Domain Prestige - August 31, 2022

31 AUGUST / 2022

PRESTIGE THE BEST IN AUSTRALIAN PROPERTY

PENTHOUSE PERFECTION Let the view do all the talking

B y K ATE FARRE LLY

Brighton Melbourne 18 Stanley Street $8 million-$8.4 million J OSE PHIN E H U YN H

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Expressions of interest: Close 5pm, September 13 Agent: Buxton Real Estate Brighton, Growing up as close to the beach as one could get, when I was younger I

Stefan Whiting 0411 473 153

took for granted the salty sea breeze, the healing powers of the ocean and

Combining the gracious period features of the

the endless summers. Now, after spending a decade living two hours away

1890s with modern-day luxuries, Invermay is an

from the nearest stretch of sand and sea, there’s nothing I love more than

impressive family estate with a tower and pool

standing at the lookout on the cliff’s edge at Tamarama Point and drawing

set within manicured gardens. Positioned a five-

in a deep breath of goodness. I treasure the little moments in the week

minute drive from the beach, the property has an

where I can live vicariously through browsing beautiful waterfront listings as

award-winning kitchen, contemporary and

we piece together each edition of Prestige. Take this week’s cover home in

traditional living spaces and a home office.

Surfers Paradise, wrapped in a blue horizon of the Pacific Ocean and spreading across the top two entire floors of its building. From the balcony, next to the private rooftop pool, is where I imagine the new owners feeling on top of the world, drawing in that breath of goodness every morning.

O U R COVE R 2501/3 Northcliffe Terrace, Surfers Paradise Listed by Harcourts Coastal PAG E 3

Editor: Josephine Huynh josephine.huynh@ domain.com.au Editorial producer: Paige Tonna Group picture editor: Kylie Thomson Senior designer: Colleen Chin Quan Graphic designer: Nicole Gauci National magazine editor: Natalie Mortimer National managing editor: Alice Stolz Chief marketing officer: Rebecca Darley Chief executive officer: Jason Pellegrino Residential sales: Queensland Amanda Vaughan 0413 370 004 New South Wales Caitlin Hao 0430 938 214 Victoria & Tasmania Ray van Veenendaal 0438 279 870 Western Australia, South Australia & Northern Territory Jeroen van de Peppel 0427 292 797 Digital edition Visit domain.com.au/ digitaledition

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HOT PROPERTY

DESIGN DIGEST Making waves

ARCHITECTURE A Seidler modernist masterpiece

LIVING IN Byron’s northern neighbour

THE PROPERTY INVESTOR When life gives you lemons

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Point Piper Sydney 4/23 Wentworth Street $10 million

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Auction: 5pm, September 21 Agent: Laing+Simmons Double Bay, Steven Zoellner 0400 840 111 with Sydney Sotheby’s International Realty, Michael Pallier 0417 371 522 This elegant, two-storey apartment has views of the Harbour Bridge, Opera House and city skyline. You’ll find high ceilings and polished parquetry floors in the two north-facing living zones, each extending to a balcony.

Surfers Paradise Gold Coast 2501/3 Northcliffe Terrace 4

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Kalinga Brisbane 40 Henry Street $5 million+

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Auction: Noon, September 7

Private sale

Agent: Harcourts Coastal, Tolemy Stevens 0422 770 352

Agent: McGrath Paddington,

Soak up glorious ocean, hinterland and city skyline views at this palatial

Alex Jordan 0410 424 749

absolute-beachfront penthouse that covers 608 square metres across two

Four of the six bedrooms of this classy residence

levels. The top floor is perfect for summer soirees with its entertainer’s

have walk-in wardrobes, en suites and verandah

lounge, swimming pool, spa and full bathroom.

access. A northerly terrace overlooks the pool.

