A couple transforms a drab and boring beachfront apartment into a Hamptons-inspired retreat

A couple have revealed how they transformed a drab, ‘tired’ and boring Sydney waterfront apartment into a luxurious Hamptons-inspired retreat with the help of renovation queen Cherie Barber.

Owners Bec and Julian had a standard-sized three-bedroom apartment in Coogee, but like many family homes, it was cluttered with things in the wrong places and had items on display that shouldn’t be.

With Cherie’s help, the couple spent $50,802.51 to transform their space into a beautiful coastal apartment, adding $150,000 in value, or a net profit of $99,197.49.

Cherie helped make the reindeer in just three days and shared how you can replicate the Hamptons look on a budget.

Cherie told FEMAIL that the first thing she needed to do with the space was to light and modernize it.

“While the apartment had good bones and was a decent size, we can’t ignore the fact that it was in desperate need of some lighting,” Cherie told FEMAIL.

“Being a ground floor apartment, natural light was not abundant and many things just looked old and tired.”

The first area he tackled was the long, narrow hallway, which stretched the length of the apartment.

“As soon as you walk in the front door, the mess hits you right in the face,” Cherie said.

“Boxes stacked one on top of the other are not the most attractive decor items and pose a hazard to little ones.”

She added that with so much trash in the hallway, it also made the “backbone” of the apartment feel “small and cramped.”

Taking matters into her own hands, the TV presenter painted the living room walls in a pale blue/grey color with a fresh white paint on top.

“Treasured photos that were stacked on the floor and in boxes were arranged informally to keep things casual and two simple bookcases from Fantastic Furniture were added to provide practical storage,” she said.

Following this, Cherie disposed of the damaged wooden planks and replaced them with Majorca Palm Strings tiles in Blue Matt from Beaumont Tiles.

“The pattern and color of the tiles help achieve the Hamptons look and really brighten up the floor and brighten up all the rooms overall,” he said.

The old pendant lights were replaced with ‘shiny new chandeliers,’ while some of the apartment’s older features from the 1930s, like picture rails, high coffered ceilings and decorative casement windows, were kept to give it character.

Elsewhere, Cherie tackled the kitchen and dining room, adding a ‘beautiful’ pale blue subway tile in the kitchen to create the look of a Hamptons space.

“A good scrubbing and cleaning of the cabinets did wonders and I painted some of the old wood cabinets with White Knight tile and laminate paint, rather than replace them,” he said.

Finally, he placed a thin layer of 8mm real granite directly on top of the old countertops to remove the ugly yellowing.

Finally, Cherie added a new pendant light to channel the Hamptons vibe and revamped the dining room table by painting it white and adding DIY self-adhesive 3D mosaic tiles from Kmart to the top.

Cherie also took over the guest bedroom, which she turned into a home office where the family could store their clutter.

He rehabbed the bedroom of the couple’s son, Caspar, replacing the wardrobe and the bed.

“In total, this renovation cost $50,802.51 for all materials, labor and furnishings at full retail cost,” Cherie said.

‘Of this, materials represented $21,025.35 and labor $29,777.16. The increase in property value was exactly $150,000, resulting in a net gain of $99,197.49.’

Cherie also shared her top five tips for achieving Hamptons style in your own home, saying the key is to bring the outdoors inside.

“I always recommend anyone who wants that Hamptons look to wear lots of accessories that contain natural textures like cotton, rattan and linen,” she told Daily Mail Australia.

‘You don’t need to spend hundreds on your style items. You can go to stores like Kmart where you can buy Hamptons-style cushions for less than $20, like these some.’

Cherie’s second tip is to collect as many decorative Hamptons items as possible, like shells.

“Think about shells at the beach that you can display in a glass jar or pieces of driftwood that you would find on the beach, there are always creative ways to recycle things that you find for free in nature,” she said.

Third, you should always paint a space the same color if you want it to look Hamptons-style.

“If you want to install a Hamptons-inspired feature wall, opt for a naturally textured wallpaper that’s both self-adhesive and DIY,” Cherie said.

“All you have to do is remove the backing and stick it to the wall, eliminating the need to hire a wallpaper installer.”

Finally, Cherie said you should go for “big, solid furniture” as much as possible, as this is a “hallmark of Hamptons design.”

“Upcycle your larger, darker-colored furniture by painting it white with products like Frenchie chalk paints,” she said.

For more information about Cherie Barber, you can visit her website here.