How to Develop, Style and Decorate your Granny Flat:

The Cabana at Casuarina

Posted on July 19, 2022

Whether you’re thinking of building your own granny flat, learning about holiday letting, wanting inspiration on interior decorating smaller spaces or just looking for a good vacation destination, we’ve got some big hints for you here with our upcoming short series of blogs about how people have achieved homely and enriching spaces in their back yards that we love to stay at.

The first of our stays is The Cabana, a granny flat so pretty and perfect it puts my old dollhouse dreams to shame. Ideally situated a five minute walk from the pristine Casuarina beach, within an hours reach of Byron Bay or the Gold Coast, the owner Suzy has established a tropical paradise with a twist. With fun palm spring influences and  pink and orange decorations against clean white, the studio is like your own private love island villa, except with more class, less ass, and the additional bonus of no surveillance!

We truely wished we’d never have to leave the loving environment created in the Cabana, but (in spite of my plot to hide in the internal laundry and stay forever) we unfortunately did, yet we’ve left with some exciting influences for our own homes and holiday lets.

Three inspiring ideas you can learn from Suzy’s design and execution of this granny flat are:

1. Colour as a Theme

2. Patterns, Shapes and Motifs

3. Personal Care

1. Colour as a Theme

The Cabana at Casuarina has so many things to offer, but the easiest feature to notice has to be the pinks. First walking through the front pink gate to this private slice of cake, I mean heaven… this private slice of delicious heaven, there’s a clear theme going on.

After the excitement of the prettiness settled in I noticed all the variety of tones, the golds and yellows and oranges and hints of blue that make the Cabana feel like an eternal sunset was captured in the space.

Whilst a granny flat consisting entirely of pink and orange decorations may sound a bit overwhelming, that isn’t the case in the Cabana at all. Suzy has cleverly seized pastel pinks, yellows and oranges as neutral bases by curating materials that exist naturally in these warm tones of wood, clay, terracotta, rose, linen. Through incorporation of these organic sources of colour in furniture, decorative flowers and pottery, the vibrant pops of pinks, yellows and oranges are more subtle and sophisticated. We were amazed by how so many mismatched versions of the same primary colour could look so good together, but the result here is coordinated, cohesive and complementary.

By maintaining this rich yet matching spectrum, the owner had the liberty to let artistic flair and unique style into the Cabana that feels exciting and personalised. The value of artworks will always be subjective to taste and preferences, but by definitely suiting the unified aesthetic, these paintings are indisputably pleasing with  the suite’s decor, and a comfortable environment to visit.

2. Patterns, Shapes and Motifs

We love the little things that can elevate a living space from functional to fashionable. Small touches like artsy bowls, mirrors, utensils, hooks and handles are easy things anyone can find to make their spaces warm and homely without clutter. Make the most of space by letting the essentials be exceptional.

All these palm trees throughout are the cutest hint to tropics, and the motif makes necessary things like bottle openers and towel hooks decorative.

We absolutely love the prevalence of curves, arches, semi-circles, rounded corners and U shapes that subtly fill the Cabana. The overall effect is harmonious and stylish, and a great tip for both designing and decorating.

Not only does the archway to the bedroom tie in with these reoccurring curves gorgeously, but it’s an excellent way of dividing the studio space without closing the room off. This is a great idea for anyone building a granny flat as it maintains the open plan benefits of natural light and spaciousness however designates this space as a seperate and cozy bedroom.

The occasional sea shells that pop up in decorations and homewares are a beautiful link to the nearby beach and environment.

Another recurring motif is all the greenery, mirroring the outdoor entertainment areas. We love that the pot plants and dried flowers in the Cabana are real, and there are plenty of low-maintenance succulents and vines available, however if the maintenance isn’t for you (I for one have been responsible for too many plant deaths to risk another), realistic looking plastic, rubber or felt plants are a similarly nice touch and theme of nature.

As we have a holiday house ourselves, we know it can be challenging leaving precious things away from your care, but you can score some aesthetically pleasing homewares (even from a local two-dollar shop if that’s your budget) to show warmth through the space without risking sentimental items, an effort that didn’t go unnoticed in the Cabana.

3. Personal Care

What truly ensures the Cabana is a warm and comfortable little home isn’t just the warm colour palette or the incredibly comfy bed. It’s Suzy’s generosity and care that made the best difference to our stay here.

Sipping some complimentary bubbles, feeling like I'm Margot Robbie in the new Barbie Movie

Upon our arrival we were so grateful to see complimentary treats in the fringe including these amazing cranberry nought biscuits to have with a beetroot dip (both pretty and pink of course) and cute Prosecco piccolos! The pantry also shelved some nice long life almond milk and 2-minute noodles just in case. A handy welcome page gives quick details to maximise your holiday and advice on where you can score some delicious food locally.

The granny flat is stocked with helpful features in every nook, like fashion and cook books, these absolutely to die for bath robes, travel mugs, beach chairs, yoga mats and an internal laundry with a washing machine, spare blankets and picnic rugs. Suzy does everything to prepare the place for a relaxing stay.

The Internal Laundry

Bathroom amenities!

The handy tub of yoga mats, beach chairs and more

Another caring touch I appreciated finding was the air-con instructions! I always think I should be able to use air-conditioning without stress, but those cheeky things are special, each uniquely challenging in their own way, yet it was a breeze (we chose a warm breeze this time of year) thanks to the quick and easy guide.

via GIPHY

We hope you’ve felt some inspiration ignite thanks to how how the Cabana has been built and decorated with fun and quality of life in mind. We’ve got more ways people have achieved home-like granny flats to come over the next few days.

If you too want to experience this new well run holiday granny flat, which we highly advise, enquire here. The Cabana is perfect for a girls trip, romantic getaway or pretty much any excuse you can think of to vacation in this wonderland.

Read More in this Series

The castle retreat tiny house

Author and posted by Alysha de Ruyter.