SIMPLY STUNNING
When the owners of a park-like, 10-acre Sunshine Coast property, set in the picturesque town of Montville decided to build their dream home, Garth Chapman’s Traditional Queenslanders satisfied all requirements.
This huge 800-square –metre homestead, Western Springs, incorporates all the attributes of quality, modern living while stepping back in time to give an air of colonial sophistication. Built mostly to suit the owners’ original design, the outstanding home blends heritage and contemporary features into a modern masterpiece. In essence, the intention was to create a classic homestead by employing natural materials and quality workmanship.
Tall, wide verandahs surrounding the home add to the already awe-inspiring amount of space set aside for family living. Rich red cedar frames view-enhancing French doors and double-hung window, which are finished off superbly in the main living areas with glass-panelled archways custom-made by Finlaysons Joinery in Brisbane. Western Springs stands as solid and impressive as if it had been build in the colonial era, yet contains the ultra-modern accoutrements of today’s best design practices in the vast kitchen and bathrooms.
A sumptuous entrance hall with picture and dado rails introduces a hint of the luxurious interior. An extra-long hallway links the many rooms in this prestige home. The stunning centrepiece, the “heart of the home”, is undoubtedly the grand sitting and formal dining room where a vaulted ceiling soars to five metres in the middle. Here the family gathers, surrounded by treasured English antiques and heirlooms of exquisite beauty. Deep, soft sofas offer unsurpassed comfort around the black-framed, heritage-style fireplace. On either side, tall display cabinets exhibit decorative colonial edging. Although stately, this stylish living nevertheless lends itself to the day-to-day needs of a young family. Bathrooms are uniformly decorated with floor-to ceiling, stone-look tiles, square white ceramic hand basins, frameless showers and earthy colours. Regency white dominates interior walls and teams with warm, polished pale spotted gum flooring throughout the home. Rosewood bookcases grace the media room and library.
Ostensibly a six-bedroom home, Western Springs can suit the needs of owners who require a study/office or children’s games room. At the eastern end of the home is a chef’s paradise, a kitchen and function room spacious enough to accommodate 100 guests. The extra-long island bench with hard-wearing Smartstone measures more than 12 metres. Hospitality space is further enhanced through bi-fold doors with a covered, outdoor rotunda and the wraparound pool beyond.
To complement the colonial touches of this home, owners picked out a genuine pine chamferboard finish, coloured woodland grey, with sky grey corrugated Colorbond as the roofing.
All the features of the main homestead are carried through to the convenient guest cottage nearby, accessed along a sandstone pathway. Visitors fortunate enough to stay here can take advantage of the two double bedrooms, bathroom and kitchenette with meals corner.
In the north-facing Western Springs, family living reaches as close to perfection as it’s possible to be.
Garth Chapman’s Traditional Queenslanders is a multi-award-winning building group, consistently taking out many Queensland Master Builders’ heritage home accolades over the years. This well-established builder has captured the best aspects of Queenslander homes and incorporated them into comfortable homes with all the amenities expected of modern living.
Western Springs
Price: On application.
Size: 800 square metres (including verandahs and guest cottage).
Accommodation: Six bedrooms (master with ensuite and walk-in robe), two bedrooms used as a media room/library and games room, central sitting/formal dining room, huge kitchen and function room, “boot” room, wide verandahs all around with naturally weathered hardwood decking, study/office, bathroom, powder room, rotunda, guest cottage with two double bedrooms, kitchenette and meals corner, bathroom, four-car garage, laundry.
Construction: Pine chamferboard, Colorbond roof.
Construction time: 10 months
Special features: Solid homestead design with heritage features and the attributes of modern living, stately central sitting/dining room, cedar-framed windows and doors, verandahs all around, superbly equipped chef’s kitchen with large function room, guest cottage, zoned security system, self-sufficiency with auxiliary power and water storage.
