Located in Aroona on the Sunshine Coast, the Normandy House project is a thoughtfully executed, staged renovation and extension of Bella’s cherished family home designed in collaboration with Bella’s mother Gina, owner of Carmody by Design.
The brief was as heartfelt as it was practical: breathe new life into an honest 1980s spec home, making functional alterations that served great amenity to Bella’s growing family as well as the infusion of vibrant colour and personal style adding distinctive charm, showcasing the often untapped potential of modern family life within the existing housing stock.
This project has been a true family affair, with Bella collaborating with her mother, Gina, on several projects in the past, so getting her onboard to design another build was a no brainer. The construction was done by Bella's company, Safehold Projects where she wears Director, Carpenter and a few other hats. Bella's partner is an electrician and his brother did all of the plumbing. All additional trades were long-standing collaborators, chosen repeatedly for their shared commitment to quality and craftsmanship that aligns with Safehold’s standards on every project.
The design approach and choices were made with the needs of a young family in mind, while also crafting beautiful spaces that elicit emotional resonance. Enhancing the home’s character and adding an element of playfulness to its design, Bella landed with a Mid-Century Maximalist style, a true design harmony of 'more is more' grounded by retro simplicity.
From the outset, the ensuite was envisioned as a darker space. After falling in love with the terrazzo tile and its rich colour variation, Bella built a palette of 9 colours from within the tile and within the home’s existing features. She settled early on a deep burgundy wall colour, then layered the remaining selections by colour, pattern and form. Warm flecks of terrazzo find their counterpart in our Nood Co. Cylinder Bowl Basin with Tray in Musk, lending the space a considered, tonal cohesion. With limited vanity space and a longstanding affinity for pedestal basins, she chose this sculptural pedestal that delivered the perfect form and a touch of drama to an already indulgent space.
The most important considerations for Bella when choosing products and finishes for projects is resilience with effortless style. Especially with Normandy's bathroom, the terrazzo tiles offer both aesthetic appeal and practicality, making maintenance effortless. The burgundy grout delivers a refined accent to the otherwise simple white tile, it's depth discreetly conceals everyday wear and the realities of a busy home with young children. Our Nood Co. Cylinder Bowl Basin with Tray in Musk combines enduring solidity with quiet sophistication, comfortably weathering the demands of a home with a 2 year old.
In a renovation, Bella starts with what the home already offers, especially within Normandy House: green slate floors, earthy orange sand stock bricks, and raked rafters with pine joint lining. She then turns to The Design Files to see how others have worked with their own 80s homes, and builds Pinterest boards, a board for each space, to explore how her love of colour and mid-century design can live within the existing bones. Samples and selections are ordered, laid out, swapped, and rearranged until the scheme feels exactly right. At that point, she stops looking so the vision stays clear, and then she builds it.
October 10, 2025
Nood Co
