Amber House is a playful reimagination of a Mid North Coast home for a young family seeking a genuine tree-change.

Set amongst the lush landscape of the Nambucca Valley, the project centres around adapting an existing home to better support a slower, more connected way of living. Rather than pursuing scale or excess, the design focuses on warmth, flexibility and the everyday rituals that enrich family life — cooking together, entertaining friends, gardening and opening the home to the outdoors.

Originally a modest, late-1970s timber house with mid-century sensibilities (perhaps ‘poor man’s mid-century’), the project isn’t a textbook restoration, but a considered response to good bones and a strong original spirit. Through careful planning changes, warmth and playfulness, the tired home has been gently elevated beyond its original state into a relaxed family retreat — one that invites the doors to be thrown open and everyday life to unfold with ease.

Rich timber linings, expressive colour palettes and tactile finishes work together to create spaces that feel joyful, grounded and deeply personal. Existing character has been retained wherever possible, with new interventions designed to feel quietly integrated rather than imposed.

Even unfinished, the house feels deeply complete — filled with colour, memory, and the messy, joyful rhythms of family life. The clients’ before photos reveal its charm in progress, but it’s the warmth and authenticity of the home that truly tell the story.

Surrounded by bushland and roaming kangaroos, this much-loved family home instantly felt right for Amy and Harry. Purchased from its original owners, the house was rich with character; eight original wallpapers, vintage yellow Caroma fixtures and the joyful use of colour - some areas intact, others worn and tired from decades of family life.

'Amber House' is a play on words named after the use of colour, and a treasured Liquidambar tree that anchors daily rituals of play and gathering. The home's ongoing renovation is guided by one clear brief: 'no white walls'. Rather than chasing perfection, this is a slow, lived-in restoration that respects the original layout and spirit of the house, allowing the family to remain on site as they gradually repair and reimagine each space.

A mustard-hued kitchen nods to its original yellow predecessor and has become the heart of the home - designed for pizza nights, craft projects and long afternoons at the island bench. Bathrooms were reworked to finally embrace the surrounding landscape, with generous showers, deep baths, and framed views to the valley and bush beyond.