggest indulgence?

I don’t buy overly expensive pieces for my home, because I love finding pieces that have a story or that need a little TLC.  My biggest indulgence to date would probably be my outdoor table setting which I had custom made by a local builder turned furniture maker.  It’s made from recycled VJ panels from an old Queenslander which we painted and whitewashed, and has been the centre of many afternoon bbq’s and catch-ups with friends and family.  

Proudest DIY moment?

That’s a tough one, there’s always so much DIY going on around here!  Most recently though, I upcycled a bamboo coffee table in a matt white rustoleum paint, which came up a treat.  But I have since re-painted that and given it to my Mum for her lounge room to make way for something new.

What do friends say when they visit your home?

My friends do love my home, people often comment on the amount of colour in my home and the fact that my living room furniture is not placed against the wall! 

HOMELY, INVITING, COASTAL + COLOURFUL.

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE DONNA'S HOME?

What do you love most? For me its the gorgeous combination of coastal tones paired with the colourful brights. 

One of the first things I noticed about Donna's living space was that the furniture was not all pushed up against the walls. I think it looks fabulous and helps to create 'spaces' in what would an open plan living space. I love that it is something her friends also admire and comment on!

Do you buy home decor and furniture that tells a story or need a bit of TLC like Donna? Some of my favourite pieces of furniture are roadside finds or treasures that I have bought home from holidays - like this vase I bought back from Hawaii which I wrapped in my suitcase and love looking at in my kitchen.

 It brings me back to sunny days and holiday vibes. 

Why wouldn't you want those memories in a home?

You can tell Donna's home has so many stories to tell, so many treasured pieces and that each piece bought into the home is done with purpose. Everything looks like it has a home or a story to tell, wouldn't you agree?

Of course I had to end the home tour with this gorgeous snap of Donna's gorgeous Doberman! Too sweet not to share.

Donna I adore your home and think it is the perfect combination of coastal and colour. Thank you so much for sharing it with us all today.

I'd love to know what you think of Donna's home too, feel free to leave a comment below. What was your favourite part of the home tour?

Want to connect with Donna? You can stop by and say hello via her Instagram or soon to launch website.

Note - all photos were sourced from Donna's Instagram account and were used with her permission. 

Linking up with Life Love & Hiccups and With Some Grace.

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