Newport House By Five Foot One Design
Designed by Five Foot One Design, Newport House is a reimagining of a 1960s beach house where mid-century character shapes a layered family home with a modern sensibility.
Words HANDE RENSHAW Photos JACQUI TURK Interior Design FIVE FOOT ONE DESIGN Build BENSLEY CONSTRUCTIONS Joinery CAPTIVE
The kitchen embraces mid century references; combining laminate surfaces, mosaic benchtops and custom timber hardware.
Bespoke linear joinery, segmented shelving and cantilevered banquette seating draw on the geometric design language of the 1960s.
Custom joinery brings together linear detailing, segmented shelving and cantilevered banquette seating, referencing the geometry of the 1960s.
The entry and living areas were reimagined to improve flow and connection.
The bright natural light-filled living space is at the front of the home.
“Our design brief was to celebrate the home’s mid-century charm,
carefully retaining its character while making it relevant for contemporary living.”
The semi-open plan living space featured a new fireplace and retro glass windows, which reference the home’s original verandah.
A custom joinery unit acts as both divider and connector between dining and living spaces.
The new bar space on the lower level. Artwork by Dalin Alejandrino.
Warm timber joinery is paired with plum and navy mosaic tiling in the bar space.
The original pink bathtub anchors the main bathroom, shaping a softer, feminine space.
In the main bathroom, blush-toned Bisazza mosaics wrap into softly rounded corners, complemented by a retro-inspired vanity with timber doors and tiled benchtop.
Curved surfaces clad in blush-toned mosaics are balanced by a timber vanity with a tiled benchtop.
Retro inspired multi-coloured mosaic tiling in the main bathroom.
The master bedroom takes a bold design approach, pairing geometric wallpaper with richly toned carpet and warm timber cabinetry. Artwork by David Hardy.
Artwork by Amanda Shadforth and vessel by Elena Strohfeldt.
Yellow accents and retro inspired mosiac tiling in the laundry space.
Service areas were reworked to support modern living, including a laundry and powder room that function independently.
Designed by Five Foot One Design, Newport House is an original 1960s beach house where mid-century character was the starting point for a modern reinterpretation.
Rather than preserving the house as a static moment in time, the design reframes its original language for contemporary family life. Defined rooms are retained, circulation is improved, and long-standing functional issues, particularly around storage and underused spaces, are thoughtfully resolved. The result is a home that feels considered and flexible, without losing the personality that made it worth saving.
In the kitchen, cream laminate cabinetry, mosaic bench tops and custom timber hardware reference the design language of the 1960s, while bespoke joinery introduces slim linear profiles and segmented shelving. A cantilevered banquette anchors the space, nodding to retro diner seating while supporting everyday use. Rather than opening the space completely, the kitchen stays true to the home’s original floorplan.
Across the main living level, spatial changes focus on improving flow while maintaining separation between zones. The previously enclosed entry has been reworked into a semi-open arrangement that connects with the living and dining areas. A custom joinery unit acts as both divider and connector, providing storage, shelving and an integrated media console. Retro glass windows and a newly introduced fireplace reference the home’s original verandah, reinforcing a dialogue between past and present.
In the main bathroom, the original pink bathtub has been retained and re-centred as a defining feature. Blush glass mosaics wrap the space and curve gently into corners, paired with a retro-inspired vanity featuring timber doors and a tiled benchtop. The master bedroom takes a bolder approach, layering geometric wallpaper, richly toned carpet and warm timber cabinetry to meet new storage needs while embracing the spirit of the era.
On the lower groudn level, what was once a storage-heavy space has been transformed into a bar and lounge. Patterned tiles, pedestal bases, shell-inspired lighting and textured timbers evoke the feeling of a mid-century poolside retreat that has been revived. An adjoining ensuite supports the space’s future connection to the original pool, allowing the level to function as both social hub and practical extension.
Newport House celebrates how mid-century architecture can be adapted for modern life, without losing its identity. By working with the home’s existing character, rather than against it, the renovation offers a layered, expressive interpretation of a classic Australian beach house, shaped for contemporary family living.
Project: Newport House, Sydney, NSW
Interiors: Five Foot One Design
Photography: Jacqui Turk
Year Completed: 2025
