MARÈA
On a prized north-to-water allotment in Mermaid Waters, HOVEN has built a home that borrows its soul from coastal Europe. MARÈA is a five-bedroom waterfront residence shaped by sculptural arches, soaring ceilings, and a dramatic six-metre void, dressed in a palette of natural stone, Venetian plaster, antique brass, and European oak.
Underneath it all, quite literally, is Dakar. HOVEN selected our engineered timber flooring in 190mm plank from the Habitat collection to carry warmth through every living space, and the result speaks for itself.
The vision
HOVEN founders Corinne and Shane Wynhoven set the brief early, and they held to it.
“Our vision was to create a home that felt like a modern Mediterranean retreat — warm, refined and timeless. Every material and supplier was chosen to support that feeling, focusing on natural textures, soft tones and high-quality finishes.”
— Corinne and Shane Wynhoven, HOVEN
That thinking shaped every selection in the home, from the Taj Mahal stone benchtops and fluted walnut island to the bronze fixtures and pure wool carpet. “Choosing natural materials with stone, marble, wool carpet and wood flooring were important design must-haves,” they said.
The challenge: warmth at scale
Large homes carry a particular risk. Give a residence 710sqm, five bathrooms, and a six-metre void, and it can very easily feel more like a gallery than a place to live.
“One of the biggest challenges was balancing architectural impact with warmth and liveability. It’s easy for large homes to feel cold, so we were very intentional with curves, materials and lighting to soften the spaces and create a more inviting feel.”
— Corinne and Shane Wynhoven, HOVEN
The floor had real work to do here. It needed enough depth to anchor generous, light-filled volumes, and enough softness to sit comfortably beneath arched openings and curved walls. A pale, minimal board would have left the spaces feeling sparse. Anything too dark would have fought the home’s relaxed, sun-washed character.
The floor
Dakar answered both briefs at once. A natural-grade engineered European oak with smoked, medium-brown tones and a subtle brushed texture, it brings genuine warmth without ever tipping into heaviness.
Through MARÈA’s open-plan kitchen, living, and dining zones, the 190mm boards run long and uninterrupted, drawing the eye through each arched threshold and out towards the water. In the kitchen, Dakar grounds the Taj Mahal stone and fluted walnut island; in the lounge, it picks up the rust and caramel tones of the furnishings; in the bedrooms and robes, it meets walnut joinery with an easy, tonal continuity.
There’s a practical story here too. Engineered timber flooring offers greater dimensional stability than solid boards, which matters in a waterfront home in the Queensland climate. Each board is crafted from sustainably sourced European oak and finished with a hard-wearing UV lacquer, so the floor is built for real family life: five bedrooms’ worth of it.
Explore the full engineered timber flooring range to see how Dakar sits alongside its Habitat siblings.
From our showroom to the Gold Coast
MARÈA is a Queensland build, and we’re a Melbourne flooring company. That’s less of a contradiction than it sounds.
Our interstate projects service exists precisely for builds like this one, and HOVEN’s experience is the reason we invest in it.
“The experience was seamless from start to finish. The team understood our vision immediately and delivered a product that elevated the entire home. Their quality and attention to detail really stood out.”
— Corinne and Shane Wynhoven, HOVEN
We supply engineered timber flooring to premium builds across the country, with the same showroom consultation, sampling, and support we offer our Melbourne clients.
The result
MARÈA has since drawn attention well beyond Markeri Street, earning coverage across the Gold Coast property press and design media as one of Mermaid Waters’ standout new builds. Every published frame features the same warm, honeyed floor holding the composition together.
The Wynhovens’ advice for anyone weighing up new floors is worth quoting in full.
“Invest in quality and choose something timeless. Flooring sets the foundation for the entire home, so it’s important it complements your overall palette and will still feel relevant in years to come.”
— Corinne and Shane Wynhoven, HOVEN
We couldn’t have said it better. If you’re weighing up engineered timber flooring for your own build, MARÈA makes a persuasive case for choosing character that lasts.
See Dakar for yourself. Order free flooring samples or book an appointment at our Cremorne or Mornington showroom.
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- The sculptural rear corner, caught between day and evening.
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- Twilight at the waterline: the pool, the lawn, and a house lit from within.
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- From above: Mermaid Waters at sunset, with MARÈA holding the waterfront.
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- MARÈA by night — arched windows glowing above the pool terrace.
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