When Mieke arrives home, she enjoys taking in all of its details – the neatly trimmed hedges flanking the driveway, the magnificent pillars and fretwork framing the entrance, and the glossy black front door she’d coveted for years.
Passers-by are also captivated by the home on Queensland’s Gold Coast. “About half a dozen people have knocked on the door to ask what colour the house is painted,” shares Mieke, of the warm grey Dulux Paving Stone exterior, teamed with elegant crisp white trims, stonework and Taubmans’ All Black double doors.
From the street, Mieke and Brett’s home looks like it could be in a leafy Hamptons hamlet on the US East Coast when, in fact, it’s on a sprawling block on Queensland’s Gold Coast. For Mieke, building the abode marked the realisation of her long-held dream to create a “homely Hamptons-inspired forever home“, where the couple could raise their children, Georgia, 13, and Diesel, 12.
“Arches were a key feature,” says Mieke of the spacious doorways opening through onto balconies. The most striking is the arched clerestory window above the front door, which floods the entrance with natural light and draws the eye upwards, to where a Klaylife pendant hangs like a piece of art.
Inside, the selection of finishes and features are just as refined, with soaring ceilings, regal arches, sumptuous furnishings and lively pops of blue throughout. “I’ve always had an obsession with Hamptons architecture and interiors, so they’re details I’d dreamt about for years, but didn’t have the courage to pull off until this house,” she explains.
A Real Flame Heatseeker gas fireplace from Gold Coast Fireplace & BBQ Centre, surrounded by black Nero Marquina marble by GMG Stone, forms the focal point in the stunning lounge. “In winter, we’ll turn it on in the afternoon and it heats the entire house, it’s just divine,” says Mieke, who allowed the perfect amount of wall space to display a Slim Aarons print above. Fusing shades of blue and green, a Dash & Albert rug anchors a OneWorld Collection sofa and white ‘Bobbin’ chairs, supplied by Keraney Siganto Interior Design, with custom velvet cushions being the final flourish.
It was love at first sight when Mieke spotted the ‘Maison’ fabric in Delft Blue by Studio G, from Anning Curtains and Blinds, used to create the custom Roman blinds. “I’ve got Dutch family, so the little houses are a reminder of the streets over there and it ties in perfectly with blue and white ceramics around the place that were given to me by family,” she says.
Together with husband Brett and children Georgia and Diesel, Mieke had built twice before, but modern, minimalist homes had never felt like the right fit for her family. So, six years ago when they came across a large block with a great aspect and sweeping waterfront views, Mieke took a different approach and the third time has well and truly been a charm.
The dining area is built for family meals, as well as entertaining: Mieke was determined to have a round dining table that encourages conversation, and searched long and hard before finding this timber eight-seater from Alfresco Emporium. A One World Collection ‘Palm Leaves’ pendant and black linen upholstered French oak chairs, sourced by Keraney Siganto Interior Design, help define the dining zone within the open-plan layout. Rather than French doors, the couple opted for sliding glass doors fitted with grids from C-View Windows. “It has the Hamptons look we were after and works perfectly alongside sliding flyscreens,” says Mieke, of the doors leading to the outdoor area.
Rather than set a deadline to furnish the house, Mieke instead spent several years gradually sourcing the perfect pieces to add character and interest in each space. A treasured find is a ‘Jacques’ 7 door Wisteria Design timber sideboard which, teamed with Boyd Blue prints and a palm lamp from Beacon Lighting, adds a tropical plantation feel.
For the three years the family lived in the existing house on their block, Mieke planned and visualised every element of her Hamptons dream home. “I had a lot of Pinterest boards on the go,” she says with a laugh.
‘Frame Decor Gloucester’ floor tiles and ‘Aqua Gloss’ subway tiles by Tile & Stone Gallery adorn this nook in the bulter’s pantry. Rather than hide the butler’s pantry, the galley-style prep zone flows through to the laundry.
Striking ‘Corneila’ Thibaut wallpaper in Navy was the starting point for the office interior, with the lively print the perfect foil for a South Hampton library and sideboard storage units from Rococo Design. Mieke does all the family admin at the black Long Island desk, also from Rococo Design, while family pooch Max is often found lazing about on the Dash & Albert rug.
At the top of her wish list was handcrafted timber detailing, stunning wallpapers and a luxurious ensuite with a bathtub below a huge arch window, inspired by one of her favourite pins. Having sold their previous house fully furnished, Mieke embraced the opportunity to start from scratch and enlisted the help of friend and interior designer Keraney Siganto to source key pieces.
Outside, a Hamptons-style table from Mrs Blanchett’s is teamed with Domayne chairs.
The Hamptons feel extends outside, where the walls and ceiling are clad in James Hardie Linea weatherboards.
If the breeze off the water isn’t enough, The Lighting Superstore ‘Tropical Windpointe’ fan lends relief and a Caribbean feel.
This kitchen cleverly features the same palette of finishes used inside, with the addition of pressed-metal-look Anthology ‘Regent’ tiles from Tile & Stone Gallery as a splashback behind the sink, and a Beef Eater barbecue. Ingolf bar stools from Ikea are ideal for the family to gather for dinner at the island bench, while French-pattern silver travertine pavers from Tile & Stone Gallery are great for disguising spills and puppy pawprints.
The effect is inviting and richly layered, with stunning tiles and fabrics in shades of blue providing a dreamy backdrop for statement lighting and eye-catching decor.
Navy blue and olive green are a regal combination in the couple’s bedroom on the upper level. The bed, featuring a velvet headboard, was custom-made through Domayne, with the royal blue tones echoed in an Adairs throw and custom cushions. As in all the bedrooms, wallpaper forms a decorative backdrop, with a ‘Camber’ Thibaut design chosen as the focal point above a dado rail. “I’ve always loved blue and it works so perfectly with the Hamptons style,” reflects Mieke about her home’s signature colour. For a cohesive feel, floral Westbury ‘Longwood’ fabric from Canvas + Sasson used on the cushions and bedside lamps continues through to the ensuite in the feature blinds.
Now that they’re settled in, Mieke is free to take stock of the exquisite family abode she coaxed out of her imagination and into life. “It was a labour of love for Brett and I to build our forever home, and it really does feel like home,”she reflects.”The beauty and grandness is never lost on me, I appreciate it all.”
“I saw a photo on Pinterest years ago of a bath below an arch window and knew it was what I wanted to create in the ensuite, and it worked out perfectly,” enthuses Mieke. Bathed in beautiful natural light, the Reece Roca undermount bath, surrounded by Carrara marble sourced from GMG Stone, complements the soft grey and white Carrara hexagonal floor tiles from Tile & Stone Gallery. Soft furnishings, including a duck egg blue ottoman by Custom Cushions by Kylie, and automated blinds, also enhance the sense of luxury. A Vermont 4 light pendant from The Lighting Superstore adds after-dark ambience.
The five-start wardrobe was created by PGF Cabinets.
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