27 FEBRUARY / 2019
PRESTIGE THE BEST IN AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY
GRAND RETURN The inside s tory
B y K ATE FARRE LLY
Coogee Sydney 6
J E N M E LO CCO
$6 million-$6.6 million
5
2
Auction: March 16 Agent: 1st City Real Estate Group, Brad Caldwell-Eyles 0414 246 625; The Agency, Bethwyn Richards 0410 322 333 A historical residence in a prime location opposite Perth’s Cottesloe
This three-level, Dennis Rabinowitz-designed
Beach is a tempting proposition. However, when it comes in a derelict
home is only 500 metres from both Gordons Bay
state complete with graffiti, some buyers may be put off. Not so the
and Coogee Beach, showcasing stone and timber
current owners of our cover property, Le Fanu, who have undertaken a
finishes throughout. You’ll find a choice of indoor
multi-million-dollar restoration to return it to its full glory, complete with
and outdoor living spaces, including a top-floor
modern-day luxuries. For the full story on the revival of this grand abode,
terrace that soaks up the neighbourhood views.
which has now come to market, head to our feature story. Meanwhile, for those contemplating a sea change, we head to the NSW mid-north coast town of Port Macquarie. Along with beaches, surrounding green hinterland
Open your camera and hover
and its own hatted restaurant, locals say one of the town’s best aspects is
your phone over the app code
its mild climate. And for those looking for the right pieces to put in their
to see the address
home, turn to Design Digest, where we have hunted down some top finds.
Editor: Jen Melocco Jen.Melocco@domain. com.au Editorial producer: Isabelle Chesher Managing editor: Alice Stolz Senior designer: Colleen Chin Quan Graphic designer: Emma Staughton Residential sales: Queensland Brad McLeod, 0429 571 826 New South Wales Belinda Sinclair 0414 580 903 Victoria & Tasmania Mitch Armstrong 0438 820 767 Western Australia, South Australia & Northern Territory Jeroen van de Peppel 0427 292 797
HOT PROPERTY
TOM FERGUSON
DESIGN DIGEST Seat of influence
COVER STORY History at the beach
5 6
Digital edition Visit domain.com.au/ digitaledition
ISTOCK
LIVING IN O U R COVE R
Coastal Port Macquarie
Cottesloe Listed by The Agency PAG E 6
2
PR E ST IGE
LUXE LIFE The ultimate boat accessory
9 11
Use the Domain app codes to see more of your favourite properties
Kew Melbourne 4
$10.5 million-$11 million
3
2
Expressions of interest: Close March 5 Agent: Kay & Burton South Yarra, Robert Fletcher 0413 493 901 Offered to the market for the first time in 60 years, Irwell sits in manicured, park-like gardens on one of Studley Park’s boulevards. The two-storey home has formal living spaces with high ceilings and fireplaces, a contemporary granite kitchen adjoining a family and sitting room, and a dedicated study.
Open your camera and hover your phone over the app code to see the address
Raby Bay Moreton Bay 5
5
Glenelg South $8.5 million
5
Adelaide 4
$6 million-$6.5 million
4
4
For sale
For sale
Agent: Raine & Horne Cleveland, Tom Banjanin 0412 828 863
Agent: Bernard H Booth, Jamie Brown
Sprawling across 2327 square metres of absolute beachfront land with
0413 000 887
views across Moreton Bay to the islands, this lavish home features five
This modern residence offers a panoramic ocean
bedrooms with en suites and a separate guest wing. Highlights include
outlook, kitchen and living spaces on both levels,
vaulted, timber-lined ceilings and a huge kitchen with a butler’s pantry.
a home theatre and multiple outdoor areas.
Open your camera and hover Open your camera and hover your phone
your phone over the app code
over the app code to see the address
to see the address
PR E ST IGE
3
8 A L B AT R O S S AV E N U E M e r m a i d Be a c h
P ri c e $2, 295, 000 eac h E N V I A B L E . M O D E R N . L U X U RY. 4
3.5
2
1
Modern, refined, relaxed. This is elite Australian coastal living in Mermaid Beach. These large, contemporary villas offer a fresh and carefree lifestyle. A morning swim? Lazy cafe lunch? Perhaps an evening drink? The nearby options are endless. The choices are yours.
