Today we take you on a tour of Bay Builds duplex — a new build project from our fave Block dream team, Kyal and Kara Demmrich. These homes feature a similar design and layout but showcase a stark contrast in their interior styles. One favours French interiors while its neighbour goes for a coastal Spanish vibe.
Which one will be your fave? Let’s explore!
Related article: Blue Lagoon: Curved features and Mediterranean vibes in the latest home by Kyal and Kara
Related article: Luxury coastal home: Kyal and Kara’s Long Jetty home tour
Having numerous build and reno projects under their belts, it was only a matter of time before Kyal and Kara tackled another ambitious project.
“The homes are located in Long Jetty, across from the Toowoon Bay shopping village. They’re an easy walk to the beach, too. We’ve lived within this area for years and absolutely love the community and coastal vibes,” Kara tells us.
“We decided on building 2 homes, given the block size and the location to local cafés and beaches. Also, there’s a huge amount of growth in the area.
“The Bay Builds duplex is a side-by-side development with each home consisting of 3 bedrooms upstairs, including a main bedroom with walk-in wardrobe and ensuite.
“The upstairs spaces also feature a main bathroom and office space. Downstairs you’ll find a media room, wine room, powder room and an open plan kitchen, living and dining space.
“The living spaces open out into a pool and entertaining area. House 1 features a long lap style pool with spa. House 2 has a cool round pool with a deck.”
The duplexes are similar in layout and size, but take on two very different interior styles.
“House 1 leans into a light, refined, elegant interior scheme. Travertine, microcement and champagne metallic accents adorn each space, and we were really inspired by French interiors when it came to mood boarding for House 1,” Kara says.
“House 2 is moody and reminiscent of a coastal Spanish resort. Aged American Oak, rustic timber furnishings, sisal and Vancouver natural stone help to create the holiday feel.
“The backyards really mimic the internal feel of each home. House 1 is linear with its formal hotel style lap pool, and House 2 backyard is a little more playful with its round pool and tiered decking — reminiscent of a resort or villa.
“Although it’s a little like being asked to choose a favourite child, we really love the unique feel of House 2. When you walk in, you really do feel like you’ve been transported to a tropical resort.
“During the open home process, the lighter colour palette of House 1 has had a broader market appeal.”
As we’ve come to expect with any of Kyal and Kara’s projects, there are some stunning features within the Bay Builds duplex.
“Given the limitations of a side-by-side development, there were no external windows on the dividing wall. To draw in more light, we had the idea of placing glass floors directly under the Velux skylights from the first floor to help to capture natural light in the ground floor hallways.
“And what a difference it made! Once the coverings came off, the hallways were instantly brighter!” smiles Kara.
“Another fun feature are the internal garden beds, as suggested by Matt Lacey from Landart. The idea was to blur the lines between the indoors and outdoors within this space. You can see that over time as the plants mature, the gardens will give the illusion that they merge into one another.
“A key part of the project that we absolutely love is the natural stone walling. It’s made from Cathargo from Stone Style and is a rustic travertine that varies in thickness.
We chose the travertine because we fell in love with the organic, rustic nature of the stone. Some pieces are so textured they look like pieces of coral.
“With any project, we love blurring the lines between the indoors and outdoors, and using the same material interiorly and exteriorly is such a great way to achieve continuity and flow.”
According to Kara, understanding how people live in a space is just as important as how it looks.
“Whenever we build or renovate, we spend a lot of time imagining how the homeowners will live within the space,” Kara says.
“Ensuring there is adequate living spaces and natural light is always a key priority. And while these homes have just 3 bedrooms, we didn’t feel any pressure to add more bedrooms.
“We felt it would be at a sacrifice to the media room, or second living area. Having said that, there is nothing stopping a buyer from turning this room into a fourth bedroom if they needed to.”
Started back in 2021, the Bay Builds duplex project was a long time coming.
“We purchased the land back in April 2021. We got Council approval in December 2022, and the build was completed in March 2024. So yeah, this one’s been a LONG journey!” laughs Kara.
When you want to save costs in home build and renovation projects, it pays to play it smart. Remember, it’s not always just about looks.
“As a general rule, we always suggest splurging on elements that would be costly to replace at a later date. Things such as insulation, quality cladding and energy-efficient windows,” Kara says wisely.
“In addition, bathroom fixtures and energy efficient appliances are always something we’re happy to splurge on given how often they’re used.
“When it comes to saving, tiles are one area where you can make some savings. There are so many amazing, budget friendly options these days.
“Another cost saving tip is to limit the number of walls that you tile in a bathroom. Also, if you don’t tile floor to ceiling you’ll save a stack here too.”
Credits
Photography: Grace Picot
Builder: Kyal and Kara Demmrich — Diverse Design & Construct
Landscape design: Landart
Windows: Wideline Windows
Doors: Corinthian Doors
Timber floors, tiles and bathroomware: Beaumont Tiles
Big thank you to Kyal and Kara for sharing all about the Bay Builds duplex with us. Another stunning project from our fave Blockheads! You can see more from Kyal and Kara on their Instagram, or website.
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