Bayside Interior Design

A bayside retreat with uninterrupted views from sunrise to sunset

This bayside residence on the Mornington Peninsula is a luxury mansion designed as a private coastal retreat for a professional couple, their children and grandchildren. The property’s generous scale allowed the design to unfold without major council constraints, creating an expansive home that feels both secluded and connected to its surrounding coastline. With uninterrupted sea views, the home is positioned to enjoy both sunrise and sunset. The interior direction pairs modern coastal styling with luxury finishes, generous proportions, and seamless indoor–outdoor flow.

Bayside Interior Design Project Brief

The clients wanted a spacious coastal home where their extended family could spend time together, while having private spaces to retreat to. Their brief focused on a strong indoor–outdoor connection, with full-width sliding doors linking every ground-floor living area to the terraces, pool and surrounding views. Each bedroom required a large balcony, and the home needed to support extended stays with practical planning and durable finishes.

A lap pool, theatre, bar, billiards area, cellar with a tasting room, and dedicated storage for outdoor furniture were required inclusions. The property also needed to handle frequent entertaining and busy summer periods. Lewisham Interiors was engaged to manage the full scope of interior design, including spatial planning, cabinetry, finishes, furnishings, lighting and styling.

Project at a glance

• Location: Bayside Peninsula, Melbourne
• Client: Professional couple with extended family
• Project Type: New-build luxury coastal holiday home
• Budget Guidelines: High-end finishes, custom cabinetry and integrated technology
• Project Scope: Full service interior design across all levels, including kitchens, bathrooms, joinery, furnishings, artwork, lighting and window treatments

Our design direction

The coastal setting guided the design approach, with soft coastal tones, timber and pale stone forming the base palette, supported by sculptural lighting and furniture scaled for family gatherings. The overall direction focused on simplicity and comfort, so the interiors felt connected to the surrounding landscape. Full-height sliding doors and continuous flooring strengthened the link between inside and out, and large balconies on the upper levels ensured each bedroom had its own relationship with the coastline.

The coastal setting guided the design approach, with soft coastal tones, timber and pale stone forming the base palette, supported by sculptural lighting and furniture scaled for family gatherings. The overall direction focused on simplicity and comfort, so the interiors felt connected to the surrounding landscape. Full-height sliding doors and continuous flooring strengthened the link between inside and out, and large balconies on the upper levels ensured each bedroom had its own relationship with the coastline.

Key features included:

• Custom kitchen and bathroom design
• Timber and stone finishes throughout
• Bedroom suites with private balconies
• Full-height sliding doors
• Furnishings tailored to the home’s generous floorplan
• Motorised window treatments with recessed pelmets
• Theatre room, bar, billiards area and wine cellar 
• Long lap pool and expansive alfresco terraces
• Curated artwork and styling across all levels

Project constraints and solutions

The primary challenge was incorporating heating and cooling without visible vents, which required coordination with mechanical engineers to install plastered linear slots into the ceiling. Lighting design and concealed pelmets were planned around these systems to ensure both function and visual clarity. As the home relied on full automation for lighting, security, temperature control, sound and window furnishings, the coastal location presented ongoing connectivity issues. Lewisham worked closely with automation technicians to resolve integration issues and ensure the system operated reliably.

Mornington Peninsula lifestyle

Mornington Peninsula is known for its relaxed coastal lifestyle. Nearby attractions include Arthur’s Seat, the Eagle gondola, Cape Schanck Lighthouse, Point Nepean National Park and wineries in Red Hill. Scenic walking tracks, bathing boxes, boardwalks and local dining support a lifestyle centred on the outdoors. Bayside homes often blend rustic charm with modern luxury, using timber, stone and concrete to reflect the landscape, with coastal, farmhouse, Victorian and beach house influences shaping the local architecture.

Lewisham is a recognised interior designer on the Mornington Peninsula

Lewisham understands the unique requirements of designing homes on the Mornington Peninsula, where changing coastal conditions and the region’s architecture influence material and planning decisions. Bayside residents value comfort, quality and longevity, which calls for interiors that are durable, easy to live in and suited to year-round entertaining.

Designing for Bayside and the Mornington Peninsula

Lewisham Interiors understands the needs of coastal homes across Melbourne’s bayside suburbs and the wider Peninsula region. If you’re looking for an interior designer experienced in holiday homes, coastal properties and high-end family retreats, this project reflects the level of detail our team delivers.