My Houzz: A Beach House in the Heart of the City

The Neumann family’s home is a stone’s throw from Brisbane, Australia’s, central business district, but when you see its clapboard exterior and turquoise front door, you may think you’ve arrived at a beach shack on the coast.

Ruth and Tyson Neumann had big plans to renovate this diamond in the rough and quickly move on. But that was not to be. “Soon after we purchased the property, I found out I was pregnant, and we are still here five years later,” Ruth says. “We absolutely love it.”

Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here: Ruth and Tyson Neumann, with son Max, daughter Willow and Alfie the dog
Location: Brisbane, Australia
Size: 2 bedrooms, 1 bathroom

“When we bought this house, it was with the intention to get our hands dirty. It was pretty run-down, and I think that turned a lot of people off, but we could see its potential,” says Ruth.

Exterior paint: door: Nefertiti, Porter’s Paints; siding: Self Destruct, Dulux; trim: Charcoal, Dulux


Ruth uses the study just inside the front entry for creating felt garlands for her label, Felt Foxes. Tyson’s prized skateboard collection adds color to the walls.

“I work in here most days, so you can usually find me in a mess of color and chaos,” says Ruth.

Rug: jute, Spotlight


“The house had a great layout, so we were lucky that we didn’t have to change too much structurally,” Ruth says. There had been a bright green carpet and an off-putting kitchen. “I don’t think it had been cleaned for a long time,” Ruth says. “We stripped it out as soon as we moved in and cooked on our barbecue until we got our new kitchen.”

Here a secondhand glass-top table with chrome legs is paired with Eiffel-inspired chairs from Matt Blatt.

Kitchen: Freedom Kitchens


Children’s artwork adds a personal touch to any home. Ruth displays her mini Picassos’ works in simple white frames.


Glass mosaic tiles in the kitchen complement the home’s beach style and add a soft splash of color. “Our house is simple in design, but that’s why we love it,” says Ruth.


A big armoire from Room for Living provides storage. One of Ruth’s favorite pieces is the “Young Hearts Run Free” wall hanging, from Blacklist.


If you live in Queensland, Australia, or anywhere with a great climate, a back deck gets a lot of use. Ruth and Tyson were eager to add a deck and worked with local builder Q1 Projects, which designed and built the deck.

A chalkboard wall invites the little ones to get creative in the fresh air.


At the other end of the deck, Ruth and Tyson have created a spot for lounging and entertaining. “Because it is a small home, having extra living space where we can entertain and the kids can play is great,” says Ruth.

Daughter Willow loves the vintage-style swing, from Spell Designs, and she can play happily while Ruth and Tyson kick back on their outdoor sectional from Super A-Mart.

Tyson built a café-style bar (left) to provide more options for entertaining and seating. The pillows and retro cooler add pops of color and fun.

Black and white pillows: Freedom; all other pillows: Blacklist


Alfie the dog keeps watch over proceedings in the house from his cool vantage point.


“We get gorgeous morning light and great afternoon breezes in the lounge room,” Ruth says. On the sun-drenched sofa in the front of house, tropical prints add to the beach vibe.

Sofa: Jardan; “Mahalo” pillow: Kawaiian Lion; palm pillow: Escape to Paradise; Mexican throw: Little Tienda


“I love the design philosophy ‘holiday at home,’ and we have tried to create a relaxed coastal feel even though we are nowhere near the beach,” Ruth says.




A little vintage wall cabinet shows off a growing collection of vintage West German pottery. The “Sea Love” print was an insert in Real Living magazine, which Ruth framed.


Ruth and Tyson had a limited budget for renovations and wanted to do a lot of the work themselves.

“Tyson is a professional painter, so the first thing he did was paint the inside. I love that a fresh coat of white paint can bring about so much change and make the place feel so light and bright,” says Ruth.


Ruth is still waiting for her dream bathroom, but in the meantime Tyson has freshened the original one up with a lick of paint and an eye-catching shower curtain.

Shower curtain: Freedom


Crisp white paint helps the home feel bright and airy. Here in the hallway, Ruth has created a gallery by framing treasured photos in simple white frames.

Wall paint: Lexicon, Dulux


“Our home gets really lovely natural light, and the bedrooms are bathed in the afternoon sun,” says Ruth. New and old are side by side, with a funky “Kiss My Neon” poster adorning the wall next to a vintage ladder from an antiques shop in Ulmarra, New South Wales. The floral skull cushion on the bed is by Ourlieu.


The relaxed, beach-house vibe continues in the children’s room, where Ruth has created a space where the kids can unwind and relax. The room does not miss out when it comes to looking stylish.

“I like choosing items for their room that will grow with them,” Ruth says. “Things that have a fun, young feel but aren’t too babyish.”

With a cute garland by Felt Foxes hanging across the window, Max’s corner is full of fun.

“Aloha” print, skull cushion: Blacklist


With a little vintage stool painted by Tyson as a bedside table, the little superhero has the perfect spot on which to lay his slingshot.

“Invisible Crown” decal: Pop Factory Shop


“I love the reading nook and having a comfy space where Max and I can read his favorite books together,” says Ruth.

Floor pillow: Country Road; lion pillow: Salt City Emporium; rag rug: denim and leather, Spotlight


With the two children sharing a room, this Ikea shelving acts as a visual divider and allows shared storage space for all of those special little trinkets.

“Living in the house while we were renovating was great; we got to see it transform into a home as we made it our own with each change,” says Ruth.

The print above Willow’s crib is a limited-edition Birdy & Me/Blacklist collaboration. It is adorned with one of Ruth’s Felt Foxes garlands in soft colors.

Chevron throw: Kate & Kate; gold storage bags: Uashmama


Ruth kicks back with Willow and Max.

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URL: My Houzz: A Beach House in the Heart of the City http://www.decor-ideas.org/cases-view-id-25478.html