An Inside Look With Brickworks | Mermaid Beach House

The Brief

Project: Mermaid Beach House
Location: Gold Coast
Designer: Maher Design
Products: GB Masonry Kite Breeze Terracotta |  Terracade Louves Pilbara

We’re taking a look inside the unique Mermaid Beach House project with Brickworks. Step inside this renovated home that has been completely transformed to embrace its coastal surroundings. With a bold palette, Spanish terracotta details, and natural materials, the family home is nothing short of breathtaking. 

Come with us to explore Mermaid Beach House and discover how Brickworks products played an important role in bringing this dream home to life.

Photographer: Andy Macpherson

The original two-storey layout of the 1980s home was reconfigured to reach its full potential as a growing family home. With both style and functionality at the forefront, the interior and exterior were designed to be relaxing, yet vibrant while embracing the home’s seaside location. Additional entertainment spaces were accentuated indoors and out, ready for anything from small family dinners to large gatherings. The layout of the home also easily allows the freedom to move between both indoors and outdoors, making Mermaid Beach House practical, while also maximising the impact of its location.

Mood board created on Style Sourcebook. View mood board here.

Photographer: Andy Macpherson

This use of cohesive connection continues through the palette and materials of the home. The 1980s Spanish terracotta roof tiles remained and defined the material palette for the home. “The best feature of the house was the original terracotta tiled roof,” says Geraldine Maher, Founder and Director of Maher Design. “We had the desire to unify the interior and exterior as much as possible, therefore, terracotta was selected as the key material to achieve this.” For continuity, products, such as the external and internal warm terracotta flooring, were chosen to further enhance the aesthetic and durability of Mermaid Beach House.

“Mermaid Beach House effortlessly connects architecture with place through its considered and robust material palette.”

- Brickworks 

Photographer: Andy Macpherson

Photographer: Andy Macpherson

Each element within Mermaid Beach House plays a strategic role in the success of the home's uniqueness. Take the interior screen made of Kite Breeze Blocks. Designed in collaboration with Adam Goodrum, the structure offers ventilation and natural light through the entryway, letting in small glimpses of the home beyond. The Kite Breeze Blocks range is incredibly versatile and allows for endless patterns that work in conjunction with the layout, like in Mermaid Beach House. Each layer captures shadow and light throughout the day in a unique pattern, in addition to serving its function as a room divider within the open-plan space in this residence.

Photographer: Andy Macpherson

Photographer: Andy Macpherson

The additional materials and the home’s colour palette were all chosen to further complement the terracotta features. The homeowner expressed the need for low-maintenance options, which influenced the use of durability and longevity within the selected products. “The coastal location is beautiful but unforgiving,” says Maher. “Practically, non-corrosive materials that can withstand the harsh marine environment were specified, including terracotta, timber, ceramic, stone and straw.” These natural materials were also utilised to reflect the home’s location by emphasising the organic surroundings. The same tactic was placed on the earthy tones which are complete with warm whites, touches of mint, emerald green, and navy tones.

Photographer: Andy Macpherson

If you’re feeling inspired by the tour of Mermaid Beach House, why not explore the entire range of Brickworks products or begin building your dream space using our mood board tool?