Despite the 1980s add-on, this 1950s classic home is visually stunning and great to live in. And the clean lines of retro architecture don’t have to limit you to one style, as this innovative interior design shows.

David has a great eye for classic 1950s architecture, and in conjunction with architect Mark Richards, was able to sympathetically update his retro home interior without making it a shrine to the period.

When David purchased the house it was effectively two homes in one, with the original 50’s house below and one straight out of the 1980s plonked on top. The only way to access the top floor was via external stairs, so to make the space more functional, an internal staircase had to be built. The inclusion of the staircase, and the spacious foyer, are major features of the house, providing a beautiful front entrance into a stunning dining and living area on the ground floor.

According to Mark, David had some strong ideas for the style of the design. "David was pretty clear that he didn’t want a shrine to the 50s, but he wanted to keep a number of retro interior elements, such as the carpet and the light fittings in the living room," says Mark.

To achieve the foyer area, Mark reveals that a hole had to be cut into the slab. "We then used materials to reflect the beachside location of the house, such as sandstone, timber and seagrass matting," he says. "This was based on the Robin Boyd idea of ‘featurism’, the strategy of using feature walls to help give some individuality to the space."

Moving into the wide open area of the north-facing living and dining room is a visual treat. The room itself did not need any structural work in addition to the 1950s architecture, but the ‘dry-stack’ sandstone wall incorporating an oversized fireplace and bookshelf is a new inclusion. An external dry-stack wall running along the western side of the property echoes the internal wall.

Mark notes that building the fireplace had its challenges. "David wanted a really big fireplace, which meant we had to have it specially made," he says. "It was quite a feat, but well worth it, as it works beautifully."

When it came to furnishing the room’s interior with a retro flavour, David went with mainly Danish retro pieces. "I like uncluttered retro style, but I wanted it to be empathetic to the period," he says. "I didn’t want to be overwhelmed by it." The original teal-coloured carpet, the light fittings and the view to a compact garden all add to the overall retro style and striking effect of the room. But the best feature, according to David, is that the house is flooded by natural light for most of the day. "It is fantastic how much light there is throughout the house," he says. "It just caps off what for me is the perfect living space."

The foyer gets a lot of light; how did you achieve this?

Mark – The foyer faces east, but by allowing the light to ooze down the stairs, it fills the space. For night time there is concealed lighting behind the staircase. I like to light surfaces, so it appears to bounce off the walls, and they almost seem to glow.

What was in the foyer area before the renovation?

Mark – It was an entrance area, without the staircase, but it was pokier and it also contained a laundry. The laundry is still there but is now hidden discreetly behind the feature wall, under the stairs.

What influences your style when working on homes of this period?

Mark – The early modernist work of architects like Richard Neutra and the west coast California style. I really enjoy that flatter style where they used lots of natural materials.

The fireplace is amazing; do you use it a lot?

David – All the time in winter. You can really get it roaring. The stonemason who created it spent 20 years working in dry stone in the Cotswolds, so it’s been built quite traditionally, and I really enjoy it.