V i ew Thu rsd a y 11: 00a m - 11: 30a m S atu rday an d Sun d a y 12: 00p m - 12: 30p m
Jordan Williams 0413 11 44 77
p re s ti g e age nts.com.au |
@j ordanprestigeagents
DESIGN DIGEST
Sitting pretty Catch the eye with wallflowers that won’t blend into the background and some sleek lighting. C o m p i l e d b y ISAB E LLE CH E SH E R GRECA BRISBANE A chic aesthetic by interior architect George Livissianis raises the stakes in this new Jonathan Barthelmess restaurant. Inspired by the waterfront setting, Livissianis brings the Mediterranean to Brisbane, with cool whites and rustic timber. greca.com.au
WOVE CHAIR Studio Truly Truly have a knack of balancing the understated with the eye-catching. Their Wove Chair is just so – the shape is simple and sturdy, while the curved steel wires and rich TOM FERGUSON
colours have an engaging effect. studiotrulytruly.com
KATIE STRATTON WALLPAPER MURALS Scandinavian
MITO LIGHT Designer Tom Fereday applied a subtle touch in this series for
Wallpaper & Decor
minimalist. tomfereday.com
Rakumba Lighting. Tasked with a brief to honour the raw beauty of nature, Fereday kept the palette to timber and stone, the frame sleek and
have some dreamy collaborations under their belt. Right now, it's these floral prints by Katie Stratton that have us transfixed. wallpaperdecor.com.au
FIONA SUSANTO
PR E ST IGE
5
The road to restoration glory
COVER STORY
A derelict 125-year-old landmark house has been lovingly restored in a $12 million project. B y LISA CAL AUT TI
W
ith its commanding beachfront presence and grandeur of yesteryear, it’s hard to believe that this landmark piece of West Australian history in the prestigious beachside suburb of Cottesloe was headed for demolition. The 125-year-old, heritage-listed home, known as Le Fanu, was derelict with crumbling limestone walls, a collapsing roof, rotting flooring, shattered floor tiles and graffiti until a mystery buyer purchased it in 2009 with the determination – and the dollars - to bring it back to life.
6
PR E ST IGE
The $12 million restoration project was carried out by Zorzi Builders and was designed by architect Ian Hocking, who is one of WA’s bestknown heritage practitioners. Set on an oceanside 1492-square-metre block, Le Fanu was built as a single-storey holiday cottage with five rooms for the manager of the Western Australian Bank, Henry Diggins Holmes, his wife Marion and their children, in 1893 and it was then known as Banksia. The Federation Queen Anne style home was among one of Cottesloe’s first residences when built and underwent considerable alterations
from 1898 to 1900. In 1945, the Anglican Church took over the residence and named it Le Fanu in homage of Henry Frewen Le Fanu, the Bishop of Perth between 1929 and 1946. It was used as a meeting place for religious groups. In 1973, it was bought by an Esperance farmer who failed to restore it as a beachside holiday abode and it fell into ruin. More than three decades later, Zorzi Builders embarked on one of their most ambitious restoration projects in the company’s history after the current owners bought it in 2009. The project took more than two years of planning and liaising with the State Heritage Council and the Town of Cottesloe, as well as almost three years of labour, during which more than 300 of Zorzi’s tradesmen and artisans spent “hundreds of thousands of hours” to restore Le Fanu to its former glory. David Reynolds, Zorzi Builders’ business development director, said many eager tradies would work after dark and on weekends to finish their jobs. “They’d try to sneak back in and get on with it. It was quite unique.”
YOUR AGENT Pamela Wilkinson, The Agency
“It is so unique. It’s known by everybody, even in Europe. It would be a treasure to own it.”
Where possible, original features of Le Fanu were saved. Restoring, retaining and individually numbering salt-affected limestone bricks, which were more than 100 years old, for reuse was an arduous task. Shattered floor tiles had to be salvaged to be reinstated and were reused as a feature in the home’s entry. The restoration has paid homage to Le Fanu’s historic past with marble flooring, a grand use of timber, high ceilings, soaring columns, custom-made cornices, architraves, mouldings, skirtings and restored original fireplaces. Other features include wrought-iron arched doors, an immense outdoor area and courtyard, a sweeping balcony that capitalises on the ocean views, a full home automation system, a stateof-the-art security system with cameras, as well as a wine cellar and tasting room, a marblefloored 10-car garage and a lift to connect the home’s three levels. Selling agent Pamela Wilkinson, of The Agency, says Le Fanu boasts the grandness of yesteryear with modern conveniences and
described the residence as akin to a piece of rare art. “It would suit someone who likes attention to detail,” says Wilkinson. She says bringing Le Fanu back to life was a project of love by the sellers, who never lived in the residence.
