There are two types of people on the Gold Coast: those who think real estate is all fast talk and flashy suits, and those who’ve met Salt Property.

Autumn may be the season of cool breezes and no-filter-required sunsets, but down in Palm Beach, something even fresher has rolled in. Salt Property, the boutique agency founded by Serena Wilson, is rewriting the script on what selling and buying a home should feel like. Spoiler alert: it involves honesty, heart, and a Golden Retriever named Archie who takes his role as Chief Happiness Officer very seriously.

Salt Property officially opened its Palm Beach office in January 2026, but the story started long before the fresh paint dried. Serena began her career selling commercial farmland, discovering early on that she loved the process of valuing property and presenting it to the market. After moving from Sydney to the Gold Coast, she worked her way up from sales associate to standalone agent, eventually launching Salt Property when she realised the industry was crying out for something different. Something calmer. Something more human. Something that didn’t treat people like transactions or milestones like paperwork and all we can say is A-Freaking-Men.

Salt was built on a simple belief: real estate is about people first, property second. And while that sounds lovely on a brochure, Serena and her team actually live it. They want to know your why, not just your what, and call you on the reg so you’re never left wondering what’s happening with your biggest asset. The kind that refuses to “condition” sellers into accepting less, and instead pivots, strategises, and advocates fiercely until the right outcome lands. The kind that tells you the truth, even when it’s uncomfortable, because transparency isn’t a tagline for them – it’s the whole point.

Their boutique size is their superpower. When you list with ONE of them, you get ALL of them. Serena and her equally formidable team, Paul and Marina Skelton, operate like a well‑dressed, highly caffeinated, and creatively unstoppable trio, bouncing ideas around local cafés and dreaming up creative campaigns that make properties shine.

Paul brings over 15 years of sales experience and a deep love for the southern Gold Coast community, while Marina keeps the marketing sharp, the socials humming, and the admin tighter than a freshly staged linen cupboard. Their connection to the community runs deep too, regularly bringing locals together through Christmas parties, Easter celebrations and friendly competitions for kids and grown-ups alike. Even their daughter, the youngest team member at 1.5 years old, fronts up to team meetings and helps judge colouring competitions. It’s a family affair in the most wholesome, Gold Coast way – and locals can’t get enough.

And then there’s Archie, Serena’s one‑year‑old Golden Retriever who has quickly become a Palm Beach celebrity. He attends open homes, greets clients at the office, and can often be spotted trotting around Roots and Culture or Apertivo like he’s checking on his investment portfolio. If you’ve ever wanted to buy a home from someone who hands you a property brochure and a dog cuddle in the same breath, Salt Property is the one for you.

Salt’s stunning Palm Beach office sits right in the heart of the southern Gold Coast, surrounded by the calm, sun‑soaked lifestyle that inspired the brand. Serena chose the location because it reflects everything Salt stands for: clarity, connection, and that relaxed coastal ease that makes you breathe a little deeper. Burleigh to Currumbin is their stomping ground, their community, and the place where they’re helping locals build wealth, create stability and step confidently into their next chapter.

But what truly sets Salt apart is their commitment to celebrating the stories behind every home. They understand that a property isn’t just walls and windows – it’s where memories live, where families grow, where life unfolds in all its messy, beautiful ways. They honour that. They protect it. And they guide clients through the process with the kind of care that makes you feel like you’re their only listing.

Salt Property isn’t just another agency on the GC. Salt Property isn’t just another agency on the GC. It’s a refreshing shift toward real estate with heart, humour and humanity. It’s a team that shows up, stands beside you, and cheers you on. A boutique business with big values and even bigger commitment, and it’s here to makes selling and buying homes feel less like a rollercoaster and more like a milestone worth celebrating. And because buying and selling shouldn’t result in an extra costly therapy or Botox bill. It should feel manageable, meaningful, and not maddening.

Enlist the dream team at Salt. Your current self, your future self, and your future equity will thank you because big life moments deserve big heart behind them – and there are no smoke and mirrors here. Just sincerity, honesty, and results that speak louder than any pitch ever could.

