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OPPOSITE a dramatic Amazon headdress was brought home, framed and hung in the main bedroom. THIS PAGE heliconias pick up the colours of the cushions, from Bangkok, that are placed on a Filipino teak bench that’s sited on the verandah off the main bedroom.

WORLD OF DIFFERENCE An eclectic mix of bright and beautiful finds gathered on their many overseas holidays adds plenty of personality to Chris and Beres Hogan’s multi-level Gold Coast home

STORY DANIELLE DUNSMORE PHOTOGRAPHY STEVE RYAN

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Supposing a house could be equated to a dinner, the Gold Coast home of developer Beres Hogan and her artist husband Chris, would be a banquet of the world’s exotic flavours – vanilla and cinnamon, green curry

and wild rice with hints of saffron, paprika and turmeric.Inspired by Moroccan adobe architecture, and nestled between

a beach lookout and an ancient native fig tree, this home is laidback beach luxe at its best – spiced up with trappings from around the globe. Built 10 years ago by renowned Gold Coast architect, Malcolm Cummings, the house is brimming with paintings and sculptures, statues, carvings, wall hangings, even furniture, doors and window shutters from Beres and Chris’s many and varied travels.

And these two are not your average tourists. Trekking through jungles to visit ancient Buddhist temples and travelling on an Indian rice barge are the norm for this adventurous pair. Before the travel bug took hold, Beres and Chris were busy raising a family in the quintessential beachfront home – old, fibro and full of character, but not much room. Snuggled into the hill, on the western side of the lookout, this was virtually the only beachfront property on the Gold Coast without a view!

It was time for a change. Malcolm was called in and the home’s unique design agreed upon. Each floor has its own living space with the front half and the back half of the house built on different levels. This ingenious design means the front half of the home is half a level higher than the back half, with each side three storeys high. A staircase up the middle of the home links the two sides – crisscrossing backwards and forwards with each set of steps only ever half a storey high.

The beach side has the downstairs entertaining area (an open-plan kitchen, living and dining area), the master bedroom and bathroom and then the upstairs entertaining area (kitchen, living and dining areas).

The western side hosts the studio/office, and, above that, the spare rooms, bathroom and powder room. An integral part of the design of this multi-level home is a self-contained two-bedroom apartment, also on the western side, with its own entry for when the couple have guests stay.

This house was built with entertaining in mind. A small set of stairs leads up to the roof from the main entertainment area on the beach side – an idea reminiscent of India and the Far East – where rooftop living is quite commonplace.

COLOURING THEIR WORLD Cream walls set the stage for Chris’s spectacular artworks – to be

found at every turn. Painted in the vibrant colours of the rainforest

and reef, they hold their own against the home’s gorgeous cherry

pink, Moroccan gold and ochre cushions, bed linen and pendant

lights. Decorated with an artist’s eye, each room has its own distinct

mood. Bright and bold in the sun-drenched studio, dreamy vanilla

and mocha in the main bedroom and glamorous shades of cobalt

and ochre in the main bathroom. The upper entertainment area is a

nod to the home’s beach location with its relaxed, sandy tones.

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OPPOSITE a teak mirror from Thailand fills a corner of the bedroom. It’s flanked by a Chinese sideboard and a Sri Lankan silk tapestry. LEFT Beres and Chris with their treasured pink-coiffed pooch, Isabella, and some of Chris’s colourful artworks.

“The original design of the house was very Moroccan, but it turned out a bit hard-edged. Moroccan homes are based on geometric forms. We have softened it with eclectic pieces from our travels” BERES HOGAN, OWNER

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TOP Chris’s artwork Satin Reef adorns the upstairs entertaining area. Dining chairs from xxxx xxxxxx. ABOVE comfortable sofas from xxxxxx xxxxx are just the spot to take in sea views from the upstairs entertaining area. OPPOSITE an Indonesian fan is framed and placed over the Filipino four-poster bed. English cushions are placed on an Indian bedspread.

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*** to come***

1 kitchen 2 living area 3 bed rooms 4 garage 5 kitchen 6 living area 7 deck 8 garage

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The colour pale shell pink. Where to use it curtains, armchair upholstery, tablewareLike this colour? Paints to try paint one xxxxx, paint two xxxxx, paint three xxxxxxxx

● The world’s your oyster when it comes

to decorating – take your cue from

Chris and Beres, who’ve mixed a

Filipino bed with an Indian bedspread

and English cushions.

● Diffuse the bright morning light with

almost-transparent fabrics that reveal

a delicate pattern on closer inspection.

● Make ornate or interestingly shaped

mirrors do double duty: they can be

decorative and repeat the view.

● Embrace pattern – but use it primarily

on accessories and details, so the

effect isn’t overwhelming.

Get the look

The colour soft jade Where to use it cushions, tiles, lamps, outdoor furnitureLike this colour? Paints to try paint one xxxxx, paint two xxxxx, paint three xxxxxxxx top left)

The colour creamy caramelWhere to use it flooring, exterior walls, bathroom cabinetryLike this colour? Paints to try paint one xxxxx, paint two xxxxx, paint three xxxxxxxx top left)

The colour mustard/khakiWhere to use it exterior and feature walls, rugs, tablewareLike this colour? Paints to try paint one xxxxx, paint two xxxxx, paint three xxxxxxxx top left)

TOP doors and windows bought in Thailand now decorate the bathroom. Portuguese tiles flank the spa bath and lend a luxury feel to the room. FAR LEFT an Indian spice chest is used to store Beres’s jewellery. LEFT embroidered slippers and an exotic cushion spice up a small bed step. OPPOSITE the entire rooftop is dedicated to entertaining. The bamboo cover, from xxxx xxxxxx, is unobtrusive yet shades the outdoor furniture from xxxxxxx. The rooftop offers views from Surfers Paradise to Burleigh Heads. For stockists see Buyer’s Guide.

Pieces from China, India, England, Sri Lanka, the Amazon and the Philippines all blend beautifully in the main bedroom. The bedroom curtains are intricately embroidered with Beres’s favourite animal, the elephant.

“The pattern is practically invisible and the fabric is so light, it moves well in any breeze. I love things that almost have a secret – more is revealed the closer you look,” says Beres.

“Filling our home with our travels keeps the memories of those fabulous trips alive. But it just makes us want to get on that plane again!” explains Beres.

One of the few women in the Gold Coast’s male-dominated development game, Beres is recuperating from a serious illness earlier in the year, and has scaled back her business to help Chris. The pair’s latest project is providing the paintings for hotels and resorts in the Maldives and the Seychelles.

“Researching these deluxe villas will be really tough to take. I think we might have to stay a while to really get the feel of the place,” jokes Chris.

So that means no roof top parties for while. “We don’t have as many parties as we used to, anyway,” admits Beres. “No-one ever wanted to go home.” Really, could you blame them? Hogan Art, Gold Coast, Queensland; (07) 5526 7723, www.hoganart.com Malcolm Cummings Architect, Currumbin, Queensland; (07) 5534 4982

“Some pieces we bought because we loved them, not knowing where we’d put them. Good luck and good taste come into play and our artefacts blend well instead of competing with each other” BERES HOGAN, OWNER

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