On Sydney’s Northern Beaches, interior design is often reduced to shorthand; white walls, linen textures, coastal clichés. Sally Baxter, founder of Baxter & Co., has built her practice by quietly resisting that impulse.
Her work is defined less by trend and more by proportion, material honesty, and how a space will actually be lived in over time. Residential interiors that feel calm without being minimal, refined without becoming precious. Spaces designed to age well, aesthetically and functionally.
That philosophy is particularly evident in Ohana Collaroy, a boutique coastal development where the interiors are asked to do something more nuanced than simply look “beachy.”
A Northern Beaches practice, grounded rather than stylised
Baxter & Co’s work is deeply informed by its Northern Beaches context — not as an aesthetic theme, but as a way of living. Light, ventilation, material tactility, and spatial flow take precedence over decorative statements. The result is interiors that feel intuitive and settled rather than styled.
Across the studio’s portfolio, there is a consistent emphasis on:
natural, enduring materials
restrained colour palettes
considered joinery and storage
layouts that privilege ease of movement and long-term use
This approach aligns naturally with projects aimed at owner-occupiers and downsizers; people seeking quality and comfort over novelty.
Ohana, Collaroy — interiors that support the next chapter
At Ohana, Baxter & Co’s interiors work in quiet partnership with the architecture. The homes are generous but not oversized, refined but not showy. Materials are selected for longevity and tactility, with a softness that allows residents to bring their own lives and belongings into the space without friction.
The interiors feel intentionally resolved rather than overtly branded — a conscious choice in a project designed for people planning to stay, rather than move on quickly. Lift access, flowing living spaces and private outdoor connections are supported by interiors that prioritise comfort, clarity and calm.
It’s a project where the design does not demand attention, but rewards it, revealing its quality slowly, through daily use.
A considered collaboration
Ohana is a strong example of how Baxter & Co approaches multi-residential work: by treating each apartment as a home first, not a product. The result is a set of interiors that feel grounded in place, aligned with the Northern Beaches lifestyle, and designed to endure beyond the moment of completion.
In a suburb as tightly held as Collaroy, that sense of longevity matters.