Where: 40 Palm Beach Avenue, Palm Beach
When: 9am – 7pm Monday to Friday & 9am – 12pm Saturday. Closed Sunday.

Words by Bianca Trathen.

STORY SPONSORED BY SALT PROPERTY

There’s a certain kind of creative duo who leave the Coast, cut their teeth on the global stage, and return with a sharper, more refined point of view. Rae Underhill and Adriel Lack are exactly that.

As co-founders and creative directors of Raven & Lack, the Burleigh Heads-based studio with London roots, the pair are helping shape a new standard of luxury living on the Gold Coast. With an international portfolio spanning the UK, Middle East and South East Queensland, their work blends elevated, design-led thinking with the relaxed rhythm of coastal life.

We caught up with Rae and Adriel to talk coming home, the evolution of the local aesthetic, and why true luxury is as much about how a space feels as how it looks.

Tell us about Raven & Lack and your roles there.
Raven and Lack is dynamic and super creative interior design studio, based in Burleigh Heads, founded in London.  With project spanning the UK, Middle East, and SEQ , we specialise in the luxury residential interior design sector.   We are working on a variety of projects from stand alone trophy homes to multi unit residential developments and furniture packages for ultra – boutique apartments.  We are the co-founders and creative directors, supported by our talented team of interior architects and interior designers.

You both worked internationally for years, particularly in London. What pulled you back to the Gold Coast, and how has it influenced your creative direction?
Ultimately it was for the Gold Coast Lifestyle, both Adriel and I are from the Gold Coast and after an incredible decade plus spent in London it was time to come home, we were ready for barefoot luxury after the life in the big city!

The Gold Coast has really come into its own design-wise. How would you describe the local aesthetic right now?
The Gold Coast’s luxury aesthetic has undergone a quiet but significant shift — moving beyond its signature sun-drenched glamour into something far more discerning. Shaped by international travel, interstate migration, and a growing appetite for considered design, the region’s interiors now speak a more global language. Think the restraint of European minimalism, the warmth of Mediterranean living, and the organic textures of high-end coastal design from California to the Amalfi Coast — all filtered through a distinctly Queensland light. The result is an elevated coastal aesthetic that feels worldly without losing its sense of the vernacular.

How do you balance that relaxed, coastal lifestyle with the level of luxury your clients expect?
We think about it as designing for how people actually live. Our clients entertain, they have families, they want to walk in from the beach and feel like they’re in the most beautiful place in the world — without feeling like they can’t touch anything. That balance is everything. It’s what separates a luxurious home from just an expensive one.

What are Gold Coast clients asking for in 2026 that they weren’t five or ten years ago?
The conversation around wellness has completely transformed. Five or ten years ago, a home gym was considered a luxury addition — now our clients are asking for dedicated wellness suites that rival boutique studios. Infrared saunas, cold plunge pools, steam rooms — these aren’t wish-list items anymore, they’re being designed into the brief from day one, with the same level of intention we’d bring to a kitchen or master suite.

But what’s equally significant is the shift happening at the material level. Clients are far more informed now — they’re asking where things come from, how they’re made, what’s off-gassing into their home. There’s a real demand for natural, low-toxic materials: lime plasters, raw timbers, natural stone, wool and linen textiles, clay-based paints. And interestingly, that pursuit of healthier materials aligns beautifully with the aesthetic direction we’re seeing — because those materials also happen to be the most beautiful, the most tactile, and the most enduring.

In three words, how would you describe the future of Gold Coast interiors?
Considered. Elevated. Lifestyle Driven – (that’s 4!)

What’s one design mistake you see people consistently making?
The biggest mistake made in luxury homes is treating interiors as an afterthought. When natural light, spatial arrangements, and material selections aren’t considered from the very beginning of a project, the result is a home that never quite coheres — beautiful in parts, but lacking that seamless, resolved quality that defines truly exceptional design. The architecture and interiors have to be in conversation from day one.