Cottesloe Perth 5
Circa $17 million 5
10
For sale Agent: The Agency, Pamela Wilkinson 0413 070 000
Open your camera and hover your phone over the app code to see the address
PR E ST IGE
7
LIVING IN
31.4580° S, 152.9230° E
PORT MACQUARIE ETHAN ROHLOFF
Large enough to have a hatted restaurant but small enough to be friendly, locals say Port Macquarie is ‘just right’. B y K ATE FARRE LLY After the frenetic pace of a race track, there's
centre, which is also currently hosting the
nothing Andrew Miedecke likes better than
National Photographic Portrait Prize.
coming home to “beautiful, quiet and easy”
all the sports, good schools, a teaching hospital
of the local Ford and Mercedes Benz dealerships
and a university,” says Miedecke. with a population exceeding 80,000, Port
sell up and move back to the big smoke.
Macquarie was once a haven for retirees but is
no plans to move anywhere. “I really like the weather here,” he says. “I've just been in Brisbane, where it's too hot and now I'm in Melbourne, where it's too cold. Port Macquarie's climate is just right!” Miedecke says it's also quick and easy to get
Mid North Coast $2.39 million
5
3
4
Among the fastest growing regions in NSW
plan to build his dealership over 10 years then Nearly 40 years later, Miedecke says he has
Port Macquarie
“You can get your culture fix, plus we've got
Port Macquarie. The racing car driver and owner moved up the coast from Sydney in 1980 with a
YOU MAY LIKE ...
now attracting what Percival Property agent Di Calder describes as “young entrepreneurial folk”. “They're setting up businesses and opening restaurants,” she says.
Waterfront lifestyle Calder says there has been good activity at the
around town or to connect with nature.
high end of the market, most recently with the
“Everything about Port Macquarie is very easy,”
sale of 41 Harbourside Crescent, a luxury
For sale
he says. “Even though I'm in the car industry,
waterfront home that sold for $2.1 million in
Agent: Percival Property, Di Calder 0412 654 646
I love the fact that I spend less time in the car
November. She says the sale has lifted the
Claiming a north-facing riverfront block, this
and more time at the beach, the movies, or a
benchmark for other property in the area, and
architect-designed home comes with floor-to-
restaurant. And we've got the hinterland behind
Port Macquarie is fortunate to have excellent
ceiling glass that makes the most of the views.
us with great national parks where you can ride
access to beach and river frontage.
Finishes include cedar, spotted gum and
motorbikes.”
Fab food and culture The town lays claim to a hatted restaurant, The Stunned Mullet, which boasts a gorgeous
“In most towns, you have to go out of your
travertine, with Miele appliances in the kitchen.
way to get a view, but here you drive along the
Outside, manicured gardens wrap around a 15-
coastline, and there are views everywhere.”
metre lap pool.
She says the friendliness of the locals is also a big drawcard.
Lapping up the sunshine
Open your camera and hover
Miedecke describes as one of the best small
it's still small enough to encourage that friendly
at Flynns Beach, Port
your phone over the app code
theatres in the state at The Glasshouse cultural
interaction between folk.”
Macquarie.
to see the address
outlook over Town Beach. It’s also home to what
“What's special about the town for me is that
PR E ST IGE
9
YOU MAY LIKE ...
LUXE LIFE WATERFRONT
McMahons Point
Experience a sense of porpoise
Sydney 3
$4.5 million
2
2
B y S TE PH E N CO RBY
Y
ou've probably pondered the joy of being a bird, but have you ever wondered how much fun being a dolphin would be? Happily you can now find out (eating live, raw fish optional), thanks to a truly enticing toy known as the Seabob, which is an “underwater scooter” that's hugely popular with people who own boats even bigger than their houses. “In places like Monaco, people commonly have three or four of these on the back of their giant boats, just because they're such fun to play with despite the fact that they're about $25,000 a pop – but then they are the Ferrari of underwater craft,” explains Grant Dwyer, of Seabob importer Marine Lifestyles. Quite honestly, even a Ferrari is barely as much fun as the experience of skimming along the surface of Sydney Harbour on one of these Bond-esque contraptions, and then diving under the water, for as long as you can hold your breath, before leaping up and out again. And you don't have to feel guilty about noise or pollution, either, because the Seabob runs on
electricity and uses Tesla batteries. Another bonus is that a Seabob is actually small enough to fit in the boot of your car. Getting your position right on the device, and learning to turn it with your body, the way you would a motorbike, is simple enough (I think my 12-year-old son was better at it than me), but it really is a dive of faith the first time you plunge beneath the waves. With wind resistance removed, however, it is here that you really feel as quick and sleek as a shark, as you tear through the water at speeds of up to 10 knots. It's fast enough that you may find water leaking out your nose every time you bend over for the next few hours, but worth it. The cost ($24,949 to be exact) is, of course, impressive, but Dwyer hopes to make the experience more accessible though Seabob lessons and harbour tours, through a company called Water Sports Central. Be warned: once you've tried one and lived out your mermaid or merman fantasies, you're going to want one, no matter the cost.