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DESIGN DIGEST

Good vibes A nod to the relaxed spirit of the Australian coastline, these pieces turn necessities into design statements. C o m p i l e d b y PAU LIN E M O RRIS SE Y WELCOME HOME Injecting new patterns with a delightful dose of nostalgia, Bonnie and Neil’s latest range of doormats features intricate florals and miniature checks. Their happy disposition will greet you whether you’re coming or going. bonnieandneil.com.au

MODULAR MARVEL Oozing vintage cool from the 1970s, Muse by Sarah Ellison is iconic modular furniture that is widely loved in commercial and residential spaces. It flaunts substantial, rounded shapes upholstered in luxurious velvet and the modules allow for customisation. sarahellison.com.au

MAKING WAVES

FINE POTTERY Beloved pottery and ceramic brand Robert Gordon has

Dinner parties are

welcomed a new range of beautiful basins, handmade using high-fired

made more splendid

Australian stoneware. It includes the compact and round Kiln 360 Basin,

with Bed Threads’

available in six different reactive glaze finishes. robertgordoninteriors.com

range of scalloped placemats. Made from 100 per cent French flax linen in vivid colours, the playful mats are trimmed with a contrasting edge and are the perfect spring table accessory. bedthreads.com.au

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ARCHITECTURE

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t’s not every day that arguably Australia’s most prominent modernist architect agrees to take on an extension of a modest, late1960s suburban home with a standalone studio, swaddled in bushland.

It helped that the then-owner of this twostorey Kalang Avenue property in Killara, on Sydney’s well-heeled upper north shore, was a friend and neighbour of the esteemed Harry Seidler and his wife, Penelope, who designed and built their first family house – the Seidler House – three doors up in 1967.

Completed in 1987, Seidler’s alterations and additions to Kalang House significantly transformed the existing premises, originally designed by Sydney architect David Griffin 20 years earlier.

The unheralded Seidler project added a kitchen, bathroom and laundry downstairs, as well as a joyously spacious living room opening to a covered terrace. Upstairs, two bedrooms, a walk-in wardrobe and two bathrooms expanded on an existing bedroom.

Griffin’s own modernist design seemingly took its cues from Latin-Mesoamerican and Japanese architecture, particularly his generous use of timber, the bagged blade walls and the steeply pitched roof.

The dark roof tiles and black woodwork, in particular, remind one of a Japanese temple, while the raked timber ceiling speaks more of an alpine ski chalet; and the self-contained studio, separated by a slate courtyard and lily pond, a Japanese tea pavilion.

But enter the building and the look and feel is unmistakably Seidler. The black-framed windows, Norwegian Alta quartzite floor tiles and considered use of stone were all the signature styles of Seidler.

“It’s typically a tight material palette,” says Modern House director Marcus Lloyd-Jones.

The curved fireplace with conical flue, wallhung Paul Kafka cabinetry, circular dining table pole-fixed to the floor, and triple-height cantilevered balcony whisper Seidler’s name.

Modernist with the Midas touch It might sound like a budget move to get a neighbour to design your renovation, but when it’s Harry Seidler, the result is gold.

B y PAU L B E S T

Yet, it isn’t obvious the house is two architects’ work. Seidler’s sought to unify by using blackframed windows throughout, and monochrome floor tiles the length of the ground floor.

“You don’t walk in and feel like it’s a collage of two houses,” say the current owners, who bought the property six years ago.

“Harry brought unity and a kind of majesty to what must originally have been an artistic, almost eccentric, swinging ’60s house.”

“Seidler had a lot of respect for the original architect’s design,” Lloyd-Jones adds.

But Seidler’s aesthetic goes beyond his use of bold materials. The house comes together through scale, proportion and utility as well as an intelligent flow of space and light. An inch isn’t wasted.

“It’s full of intimacy and thoughtful spaces that encourage you to be more creative,” say the owners, pointing out that the house also lends

YOUR AGENT Marcus Lloyd-Jones, Modern House

“The house is a true hidden gem; a masterclass by Harry Seidler demonstrating how to work with and extend an existing house.

