Talm beach house: heavenly Port Stephens accommodation (2024)

Who built it: Jenn and Ryley Bliss, who have two young children: Noah, three, and Archer, almost one.

Style of holiday home: A new build that combines country charm with a modern coastal feel. The home is currently operated as a luxury accommodation destination that sleeps up to 10 people.

Timeline: Ryley and Jenn couple bought the land in 2018 and broke ground in 2019. The house was up by 2020, and the interior fit-out finalised in late 2021.

Time has a funny way of catching up with us. While most teenagers will spend years dreaming of escaping their hometown, for Ryley Bliss, the pull of childhood memories forged years ago among the rockpools and beach breaks of Anna Bay in Port Stephens was strong enough to bring his young family back there years later.

Ryley and his wife Jenn are the duo behind Talm, Anna Bay’s newest luxury beachfront accommodation, built at a location that was seemingly fated to be. After all, so seldom does a position of such picturesque beauty become available, when it did for the newlyweds, pregnant with their first child, the connection was undeniable.

“The spot has completely unobstructed ocean views looking out over a reef rich in marine life and home to regular pods of dolphins and whales,” says Jenn. “The very same magical area that Ry grew up surfing and swimming in with his friends.”

While Ryley was no stranger to the area, Jenn, who hails from the coastal city of Cape Town, South Africa, is just as at home by the beach. “Those memories,” she says, “are the same ones we want for our children.” And so, Talm was born. Meaning ‘to linger in a place longer due to the reluctance to leave’ in Afrikaans, Talm was conceived as an antidote to the stressors of life, a balm for the soul, an escape for the mind and, most importantly, a venture for the creative couple that mixed business with pleasure.

GOOD NEWS

Ryley and Jenn’s drive for sustainability included sourcing new and vintage pieces in high-quality teak, mango wood and reclaimed timber.

As serial renovators, Talm is the pair’s third and biggest property, with Covid challenges also making it their longest build. Despite some initial pandemic-related setbacks, Jenn and Ryley’s vision for the build remained as clear as the crystal waters it overlooks.

Working closely with Greenbuild Constructions and its architects, the couple set about creating the perfect coastal escape, replete with contemporary country charm and a light, bright aesthetic that would sit proudly on the prime real estate it occupies for years to come. “Our main vision for Talm was to create a space that felt luxurious and relaxing, but in the same breath, still welcoming and family-friendly,” says Jenn.

“As we have the ocean on our doorstep, it was important for us to make sure we blurred the lines of indoor-outdoor living so that it felt like a home away from home for guests, and our own family when we stay there.”

Inspired in part by the Cape Dutch architecture of Jenn’s native home, it’s a contemporary take on modern barn style centred around a grand eight-metre void framing the home’s main attraction – that view. Floor-to-ceiling windows flow into sliding doors that retract fully, opening out to the alfresco dining area from the internal living space.

At the heart of the interior lies the luxurious entertainer’s kitchen with all the trimmings, complete with an expansive island bench that can seat five or more. Looking out over the calming palette presented in the living space, the area wraps around to the smaller family escape and leads up to the floor above.

But before anyone makes it up the stairs, a masterful walk-in wine cellar stops them in their tracks. Forgoing the usual pull of under-stair storage in favour of a custom wine room was a stroke of genius for the couple, whose clever conversion has transformed this casual coastal charmer into a glam getaway that spares nothing in terms of luxe details.

Upstairs, the indulgence continues in the main bedroom suite, graced by floor-to-ceiling windows that overlook the void below and beckon to the crashing waves beyond. A soak-in tub allows visitors to slide into solitude while watching the sun set over the horizon and dolphins dancing across the breaks.

“It was important that the space as a whole was allowed to speak for itself,” says Jenn. “We only added to it with some warm textures, grounding and earthy colours and a few carefully chosen items.” A considered approach that, given the meaning behind the name, paid dividends in creating a holiday home that is not just a place to linger longer but a destination that pays homage to the natural wonders around it, by offering a gentle canvas onto which guests can paint their own ideal landscape and choose their own adventure.

LESSONS LEARNT

“You need to dream big but within your budget,” says Jenn Bliss, owner. “I am naturally a big dreamer in all aspects of life and Ryley is the realist, so together we do make the perfect team. You have to set your budget and dream within it, otherwise you could end up paying way more than you bargained for.”

Talm is at talm.com.au or @talm.beachhouse. Greenbuild Constructions is at greenbuildconstructions.com.au or @greenbuild.constructions.