THE COLLECTION OF OLD TIMBER BEAMS, DOORS, STAINED GLASS WINDOWS AND VINTAGE TREASURES, SOME FROM FARAWAY PLACES, OTHERS FROM FRIENDS JUST AROUND THE CORNER, SOME PICKED OUT OF A SUPPLY YARD IN TWEED HEADS BUT ORIGINALLY FROM A BILLABONG STORE IN QUEENSLAND, WERE ALL DESTINED FOR ONE OR ANOTHER OF TALIAH AND SEIN LOWRY’S RENOVATION PROJECTS.
It happened to be The Chapel, the perfect couples getaway, reminiscent of a moody and light-filled New York apartment with its soaring ceilings and delightful blend of old and new, hard materials like concrete and steel sitting happily beside soft squishy linens and long trails of greenery.
The Chapel was built at the same time as Magnolia House which was to be home for 5 years for Taliah, Sein and their three young sons. With no spare bedroom in Magnolia, The Chapel was to be the guest space, and being in Byron Bay, the most iconic of beach holiday destinations, visitors were always plentiful.
Taliah wanted to separate the main house and The Chapel with a vintage brick wall for privacy and wanted it to have an enclosed courtyard, encircled by lush greenery for guests to sit in and soak up Byron’s abundant sunshine. She wanted an industrial steel staircase and ballustrade leading up to the mezzanine bedroom with its 5 star bed, so typical of inner city Manhattan. And she wanted bespoke and hand-made touches throughout. Pieces like the vintage locker which was purchased from a local vintage/antique dealer but originally from France, and used as a wardrobe, the beautiful hand made gold tiles used as a kitchen splash back which add a delightful touch of luxe and metallic patina to an otherwise muted colour palette and the canvas stretcher, repurposed for comfy lounging.
Like all of the properties they’ve created, The Chapel is a reflection of Taliah and Sein’s commitment to sophisticated and understated luxury, to superb design which celebrates value in the old as well as the new, to light-filled airy spaces and the melding of beautiful interiors with lush greenery which is such a signature of sub tropical coastal life.
It was the perfect guest accommodation for the Lowry family, and is now the most perfect of getaway spaces for couples heading Byron way to immerse themselves in the sun, the sea, the eclectic boutiques, diversity of gastronomic experiences traversing a raft of cuisines, and of course the very best Mother Nature has to serve up.
Credits:
Vision/Concept and Interior Design and Styling: Taliah
Architect: Doug Cope
Building: Greg Lyons
Landscaping: Daniel Kemp
Photography: Jessie Prince
