BUILT TO ORDER

Paul Riley’s highly acclaimed Trademark Building company has some remarkable projects under its belt. One of the most recent is the multi-award-winning Legato House at Macmasters Beach.

WORDS SALLY MACMILLAN PHOTOGRAPHY BRIGID ARNOTT

Having grown up in Avoca Beach, where he lives with his fiancée and their two children and where his company Trademark Building is based, Paul Riley has lifelong connections to the Central Coast. He has a deep knowledge of its history, geography, character and communities and is highly thought of among his peers and industry groups (although he would be too modest to mention this).

“We are a small but very focused team of five, ” he says. “I work handson on every project and clients deal directly with me. I love what I do and the day that building becomes solely a financial transaction is the day I give it up.”

Luckily for the clients, architects and designers Paul works with that’s not going to happen anytime soon. Legato House is a recent project that he is particularly proud of; originally designed by David Boyle Architect, the property was recently reimagined by the architect along with interior designers Arent&Pyke and James Headland’s Pangkarra Garden Design.

Paul and his amazing team of carpenters, along with his select subtrades, worked on the project for just over two years and in that time perfected every detail specified by the designers. HIA Hunter Housing Awards judges commented, “This renovation is a complete masterpiece with outstanding craftsmanship and nothing to fault.” As Paul says, it was a true collaboration between “fantastic clients” and a very passionate builder. And one that was achieved while dealing with restrictions imposed by covid and the shortage of materials. Paul says that only a handful of items on this project were off the shelf –everything else was either made on site or custom made. The attention to detail and finish is incredible. For example, terrazzo tiles and stone slabs were flown in from Italy, leather tiles for the kitchen island were sourced from New York, the hand cast brass doorknob was custom made and the garage is lined in custom birch ply and houses two wine fridges from France.

Legato House is coastal living at its best. It has four bedrooms, two bathrooms, and an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area that opens onto an oversized entertaining deck with ocean views. It is surrounded by a native garden and has a mineral pool with a striking pool pavilion and the flexible floor plan allows for separate accommodation downstairs with another generous living space opening to the garden.

The project has won five building awards – two Master Builder awards and three HIA awards – and has also been recognised and commended for the interiors, architecture and landscaping. For more information and to contact Paul, call 0405 316 606 or see trademarkbuilding.net.au