Auction: March 7 Agent: Ray White Lower North Shore, David Gillan 0411 255 914 A Seabob would look just dandy parked on the grass of your harbour-fronting home, where you could use it to zip to your neighbour’s house in style. This three-bedroom McMahons Point stunner has the perfect outlook for Seabob ownership, and plenty else besides.
Seabob underwater
Open your camera and hover
scooters open up a
your phone over the app code
deep blue world of fun.
to see the address
PR E ST IGE
11
4
5
4
Expressions of Interest Closing 21st March
Contact Agent
6
6
4
13-15 Palm Island Court, Patterson Lakes Paradise in Palm Island! This remarkable Mediterranean-inspired masterpiece is finished to the highest standard for a life of unsurpassed luxury. Complete with two boat moorings, stunning water views and sprawling over two titles combining for approx. just over 1,600 SQM of sandy beach, waterfront land. Features include, home office, home theatre , fully contained apartment, gas and solar heated pool and spa, pool house complete with wet bar, power room and shower, keyless entry, security system, gas ducted heating, refrigerated cooling, ducted vacuum, C-bus and control four smart wiring, motorised blinds, automatic garden watering system and remote-controlled four-car accommodation.
Mitchell Torre Real Estate Pty Ltd P: 03 9772 0077
Hamish Mitchell 0404 534 754
Kirribilli Your tropical island home Stylish and spacious, this newly renovated, three level designer Island Marina and across to the iconic Dent Island. There’s no better place to enjoy the most captivating sunsets Hamilton Built over 3 luxurious levels, this 3 bed, 3 bath architectural masterpiece features open plan living and dining with expansive timber decks. The lower level boasts a private plunge pool with stunning views, that will have you feel like you’ve found nirvana. The spacious master bedroom, with its stunning vistas, built in luxurious hideaway with all the comforts you’d expect from an island home of this calibre.
throughout; open plan kitchen; 2 buggies; fully furnished; internal laundry in a beautifully elevated position. 7 Marina Terrace, Hamilton Island $2,950,000 - $3,150,000
3
3
2
Property Sales. New Developments. Holiday Rentals. Property Sales. (07) 4948 9101 Property Management. (07) 4946 8028 Holiday Reservations. 137 333 Email. hire@hamiltonisland.com.au www.hamiltonislandrealestate.com.au
B R I S B A N E P R O P E RT Y
I N VEST in the FUTUR E $1, 449, 000 11 0 Shornc lif f e Pa ra d e SH OR N C LIFFE, QLD
To w a t c h t he pr oper t y v i deo head t o our F a c e b ook page: Vi v i d Pr oper t y Gr oup or our w ebs i t e.
Th o m a s C o u s s e n s 0426 455 435 07 3368 3333 3 3 / 1 P a rk R d , M ilt o n, QL D, 4 064 w w w. v iv id . c o m . a u
East Melbourne 24 Darling St S re r et AUCTION OPEN
Sat 23rd March 11:30AM Sat 2nd March 11 - 11:30AM
A4 B3 C1 In an address that enjoys - and clearly deserves - its elite status as one of Melbourne’s ’ most desirable, ’s this home has been transformed by a stunning renovation into what must certainly be amongst the city’s ’ most spectacular residences. ’s With outlook across the scenery and greenery of Darling Square establishing a positive mood that’s ’ heightened by the sublime space inside the ’s moment you enter the front door. r r.
Paul Caine 0407 393 900 Alex Subotsch 0447 393 014
caine.com.au
“The Perfect Penthouse� Main Beach, Gold Coast | Sale $8,950,000 4
4
4
1
984*m2
*Indicative Only
Welcome to luxury and unrivaled beachside living in an immensely spacious layout. The Penthouse at Oscar on Main offers breathtaking panoramic 360 degree uninterrupted views over the Gold Coast and ocean, spacious indoor and outdoor living and entertaining, balconies off every room and a large rooftop pool and entertaining terrace. Towering 3.2 metre ceilings, full length windows, a modern fitout and its prime location only 1 minute walk to Tedder Avenue and the beach make this Skyhome sensational and irreplaceable.
View by Appointment Michael Kollosche 04111 888 15
kollosche.com.au
*approximate