From Mood Board to Reality | A New Build "Holiday at Home" Named Villa Cove

If there’s one thing that is our favourite part of the design process, it has to be a mood board coming to life. There’s nothing more rewarding than seeing a mood board come to fruition and seeing a vision come to reality, and this is certainly the case at Villa Cove. Located 5km from the Brisbane CBD sits Villa Cove, a new build that explores hints of Mediterranean modern coastal luxe style influences and the resort lifestyle of a Bali villa. These style combinations come together at Villa Cove to bring a new meaning to a "holiday at home", as everyday feels like a holiday.

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We discover Villa Cove’s journey from mood board to finished space and see how Style Sourcebook mood boards were used as a basis for the style, palette and products used throughout home. We also sit down with Ashley, the owner of Villa Cove, and discover the inspiration behind the design of the build, top tips for those building a new home, and the suppliers used throughout this dream home.

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The creator and mastermind behind Villa Cove, Ashley (@sage.and.cove), and her husband have undergone a few new builds in the past few years, having recently completed ‘The White Palms’. Following on from this experience, the duo created Villa Cove with their team of trades in approximately a 9-month turnaround. Villa Cove features 5 bedrooms, 3 living spaces and the ultimate tropical villa-inspired outdoor entertaining area.

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How did Villa Cove come to be?

Having a background in design and real estate gave me the desire to be more creative and start building new homes. My husband runs a plumbing company and has many contacts in the industry which is a key reason as to how we were able to have a smooth building process. Villa Cove was our fourth build, and boy have we both learnt many things along this journey! Our last two builds have been custom which has allowed us to help project manage and be more creative with our designs and finishes. Finding a block and knocking the existing house down in the inner-city suburbs of Brisbane isn't an easy task with the current demand. We searched for 6 months before we found a large corner block for our Villa Cove build. 

Our latest build was all about creating a tropical resort feel that can take you out of the hustle and bustle of everyday life. Our main focus for Villa Cove was to keep it light and bright and have open spaces with tropical cascading gardens that provide a real laid-back vibe. We incorporated lots of custom elements into the build that give it a real point of difference to other homes in the area. 

“We've created a lifestyle, a holiday at home for our family. Villa Cove has a relaxed, calm ambiance where we can sit back and relax by the pool sipping cocktails and have a great time.”

- Ashley, owner and creator of Villa Cove

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What formed the inspiration behind the design of this build?

My husband and I used to holiday in Bali before we had our beautiful girls and gained a lot of incredible inspiration from the beautiful villas that we stayed in. We wanted to incorporate elements such as a minimal colour, natural timbers and stone and tropical gardens to create a villa vibe in Brisbane.  

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When you walk through the doors of Villa Cove, you are greeted with an aura of relaxation and exquisite design taste. Whilst the home has elements of coastal and Mediterranean styles, the Villa Cove feeling is predominantly generated from a tropical holiday lifestyle, with inspiration from the beautiful villas of Bali. Each room in Villa Cove has unique standout elements, whilst still incorporating a cohesive colour palette that ensures the whole home flows. Think design-forward textural Moroccan tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms, memorable use of colour particularly in the bedrooms and bathrooms, and clever personalised details such as the ‘Cove’ detailing in the pool and a Villa Cove sign at the front door.

Our favourite space? We simply cannot go past the kitchen in the expansive open-plan living area that opens up to the outdoor alfresco (or resort, shall we say?). The kitchen is lined with to-die-for herringbone floorboards and features lush flowing linen sheers that elegantly shows off the generous ceiling height. The kitchen features a curved rangehood, statement natural pendant lights, tiled splashback and island bench, and statement arch dry bar (filled with storage and styling space galore!).

What was your design process for Villa Cove?

1. I firstly went on Pinterest and saved imagery that I liked in a folder.

2. I then jumped on Style Sourcebook and started making mood boards. I started with the facade to get a feel of the home, including the colour palette and paint colours, and then put it all together to see if the ideas I had from step 1 actually work together. This means before we started the build, I could visualise all the rooms and the design direction, which meant I could start purchasing items pre-build.

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How did Style Sourcebook assist in bringing Villa Cove to life?

Style Sourcebook is such a valuable tool to be able to visualise everything on a board. It gives you a feel of each of the finishes of the home before it comes to life. This allowed me to be super organised in my decision-making for the Villa Cove build as I knew how everything would look beforehand. I found it easy to find items on the Style Sourcebook product library, instead of searching online via multiple different websites. This meant I could find my desired items, purchase, and then have them ready for when the house was complete.

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“Style Sourcebook is such a valuable tool to be able to visualise everything on a board. It gives you a feel of each of the finishes of the home before it comes to life.”

- Ashley, owner and creator of Villa Cove

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What are your top 3 pieces of advice for someone who is building a new home?

1. Use the Style Sourcebook tool to understand what style and look you want to achieve.

2. Research and understand your own personal style and stick with it.  

3. All good things take time. Building isn't something that happens overnight, so be patient and you will be rewarded with a beautiful new home. 

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What suppliers did you use throughout the home?

ABI Interiors for tapware, showers, basins and other bathroom fixtures.

al.ive body for wash and lotions in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Caesarstone for stone benches.

Dulux for paint - 'White Polar Quarter' for the exterior and 'White on White' internally.

James Hardie for the Linea Weatherboards - 'White Polar Quarter'.

James Lane, Olive et Oriel, Pillow Talk, Urban Road, Barefoot Gypsy, RJ Living, Basil Bangs, Bed Threads, L&M Home, Life Interiors, Uniqwa, McMullin & Co and Lighting Collective for various décor items.

Miss Amara for rugs.

Oz Design Furniture for furniture items predominantly in the bedrooms and living areas.

Perini Tiles for various tiles in the kitchen and bathrooms.

Smeg for kitchen appliances.

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If you’re feeling inspired by Villa Cove’s mood board to real life transformations, head to our product library for product inspiration and our mood board tool to get started on a mood board for your next project.