Killer views, a glittering swimming pool and an artist's eye take a home from bare bones to breathtakingly beautiful...

Inspiration comes in all shapes and sizes - just ask an artist. While what pushes one person's buttons can easily leave another cold, surely calling this place home would get anyone's creativity flowing. This is just one of the many reasons Amanda Brooks, a textile artist and painter, loves living in this open and airy house.

Nestled away in the hinterland on Queensland's Sunshine Coast, 29-year-old Amanda shares her beautiful, well-proportioned home with husband Jason Jones, 32, their seven-month-old daughter, Coco, and their three dogs. Amanda says moving here has made all the difference on canvas. "Uninterrupted views of the coast are very inspiring. Peace and quiet is paramount as an artist, so I love being in my own space. Now I have it."

Does she ever. A contemporary three-bedroom, three-bathroom home spread over two levels, the house was just two years old when Amanda and Jason discovered it. Topped with a traditional alang alang (an indigenous Indonesian grass) thatched roof - a look the couple fell in love with when travelling through Tahiti early last year - their gallery space provides focus for Amanda's artwork and affords the entire property a real sense of solitude. The roof of the gazebo by the pool is also thatched. "We wanted the house to feel and look a bit like a resort but, at the same time, we were conscious of not creating something too ‘themed', so we kept that in mind when designing the outdoor areas, as well as decorating inside," says Amanda.

Mission accomplished. Catch a glimpse of any room in this house, and everything seems to belong exactly where it is. "We do love living here," she says. "Apart from the pool, we love the view the most." We told you it was inspirational. Canvas, anyone?

Dion Gadd, 0417 649 411. Amanda Brooks' artwork, contact Sandra Brookfield, (02) 4733 4064, www.noosagonesouth.com.

Story: Karen Fittall
Photography: George Seaper
Styling: Helen Adams

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