Pietra: Inside Shelley Craft’s Byron Bay Home

Inspired by the rustic charm of a Tuscan countryside villa, Shelley Craft’s Byron Bay home, Pietra, is unrecognisable from the 80s brick house it once was. Sitting on nearly an acre of land, the family home is surrounded by a grove of lush cypress pines that offers privacy and a peaceful outlook no matter where you are in the home. 

Inside, natural materials are used thoughtfully and intentionally to enhance the connection between indoor and outdoor spaces, creating a soft, grounded atmosphere. Join us as Shelley Craft takes us through her latest ‘forever for-now home’, Pietra — a hybrid of modern Australian architecture and Tuscan-inspired interior design tucked away in blissful Byron Bay.

Having hosted 17 seasons of Australia’s renowned renovation show, The Block, Shelley is no stranger to home improvement. With a wealth of knowledge and a keen eye for interior design, she and her husband, Christian, worked tirelessly for almost a year to complete the extensive renovation of their Byron Bay property.

Relatively unassuming from the outside, the home’s farmhouse-style black timber front door opens to reveal a generous entryway characterised by earthy, rendered walls and rustic limestone flooring. These understated, textural finishes are continued throughout the entire home to create a sense of cohesion and calm. A built-in timber bench extends the length of the hall and offers hidden storage to keep the space clutter-free.

Branching off from the hallway are two bedrooms for her daughters, Milla and Eadie, each with walk-in robes and ensuites. Shelley wanted each bedroom to have beautiful French double doors that open up onto their own private landing, giving each family member easy access to the outdoor areas.

A rumpus room leads into a dedicated wellness wing designed for relaxation and self-care. It includes an infrared sauna, steam sauna, ice bath, powder room, and an outdoor shower with direct access to the pool.

The open-plan kitchen, living, and dining area sits under a soaring A-frame ceiling with built-in skylights that flood the space with natural light. The farmhouse-inspired quartz stone feature wall immediately catches the eye, adding a rustic, textural feel to the space.

To encourage more family dinners at home, Shelley installed a custom-made, built-in banquette dining nook in lieu of a standalone table. To its left, the living area is sectioned off by a plush mocha lounge and large floor rug, with a wall-mounted TV cleverly hidden behind S-wave floor-to-ceiling curtains. Matte black-trimmed French double doors and gas strut steel windows on both sides of the room seamlessly connect the indoor and outdoor zones.

In the kitchen, Shelley selected a minimalist slab of sandy-toned dolomite for her island benchtop, which features a generous overhang and timber stool seating for the family to gather around. 

Shelley says her favourite ABI finish, brushed gunmetal, was a non-negotiable. It’s seen in the Zalo Double Kitchen Sink and Elysian Commercial Pull-Out Kitchen Mixer, positioned on the adjacent benchtop leading into the butler's pantry. 

 For this surface, Shelley opted for Dekton, a sustainable, high-performance material made from a combination of quartz, porcelain, and glass. Both natural stone surfaces are complemented by grey, timber-look cabinetry, which cleverly conceals the integrated fridge and dishwasher.

Limestone flooring and natural stone finishes continue in each of the bathrooms. Shelley selected our eye-catching Ravello Travertine Inverted Finger Mosaic Tiles, Sola Shower Head, and tapware and hardware from our Namika Reeded Collection to further enhance the textural look. 

She used the same natural stone from the kitchen benchtop to wrap the floating vanities and opted for our brushed gunmetal finish to subtly stand out against the room’s soft, neutral palette. The addition of picture windows and skylights helps maximise natural light and provides glimpses of the surrounding cypress pines.

Limestone pavers form a pathway to the outdoor pergola, equipped with a barbeque, bar fridge, dining table, and bench seating for entertaining family and friends. Bathed in sunlight, the pool area mirrors the home's interior with the same limestone flooring and quartz stone feature wall. Shelley selected the Ravello Travertine Rounded Finger Mosaic Tiles — similar to the inverted style used in the bathrooms — to run along the curved pool’s waterline.

Shelley Craft’s Byron Bay home, Pietra, is a testament to the power of high-quality natural finishes and thoughtful design that seamlessly blurs the line between indoor and outdoor living.

Want to be inspired by more homes like Pietra? Read our blogs:

Shelley Craft’s Pacifico House Reinvents Coastal Living With An Industrial Edge

Halo by Arlo Stone: The Epitome of Coastal Luxury and Mediterranean-Inspired Design