Coastal, Without the Cliché: A Calm, Contemporary Home in Bayside Melbourne
12th September 2025
Location: Bayside, Melbourne
Design: Architecture by Lucas Amon of LKA Architects | Interiors by Picchio Interiors
“Coastal” can mean a lot of things — but too often, it’s reduced to a narrow, theme-driven aesthetic.
You know the look: rope lamps, blue-and-white stripes, maybe even the odd decorative seashell bowl. While that might suit a beach shack, it’s not how this family want to live — especially not in their forever home.
This project in Bayside Melbourne was about something entirely different.
Designed for a busy professional family who love the coast but didn’t want to live in a coastal theme, the brief was clear: create a home that’s calm, modern, and deeply connected to place — without falling into cliché.
Designing for Calm, Not Cliché
Working closely with the brilliant Lucas Amon of LKA Architects, we set out to design a new build that’s sophisticated, warm, and emotionally intelligent. A home that feels grounded in its coastal context — without ever trying too hard to “look coastal.”
This is not a weekend escape. It’s a family home designed for real life — spacious, considered, and quietly confident.
“This home is connected to its context through tone, texture and restraint — not decoration.” Photo by Elise Scott
The Coastal Feel, Reimagined
Designing a coastal-inspired home doesn’t mean styling with seashells. It means making choices that reflect your surroundings — in tone, in material, and in feeling.
Here, we did that through a deliberate selection of materials, finishes, and lighting — each one adding warmth, depth, and quiet rhythm to the home.
✔ Locally sourced stone for the island bench
We wanted the kitchen island to feel iconically Australian. We chose a natural stone from the Pilbara region, rich with warm tones and a wave-like pattern reminiscent of sedimentary rock along the Victorian coastline. It’s a quiet nod to place — and a moment of natural beauty at the heart of the home.
✔ Travertine for warmth and imperfection
Warm, tonal, and beautifully textured — travertine helped soften the home visually and bring grounded elegance to high-touch spaces.
✔ Light timber floors and cabinetry
Timber gave us warmth without heaviness. Used across both floors and joinery, it brings consistency, texture, and lightness to the entire home.
✔ Feature tiles that reflect the sea
Subtle, wave-inspired tile patterns create quiet movement in bathrooms and splashbacks. Large-format floor tiles mimic the natural grain of sand — soft underfoot, easy to live with.
✔ Sculptural lighting throughout
From the front door to the rear, sculptural forms create softness, elegance, and little surprises. Each fixture adds ambience without distraction.
✔ Indoor-outdoor continuity
We used modern bricks inside and out to blur boundaries and strengthen the sense of connection to nature. It’s a quiet move that has a big impact.
✔ Handleless joinery for flow
With no shiny hardware to interrupt the space, the cabinetry feels seamless — calming the eye and supporting the home’s natural rhythm.
✔ Skylights for natural connection
Skylights bring daylight into every corner, helping the home feel connected to the outdoors — even from within.
“Every material, every finish was chosen to support calm, connection, and flow — not to play to trends.” Photo by Elise Scott
A True Creative Partnership
This project wouldn’t be what it is without the architectural clarity of Lucas Amon. His design vision brought spatial rhythm and poise — and gave us the perfect framework to layer in warmth, texture and tone. The result is architecture and interior design in deep, quiet conversation.
Final Thought
You can live by the coast without living in a beach house.
You can have a calm, connected home — without a single styling trope in sight.
This home reflects what’s possible when design is thoughtful, restrained, and emotionally intelligent. It feels like an exhale — and it was a joy to bring to life.