A sneak peek inside the bright beachside home of TV presenter Sally Obermeder

When Sally Obermeder first moved to Bondi with her husband Marcus seven years ago, she didn’t get the appeal. “Marcus wanted to come closer to the beach, but I was very ‘ho hum’ about the whole thing. It was winter. Then summer came and it was like a light-bulb moment: ‘Oh, okay – I get it!’” Sprinklings of colour and texture add interest in the contemporary living space, which is based on Sally’s preferred understated tones. “I would describe my interiors style as white, white, white,
super-white,” she says. “It’s a small space and white makes it look bigger. It keeps the look cleaner, it’s beachy and it also allows me to bring in my own elements of colour without it getting cluttered, which I like.”

Ater much practise, Sally has become an accomplished home chef and spends happy times cooking in her gleaming white kitchen.

 A burst of colour from a work commissioned by the couple – Glenn Farquhar’s Galaxy Bondi Beach – provides punch in the relaxed dining zone. “I wanted something bright and strong,” explains Sally. “You see it as soon as you walk in.” An extendable Ikea table with chairs bought more than a decade ago has proved a winning find. “It’s so durable. If we have eight, 10 or 12 people [around the table], or if we’re doing stand-up drinks and I want to build a buffet, it’s perfect,” says Sally, who often goes to town with dinner parties, sticking to a theme, whether it be Italian or Mexican. “It gives me options, and in a small space you need options.”

Sally takes a moment to relax on the white leather couch, which is surprisingly child-friendly. A stunning painting by Pansy Napangardi – a first anniversary gift from Marcus – is one of Sally’s most treasured possessions. “I love it. Sometimes
I’ll just lie on the couch and look up at it. It’s sort of hypnotic and relaxing,” says the effervescent TV personality. “The lounge is my spot. On weekends, I’ll just sit there reading magazines. Marcus will make me a coffee and Annabelle will be playing on the balcony. That is gold. If I could bottle that…”

A Sheridan bedspread gives a masculine edge to the master bedroom, while candles from Ecoya, Palm Beach Collection and Bombardier Designs are regularly lit.

Annabelle’s lovely bedroom – complete with a Missoni throw and bedding, and more than a few delightful tutus – also doubles as extra storage space for Sally’s expansive collection of clothes, shoes and clutches. Colour-coded, everything is carefully stored and within easy reach for the TV presenter.

A treasured hand-knitted throw takes prominent place over the Domayne lounge on the family’s balcony-with-a-view. The throw was given to Sally when she was undergoing treatment for aggressive breast cancer. Sally, who is today the picture of health, was given the all-clear by doctors in October 2012 and is now hoping to hit the five-year mark, cancer-free.