Interior Designer and The Block Australia judge Darren Palmer is no stranger to transforming spaces, but this time, the challenge was personal: reimagining his own family home in Bondi Beach. Darren’s latest project invites us all to play judge—this time of his own design.

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tfphoto darren palmer 0382 webres

In 2014, Darren visited friends in Bondi Beach and was instantly captivated by the suburb’s charm. “It was beautiful—tree-lined, quiet, and just a short walk to the beach,” he recalls. The following year, he and his family purchased a 1930s bungalow that, despite its quirks, immediately felt like home.

While the home’s elevated position offered lush views of palm trees and bamboo—creating a remote, tropical feel—its layout fell short of connecting the indoors with the outdoors. Describing it as a bit of a “Frankenstein’s monster” of a house, Darren saw the potential to transform it into a serene coastal retreat.

Darren’s first priority was to flood the home with natural light. He removed walls, created expansive openings to the exterior, and reimagined the flow of the home to better connect it to its surroundings.

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Anchoring the room, the MODE Double Sided Tall KS1150 Gas Fireplace is a beautiful architectural element for the family winter lounge.

Aesthetically, Darren embraced a “coastal minimalism” style, crafting a palette of soft sand tones, raw timber textures, and statement natural stone. “It’s deliberately beige-on-beige,” he says, choosing light, airy tones that counter the darker, autumnal colour trends dominating at the time. The result is timeless, calming, and unmistakably Bondi.

Although the original plan was to renovate just one-third of the house, Darren admits, “We ended up doing 90%.” The family lived through most of the process, moving out for five months during the more intensive structural changes.

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The MODE Double Sided Tall KS1150 Gas Fireplace features as a centerpiece of the home’s design.

The Winter Living Room

When it came to creating a cosy “winter living room,” Darren sought a fireplace that would heat the space efficiently and integrate seamlessly with the room’s design. He also needed the fireplace to align with the height of a mounted TV, ensuring balance in the layout.

Recalling Stoke Fireplace Studio’s striking designs on The Block Australia, Darren reached out to Corey from Stoke Melbourne to collaborate. “The specification process was simple,” Darren shares. “I sent my drawings and vision, and Corey helped identify the right size and model for our space.” The MODE Double Sided Tall KS1150 Gas Fireplace became the standout choice.

“I didn’t know a fireplace like this even existed—it’s tall, wide, and double-sided, which added something truly special to the space,” Darren explains.

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The double-sided design offered more than just aesthetics, it connected the winter living room with the office, maintaining a line of sight to the outdoors and allowing natural light to flow between the spaces.

For the fireplace surround, Darren opted for a sleek, modern design that complements the minimalist aesthetic. “The fireplace anchors the room, gives it purpose, and serves as a beautiful architectural feature,” he says.

Now, the winter living room is a favourite family retreat. “We use it exclusively to relax on the couch and watch TV—it’s useful, purposeful, and beautiful,” Darren concludes.

Darren Palmer’s Bondi Beach home is a masterclass in blending form and function—straight from the judge himself.

With its coastal minimalism, abundant natural light, and thoughtfully integrated fireplace, it’s a space that perfectly reflects Darren’s vision of a serene, stylish, and functional family retreat.