Spotted Gum Island Benchtop // Mossy Point Holiday House
June 2023
Long-time friend of Thor’s Hammer Laurence Kain (co-founder of Capital Brewing Co in Fyshwick) and his partner Mayuri Kain approached us about their plans to renovate a house in Mossy Point (on the NSW South Coast), to eventually offer it up to travellers as a pet-friendly Airbnb.
Having already worked with us for three different bar fitouts for Capital, Laurence knew first hand just how well our benchtops will hold up to wear and tear (and how awesome they look!).
This time, we worked with Mayuri and Laurence to make and install a stunning island benchtop in recycled spotted gum, with an ash floor to match the vibe, while giving some colour and texture variation.
We chatted to Mayuri and Laurence to hear all about their Mossy Point Airbnb renovation. Read on to check out the conversation.
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Tell us about the renovation of your Mossy Point Airbnb.
We picked up a classic 90's period house complete with lace curtains, frilly floral pelmets and beige carpet. We wanted to minimise the amount of new materials we used in this renovation and really add some character to the place.
Was using recycled timber an intentional choice?
We have a strong personal interest in sustainability and minimising our personal consumption of 'stuff,’ so this was one of the drivers of choosing recycled timber. The other driver of course being that it looks amazing and it is super durable!
How did you decide on the flooring and benchtop you ended up with?
We wanted it to be a place where the whole family could come along; kids and pets included, and we wanted people to be able to get outside and explore the stunning NSW South Coast region.
So, we needed any additions to be practical and hard wearing. When we ripped out the ratty beige carpet and laid the remilled mixed ash flooring it immediately improved the vibe of the place.
For our island benchtop, we went with recycled spotted gum because the house is surrounded by pretty epic spotted gums, and it’s likely the timber was logged from coastal forests near us so it felt nice to return it back down the coast!
We absolutely love our benchtop—it’s the centrepiece of the entire house, a gathering place for breakfasts, morning tea, board games and parties! It’s great that we can live on it, cook on it, scratch it a bit, and then just spray it with Osmo wax and it looks good as new again.
Tell us about Mossy Point—what’s it like?
The best thing about Mossy Point are the spotted gums and birds—you feel like you’re in the middle of the bush. After that it would be the multiple surf breaks and fantastic riverside and headland walks. It is also much warmer than Canberra so it is a great place to go and break the winter up!
And the accommodation—are you taking bookings?
Yes! And there’s some good mid week availability if you can take some time off work. It's a great spot to get out of the Canberra winter!
The house is pet and kid friendly, and there’s river access at the end of the street and the stunning North Broulee Beach and Candlagan Creek are only minutes away.
Check out the Mossy Point Holiday House Airbnb booking page and follow along on Instagram.
EXPLORE THE PRODUCTS
ISLAND BENCHTOP
Laurence’s spotted gum benchtop has a waterfall at one end and at the other end a slight overhang.
The spotted gum has a great mix of brown tones, contrasting beautifully with the mossy green colour scheme.
Our spotted gum usually comes from old floor joists (rather than the more common roofing structures). In the past durable hardwoods like spotted gum were more commonly used close to the ground where there was more chance of damp.
PRODUCT Benchtops
TIMBER SPECIES Spotted Gum
SOURCED FROM Floor joists in Brisbane / Sunshine Coast houses
“We absolutely love our benchtop—it’s the centrepiece of the entire house, a gathering place for breakfasts, morning tea, board games and parties! It’s great that we can live on it, cook on it, scratch it a bit, and then just spray it with Osmo wax and it looks good as new again.”
RE-MILLED FLOORING
Re-milled flooring in Canberra local ash is one of our most popular flooring options. Mostly, we salvage the timber from the internal structures of houses and buildings in and around Canberra (hence ‘Canberra local ash’).
Ash has a lighter colour that’s perfect for flooring, especially when styled with darker furniture.
PRODUCT Re-milled flooring
TIMBER SPECIES Canberra Local Ash
