Located in a fabulous, central part of Byron Bay, this holiday home was given the makeover treatment recently courtesy of The Block judge Darren Palmer. A long-time holidaymaker in the area, Darren leant his formidable styling talents to the gorgeous home that is now available to book on Airbnb.
âThis was literally a styling project on a rented holiday home that we thought we would like to have so we can take special trips away that arenât overseas,â says Darren who was drawn to the homeâs central Byron Bay location. Just 10 minutesâ walk to most things and only 10 minutesâ drive to everything else, the home is on a generous 1000 square metre block and is a fabulous spot from which to explore the area.
With eyes on Byron Bay since 2004, Darren always thought it was a fabulous property market but concedes that even he didnât realise just how popular it would become. âItâs got great energy, dining at all levels and prices, and there is a holiday or beach experience for anyone whether you stay in a campervan or a multi-million-dollar ocean view home,â says Darren.
And when it came to furnishing and styling the home, Darren relied on a simple palette, earthy, woven fabrics and a variety of thrifty finds. âThe inclusions were cobbled together from warehouse sales, Gumtree and stuff we had in our Hyams Beach holiday rental,â says Darren who recommends this budget-friendly approach when styling a holiday home.
Darren also suggests approaching a holiday rental styling project with a clear vision and fairly strict budget. A big fan of upcycling and repurposing, Darren regularly scours Facebook Marketplace and Gumtree to scratch that itch. âYou just need to style to the mood you want to create. It doesnât have to be perfect to be right and it doesnât have to be the best to be good,â says Darren.
As for his favourite part of the home, he canât go past the lush outdoor area and its heated pool. âThe plants are so established, itâs crazy. The frangipani tree must be at least 100 years old and thereâs heaps of grass for kids and dogs. The outdoor area is definitely the heart of this home.â