Nina Maya, of Nina Maya Interiors, is known for creating bespoke interiors that are polished, sophisticated and minimalist. She brought this same signature style to her own Palm Beach holiday house when it came to transforming it from a rundown 1960s beach bungalow to a serene and contemporary beach house.
We asked Nina to give us her THREE must-haves for designing a beach home. Here's what she said:
1. Floor to Ceiling Glass
When you live near the beach (especially if you have ocean views), big windows and doors that open right up are an absolute must. Sliding doors like Nina chose for her Palm Beach home are perfect as they can be installed flush with the floor, creating continuous flow from outside to inside. Another advantage is the way the doors slide into the cavity, allowing for maximum space when fully open.
Glass balustrade makes a great choice for the deck or patio, aesthetically because it looks modern and works with the glazing throughout the home, and practically as it lets in as much view and light as possible.
2. A Gas Fireplace
Being able to warm your house in an instant, at the touch of a button, is ideal for holiday homes. Why waste time organising wood and maintaining a wood fire when you get all the ambience, warmth, and aesthetics from a gas fire? Pretty sure you would rather be at the beach.
Nina chose a see through Escea DX1000 gas fire for her Palm Beach house as she loved the fact that you can see the ocean through the flames. She designed it to be the right height for beach-viewing from the plush sofa and went for the white stone fuel bed to compliment the beach view and clean and minimalist interior.
The Escea fireplace ducts heat through different rooms in the house so is great for making the space cosy. Nina loved that they could connect the fireplace remote to their smartphone, so driving to the beach house for a long weekend they can turn the fire on for a warm welcome.
3. An Outdoor Shower
Outdoor showers are perfect for beach houses. After a day at the beach, you can wash away all the sand before heading inside, another practical must-have! They also look really cool too. Nina says that the outdoor shower is next on her 'to-do list' for the house. Then her dream beach house will be complete.
