Today's simple, summer-ready beach house belongs to Russel Koskela and Sasha Titchkosky of Sydney furniture and design emporium Koskela, and the story is an edited extract from Spaces volume two by frankie magazine. For your chance to win a copy of this book of inspiring, creative and perfectly imperfect homes, leave a comment here - full details below. Competition closed.

Russel Koskela and Sasha Titchkosky were in the middle of renovating their little weatherboard and fibro house in Patonga when they noticed some strangers parked outside. They went out to say hello, and ended up finding out far more about the house than they possibly could have imagined.

One of those people was Jean, the granddaughter of Fred and Annie Flowers, who had built it in about 1920. They had a chat with her for a while, and she later wrote them a letter, sharing as much as she could about the house and her memories of it. One thing she shed light on was its odd name – Dickebusch. It was named in memory of Fred and Annie's son, a media in World War 1, who was killed in battle at Dickebusch in Belgium, and buried in the war cemetery there.



When it was first settled, the only access to Patonga, which lies on a peninsula where the Hawkesbury River and Pittwater meet, was by ferry. So all the houses were kit homes, transported there in pieces. It's that sort of unpretentious, old-fashioned detail that attracted Russel and Sasha to Patonga in the first place. "We just fell in love," Sasha remembers. "All the houses were in their original condition, painted in pretty pastel colours and it was like a beautiful little movie set. It had this really cute kind of village atmosphere and was just so different from typical Sydney life."

They promptly contacted a local real-estate agent who showed them Dickebusch. At the time, it wasn't exactly dream house material. "It was pretty scary," recalls Sasha with a shudder. "It was divided into a lot of smaller rooms. They'd replaced almost all the original floorboards with chipboard paneling. There were those hairy caterpillars all through the house, cocoons everywhere. The kitchen was virtually non-existent and it didn't really have a bathroom. It was disastrous!"



Despite the sad state of the house, they could still see the potential, and six weeks after inspecting the property they made an offer. Russel and Sasha always knew Dickebusch was going to be a holiday house. "The aim was to create a house that people could rent, but design it as thought it was just for us," says Sasha. "We really wanted something that made you feel like you were on holidays, so it didn't feel like a city house – all downlights and polished surfaces and bright, white walls. We wanted it to feel really different."



Having experienced some very disappointing holiday rentals in their time, Russel and Sasha were determined that their holiday house, which has two bedrooms in the main building, would be much more comfortable and practical. The open-plan space flows from indoor to outdoor when the bi-fold doors to the deck are thrown open. There is plenty of couch space for a post-lunch nap and the kitchen bench faces in towards the living area so the chef can still socialise while meals are being made. They've used lots of timber, sisal floor coverings, rustic finishes and natural materials to create a casual and comfortable feel. A separate building in the backyard, which would have once been a garage, has been converted into a cottage that now sleeps four.



Unsurprisingly, Russel and Sasha used a lot of Koskela products in the house, but they also had a lot of fun going to auctions to find other interesting bits and pieces. "The kitchen buffet was a great old shop counter that we restored," says Sasha, "and the coffee table is an old chest from Germany that was used to store ammunition." The amazing stag screen door was another auction score.

Dickebusch is well loved and well lived in. Russel, Sasha and their boys Anders, 8, and Mike, 6, try to visit at least every couple of months. Christmas is often spent at their holiday hideaway and part of every school holiday, too. "For our boys, it's kind of like their second home," says Sasha. "They can ride their bikes around the street, go fishing and jump off the jetty. It's a more relaxed lifestyle for them, where they don't feel like someone has to be watching them all the time."



The adults feel the same sense of freedom and, as Sasha will tell you, the peace of the place has a powerful effect. "As you coast down the hill and turn into 'Tonga, you just feel the weight of Sydney has left your shoulders and you can really relax."



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Images by Luisa Brimble. Copy by Kate Veling. 

Leave a comment below before 5pm (AEDT) Thursday 13 November 2014 to win 1 of 2 copies of Spaces volume two by frankie magazine. You must be a member of Temple & Webster to enter, and you may only enter once. We'll pick our favourite comments and contact the winners via Facebook or email by Friday 21 November 2014. If we are unable to contact the winner(s) within 30 days we'll pick an alternative winner. Good luck! ​Competition closed.