Both house and architect deserve accolades.”

itself to an art collection. “Great houses turn people into something else,” they add. “Seidler lifts your game.”

The house reaches outward to a manicured English-style garden and untamed bush, falling away to a gully, such that the terrace seems to float above the greenery and the upper-floor bedrooms feel like treehouse living.

In spite of Seidler’s big-name presence, the owners stress the house doesn’t prescribe how to live in his reflected brilliance. It advocates the opposite, they argue: “It’s like opening a big blank sketchbook and painting your self-portrait.”

The owners have also added their own light touch to future-proof the property, giving it a sympathetic refresh, where needed; updating bathrooms and kitchen with a late mid-century touch-up, in particular.

“We don’t want new owners to live in a time capsule and we certainly haven’t,” they say.

At the same time, the owners aren’t in any rush to sell. They want to be sure they are

handing the property to buyers who are respectful of Seidler and will cherish the place.

“They have to be custodians,” one says. “We don’t see ourselves as owners, [but] as custodians. I don’t care how pretentious that sounds.”

Killara Sydney 7 Kalang Avenue $3.7 million

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Auction: 1.15pm, September 10 Agent: Modern House, Marcus Lloyd-Jones 0424 005 531

Hover your camera over the code to see Domain listings in Killara

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LIVING IN

28.5414° S, 153.5478° E

BRUNSWICK HEADS GETTY IMAGES

Near Byron Bay but not in Byron Bay sounds like the ideal address, especially in this setting. B y PAU LIN E M O RRIS SE Y

YOU MAY LIKE ...

Brunswick Heads

There was a time when Brunswick Heads was

Gateway Airport is reachable in equal time in the

little more than a sleepy NSW North Coast

other. It has also become a thing to be close to

Byron Shire 15 Teven Street

fishing village, marked simply as a pit stop along

Byron Bay without actually being in Byron Bay,

$3.8 million-$4.1 million

the old Pacific Highway during family road trips.

which, conveniently, is only ever a quick

Much has changed over the years, which is evident in the town’s persistently strong property market, fuelled by those eager to join the 1700-

Local landmark

odd residents in the peaceful community where

Built in 1950, the Brunswick Picture House is a

beachside bliss is guaranteed.

local landmark that sat derelict for 30 years

Natural playground The town has a trio of stunning natural

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before being given a new lease of life by partners and co-owners Brett Haylock and Chris Chen.

They opened the renewed venue at Easter 2016

attractions: Brunswick River, Torakina beach and

with an eclectic program of shows including

Park, and Brunswick Heads main beach.

cabaret, comedy, circus, live music and films.

Proud local Todd Buckland of Byron Shire Real

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15-minute drive away.”

“Seeing the old building with a handwritten ‘for

Estate confidently says, “If you’re not a nature

sale’ sign in the window prompted a life-changing

lover before arriving in town, you soon will be.

epiphany that led us to drop anchor here,” recalls Haylock. “Over the past six years, our business

Expressions of interest

Bruns is. I can walk to everything, paddle on the

has become a destination spot. People think

Agent: First National Byron,

river most days, and there’s just no better place

nothing of driving a couple of hours for quality

Denzil Lloyd 0481 864 049

to raise kids.”

entertainment.”

After exploring the town and swimming in the

“For me, it’s always been about how easy life in

Beyond its coastal charms, it hosts a growing

While busy providing year-round entertainment

river, return home to take one last dip in the

number of retail and hospitality options, from the

to the local community and robust tourist trade,

courtyard pool of this resort-style retreat with a

popular Hotel Brunswick and delightful Mexican

the couple still makes the time to revel in the

light-filled main residence and two studio spaces.

restaurant La Casita to boutique shops such as

town’s innate splendour and “simple pleasures”,

Lazybones and retro home stores like Resould.

according to the welcome sign.

“The town’s accessibility is also one of Bruns’ biggest attractions,” Buckland says.

