Bachelor favs Matty J and Laura Byrne have been renovating a house on the south coast of New South Wales for the past 12 months.
Last August the couple, who met on The Bachelor, announced they had bought ‘Chante-Mer’, a sprawling cliff top house in Ulladulla and were planning to share their renovation journey on a new Instagram page.
“A couple of months ago, we bought a dilapidated old house down the south coast,” the couple wrote on Instagram at the time. “A little glass house on the seaside filled with stories and history that had been left locked up and empty for the past two years, known as Chante Mer (sing the sea).”
“The south coast is a magical place to us, it’s where we got married, and now it’s where we will make memories as a family,” they continued.
“We don’t know what we are doing, or what this house will become, but follow along the chaos while we restore this old beauty, honour its joyous little quirks, and resist the millennial urge to paint everything white.”
The couple reportedly bought the three-bedroom, two-bathroom property for $2 million. It was last sold in 1984 for $62,500. They’re renovating the house with the help of Bespoke Living Constructions and their builder, Tom Young.
“We brought Tom with us to give us an idea of how bad the water, mould, and termite damage was on the property…. the verdict was ‘extensive’,” Laura shared in a Instagram post. “I fell in love with this old girl that day, and well…. the rest we are tackling.”
Here’s everything Laura Byrne and Matty J have done to the house so far:
The Backyard
The couple have been busy giving Chante Mer’s garden an overhaul in recent months.
“We’ve re-levelled, ripped out the old deck and brick paths (to reuse elsewhere), and made way for a bigger, better deck,” the couple shared in a recent Instagram post. “New turf is down, fresh wooden sleeper steps are in, and while the garden beds are still waiting for their new plants, it’s all starting to take shape. Can’t wait to see it fully bloom!”
The Kitchen
The kitchen has been fully renovated with the couple deciding to knock down the old servery, remove the original floor tiles and install new walnut-hued cabinetry.
“Look at that stone!! Our kitchen is finally finished, and although there was so much that we loved about the original kitchen, it was in desperate need of a makeover,”
the couple wrote in another post. “We updated the cracked tiles, designed custom blackbutt cabinets, knocked out the servery and finished it off with the most incredible Breccia Pernice marble from @artofmarble.stonegallery – we are obsessed with this little dopamine hit.”
The Bathroom
The couple went for a completely different look in the bathroom, which was originally pastel pink.
“Controversial, but this is what we’ve decided for the upstairs bathroom.” Matty shared on Instagram. “Everything went, including the bidet, the corner shower and the internal walls. We have gone with a double shower, bench, and no bath(!).”
However, the lack of a bath and the tile choice proved controversial for those playing along at home.
“I love you guys but I hate this. Sorry just hurts my eyes,” one person commented. “Seems all over the place and doesn’t match but as long as you guys love it!” added another.
“Sorry but that looks awful. You’ll be ripping it out in 5 years,” one person said before Matty replied: “I can’t wait to message you in 5 years and 1 month to prove you wrong.”
The Fireplace
The couple have revamped the original fireplace, adding some fresh new tiles.
“Here is the great fireplace reveal for everyone who has been following along. The most controversial of all our reno choices and the heart of our little home,” the couple wrote on Instagram when revealing the new look.
“When the fireplace doubles as built in artwork 🥰 It was a big risk, but worth it,” they added.
The Entryway
The couple also revamped the entryway into the cliffside house, while trying to keep as much of the original vibe of the house as they could.
Credit: Instagram.
You can follow the rest of Laura and Matty J’s south coast renovation on their Instagram page.
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