Are there any local designers, artists or spaces on the Gold Coast inspiring you right now?
The Gold Coast has some seriously talented architects and designers  — Jayson Pate, Joe Snell, Reece Kiel, Bayden Goddard, Paul Uhlmann — each with a signature aesthetic and a real following. The projects coming out of the Coast at the moment are exceptional, and it shows in the results — suburb records are being broken consistently. It’s a genuinely exciting time, and a real testament to what happens when you back a strong interiors and architecture team. Investing in the right consultant from the outset doesn’t just elevate the design, it delivers real, measurable return on investment.

There’s a cool art scene emerging on the Gold Coast right now. 19Karen and the collective of artists working out of Mint Art House are consistently producing bold, fresh work that’s increasingly hard to ignore. It’s a creative community growing in both confidence and recognition — and one absolutely worth watching closely.

What are your Gold Coast favourites:
Cafe: Bam Bam Bakehouse
Restaurant: Norte 
Bar: Rick Shores for a glass of champagne. Never sick of that view!
Furniture store: Tigmi Trading
Beach:  North Burleigh to Burleigh Heads

How do you choose to spend your day off?
Beach days with family, dinner with friends, simple Gold Coast life!

Palm Beach baes – your new sweet spot has arrived! For those who were heartbroken over Mylk Well’s closure, dry your mylky tears!

Owner Sophia Buntine has opened up a brand new spot just steps away from the old locale and even closer to the beach.

After closing Mylk Well due to the building being demolished, Sophia was planning to take a well-earned break. However, it didn’t last long!

When she heard whispers of a space becoming available on the GC Highway just a few streets away from the original location, the opportunity was too good to pass up.

With a baby on the way, it’s been a wild ride getting LOAF open, but Sophia couldn’t wait to get back to slinging coffees for the Palm Beach community.

“Our beautiful customers are so laid back and just genuine,” she said.

Sitting pretty on the corner of Gold Coast Highway and 15th Avenue, Sophia was keen for a fresh aesthetic while keeping some signature styling from the OG cafe. Lush green walls pay homage to Mylk Well, while the white-framed pickup window makes it feel like you’re popping around to a friend’s place for coffee rather than ordering from a cafe.

The window overlooks a timber deck dotted with tiled white tables and large umbrellas for shade. There’s plenty of seating, a relaxed coastal feel and pooches are welcome too, which, on the GC, is practically essential.

Let’s just say Sophia has done it again, combining the cafe holy trinity of great coffee, quality food and amazing people into one cool hangout.

Being so close to the beach, the Acai Bowl with fresh banana and berries is shaping up to be a local favourite, and you can customise with peanut butter, pistachio drizzle or nutella if you’re feeling a little extra.

For smaller bites, there’s Avo Toast, Crumpets, Banana Bread and Fruit Toast, all reasonably priced for a quick brekkie.

Loaded smoothies are the ultimate grab-and-go option to take down to the beach. We recommend a Green Galaxy with spinach, mango, banana, pineapple, spirulina and coconut water all swirled together, while the Tropical Storm is summer in smoothie form, with mango, banana, pineapple, passionfruit and coconut water.

When it comes to coffee, you’ll find all your hot and cold favourites made with Supreme Coffee beans, as well as some fun specialty drinks like Mont Blanc, Pistachio Cold Brew, Strawberry Matcha and Coconut Cloud.

But it’s the weekend special that has customers lining up around the corner.

The Tiramisu Iced Latte — currently only available on weekends — is a collab with Chef Frankie in Currumbin. A classic iced latte is crowned with a slice of Chef Frankie’s famous tiramisu, creating a dream combo that’s equal parts morning coffee and moreish dessert.

One sip and you’ll be yelling through the window to Sophia: “I LOAF YOU!”

When: Daily, 5am – 12pm
Where: 1237 Gold Coast Highway, Palm Beach

Words by Lisette Drew
Images by Liam McDonald