“The Gold Coast Airport is only a 30-minute drive in one direction, and the Ballina Byron

“It’s certainly the sweet and simple things that

Blessed with three impressive natural

bring us the most joy, like a swim at high tide in

attractions,

Hover your camera over the

the spectacular Brunswick River or a bike ride

Brunswick Heads is

code to see Domain listings

around town during dusk,” Haylock says.

a coastal charmer.

in Brunswick Heads

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THE PROPERTY INVESTOR

GETTY IMAGES

Should you jump in or run a mile?

A problem-plagued apartment could be a dream opportunity or the start of a nightmare. Just make sure you do your homework.

B y SU E WILLIAMS

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Investors should treat old apartments the same as they would a house, say the experts.

n apartment building looks like it’s crumbling, it may have structural issues, its cladding could be combustible and many of the unit owners are desperate to sell – and for very low prices.

While some investors will undoubtedly see it as a lemon, others might view it as an opportunity to make (very cheap) lemonade.

So, should you jump in on the chance of securing a real bargain, or steer well clear?

That all depends, advises Pattrick Esber, strategic partnership manager at AssetProjects, and a former strata manager. What sort of issues is it facing? Are they fixable, and how much money is that likely to cost? Is there a council order or is the government likely to come in and deem it unliveable?

“You have to look more closely at a number of factors and then weigh them all up,” he says. “It might just be cracked rendering that makes the building look bad, but it’s not a big problem.

“Also, what’s the financial position of the owners corporation or body corporate? Their

finances may be healthy, and they may have already budgeted for the work. There’s always a bit of a stigma about apartments. Some people would be happy to buy an old, rundown house and put money into it to get something of more value. It should be the same with apartments.

“It could be a bargain – or it could cost a lot and mean future headaches.”

“You should look at money being spent as an investment and you’re going to get a return – something back of much more value.”

Investment property expert Ben Plohl of BFP Property Buyers always urges caution. Facade

cracking, for instance, could be just on the surface or could indicate more serious structural defects or the ground below moving.

“It could be a bargain – or it could cost a lot and mean future headaches,” he says. “Hairline cracks could be OK, but it depends on the structural engineering. If the problems are to do with cladding, you need to understand what type of cladding it is and what has to be done to mitigate the problem.

“But you should always ask to see all the reports the owners corporation has before you make a decision. An independent report could cost you less than $1000, which could be a good investment too. You need to make sure you know what you’re buying.”

Being careful to read the minutes of strata meetings is also critical, says Property Investors Council of Australia chair Ben Kingsley.

“They will give you very clear clues as to the problems that may or may not exist,” he says.

“If the problems are serious, then you’ll have to take into account the possibility of special levies into the future.

“It also depends on whether it’s a small block with a well-run body corporate with a maintenance or remedial program in place, or a high-density block.

“You have to do your due diligence, and it might turn out to be an opportunity for a good investment, and you can come up trumps, or it may make people fearful. But it’s all on a caseby-case basis.”

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Noosa Waters 18 The Peninsula Live your best life in Noosa Renowned as Noosa’s ultimate address, where sophistication, style and nature can be found in the one place. An idyllic north-east offering with 19 metres of majestic water frontage, this property is rare.

- Generous 789m2 block, uninterrupted 180 degree wide canal views - Private jetty, waterfront pool with expansive deck & outdoor bar - Large pavilion style courtyard abuts a gourmet entertainers’ kitchen with Miele appliances - Spacious master retreat with ensuite & walk-in robe - Separate children’s/guest wing with 3 bedrooms & bathroom - Oversized living room with separate sitting area

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Auction Saturday 24th September 2022 onsite at 10:00am Open Home Saturday 3rd September at 10:30am – 11:00am

Casey Languillon M 0410 643 535 casey.languillon@harcourts.com.au Nathan O'Neill M 0413 978 788 nathan.oneill@harcourts.com.au