Sometimes the ultimate luxury is simplicity. The paring back of opulent comforts to find solace and beauty in the bare elements, lovingly stripped back to their natural glory. This is certainly true of Byron Bay Residence – a personal escape designed for a beach-loving family, by Hecker Guthrie.

“We’d worked with the homeowner before, so there was already trust in the process, and a shared understanding of how we work,” says Hamish Guthrie, founding principal of Hecker Guthrie. The owners were looking for something distinctly relaxed, robust and ready for family life, and really, who better than Hecker Guthrie to conceive a fuss-free household that finds luxury in the low-key?

Eschewing costal cliches – no white-on-white, no Hamptons style, here – Hecker Guthrie and their client turned toward a more grounded palette of influences: the earthy, textural, roughened charm of Mexican and Spanish style living. “It needed to be easy, unpretentious and able to handle everything from surfboards to sandy feet,” says Hamish.

Working within the “good” bones of a 1980s townhouse typology, Hamish and his team applied a simple yet focused response. “The painted brick and timber ceilings gave us texture and warmth, and we kept those elements where we could.”

The lynchpin of daily living, the kitchen was kept purposefully minimal, with an emphasis on ease over entertaining. “Everything was shaped around the way the homeowner and his family would actually use the space,” says Hamish.

This was reinforced by the material language: textured, durable and honest in a way that holds up to everyday use. Hamish points to the Cotto Manetti Litos Naturale terracotta tiles, with their wide grout lines (a nod to traditional detailing). “The terracotta flooring sets the tone for the entire palette,” he says. “It has a natural warmth and texture, and the wide grout lines give it a handcrafted, grounded feel.”

This material sensibility extends into the rendered walls, walnut joinery, and bamboo blinds, as well as the bathing zones with their poured terrazzo floors and deeply toned micro-cement. “There’s a lot of care in the detailing – the joinery, the textured brick, a custom floor lamp by Lana Launay. They’re not loud features but they give the home its character,” says Hamish.

The charm of the material palette is accentuated by the designers’ approach to lighting, which eschews downlighting in favour of light boxes and custom fittings. The “quiet success” of this can be seen at its best, in the central living zone, where the kitchen is located.

Here Hecker Guthrie has brought volume into the space, lighting the ceiling to create a light box that illuminates the space with soft, even light. “That space becomes the heart of the home, anchored by a long custom-made sofa that could handle anything,” says Hamish.

Other favourite parts of the house include the kids’ bunk room, a beautifully resolved space that is both compact and functional. Special features include the built-in lighting and shelving for each bed, and each nook has its own curtain, too, custom designed by textile artist Emma Shepherd.

From surfboards to sandy feet, this is a home designed to be filled with kids and friends, fresh off the beach. Nothing is too precious, and yet everything perfectly thought out, and ready to withstand the fluctuations of family life by the ocean. The magic of the materiality  – evocative of rustic, pared back living – is that it is hardy and minimalist, yet warm and inviting. An irresistible combination.