Designing and building a custom home always comes with its own unique requirements. For this young family, open space was a priority – allowing every child to have their own bedroom, as well as somewhere to play in the house. Space to entertain was also a must, meaning a large kitchen and a spacious alfresco area. Seeking a change from suburbia with a move to rural Silverdale, it was also important that the home draw from its rural surroundings, allowing the open outdoors to flow through the home.

In the end, one of the core design elements of the home emerged as a result of an initial build challenge – a site filled with obstacles, including dense bush and scrub, as well as a deep gully running through the area.

“However, the slope [of the gully] inspired the design of the split level – we decided to use it to our advantage,” Style Homes’ Giulio Ranieri, Designer/Builder of the project says.

When looking to create the open feel of the home, the decision was made to elevate the ceilings to create a flowing transition from the large property outside to a spacious interior within. Swapping the suburbs for a rural retreat meant these young parents also had the opportunity to create a decadent master suite, and this was taken into account as well. Timber floors were used in the parents’ retreat to create a luxurious and defined space of their own.

A key part of the new home was creating defined living areas, allowing the family to grow and have their own spaces. The granite steps used in the split-level design provide a signature touch, and for Giulio, a feature which truly makes the home feel special and unique.

“The clients wanted something different with the entry and main living areas, so when we proposed the high raked ceilings and defined steps, they loved the idea,” Giulio says.

The end result is the perfect rural retreat – an open family home that invites the picturesque surroundings in, while providing a sanctuary for its owners.

For more information

Style Homes

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Unique Homes’ Company Director, Jim Taylor, says there is probably not a better time to consider this option. “Older properties built in the middle of the last century in Brisbane’s inner suburbs and on the Gold Coast’s early canal developments are now keenly sought after.”

“In their time, the homes represented the latest ideas in design and building materials but times have changed and so have the aspirations of today’s buyers. By today’s standards, these homes provide limited off-street parking, outdated kitchens and bathrooms, smaller living areas, low ceiling heights and inadequate entertaining areas.

“Today’s families aspire to a different lifestyle; they enjoy entertaining and that leads to an increasing demand for Florida rooms and alfresco outdoor dining areas. Facilities like master bathrooms and walk-in dressing rooms adjoining the master bedroom have replaced pokey ensuites and built-in wardrobes. An increasing number of clients require workable home offices, guest suites and media rooms.”

Jim says having a home custom designed ensures a result that’s exactly suited to a family’s lifestyle requirements. The musically gifted family of this home required four spacious bedrooms, a home theatre, recording studio, generous formal and informal entertaining and dining areas and a pontoon berthing for the family’s boat and jet skis. On the ground floor, a huge plate glass wall, 3.6 metres wide by 2.14 metres high, at the end of the tiled hallway reveals a broad view of parkland with a sandy beach and tropical coconut palms on the opposite side of the canal. The feeling of grandeur extends to a spacious formal lounge and dining area that features 4.1-metre-high ceilings.

Opposite, and separated by a sub-wall, is a gourmet kitchen featuring Italian marble benchtops and splashback. Here also, generous storage space, an island bench and six-burner and a gas-fired European stove combine to make entertaining a pleasure. Adjoining the kitchen is a large family room and casual eating area that leads through bi-fold doors to the wide rear patio complete with quality barbecue and comfortable outdoor furniture. A 15-metre lap pool overlooks the canal while the pontoon berth is only a few steps away. Occupying the first floor is a master bedroom with adjoining sitting room, a guest bedroom with its own ensuite facilities, two further bedrooms, also with ensuites, and a luxurious home theatre. Three of the bedrooms have direct access to a full-width upper-level balcony, also overlooking the park and canal.

A private bathroom off the master bedroom boasts double vanity units and a beautiful spa bath while a substantial dressing room adds to the feeling of Hollywood-style luxury.The luxurious home theatre is a secluded retreat from the outside world. Its plush leather lounge chairs have been stepped to ensure everyone has an uninterrupted view of the screen while heavy drapes offer effective sound insulation.

Jim advises that it is important to work with an experienced builder in projects of this nature. “Builders need a detailed knowledge of council requirements and an in-depth knowledge of the issues involved to avoid increased construction costs,” he stresses.

Unique Homes (BSA 78053) has been building custom designed luxury homes for over 30 years. The company provides a 25-year structural guarantee and offers complimentary design and interior decorating assistance with every home it builds. Clients deal directly with the company’s own design team and can view computer-simulated three-dimensional images of both the exterior and interior of the home before plans are finalised.

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Gold Coast Unique Homes’  Ormeau Ridge design project is a four-bedroom, two-storey display home that effectively demonstrates how luxury living can be achieved in a home designed to suit today’s smaller block sizes. With over 393 square metres of living space, it sits comfortably on a 12.5 metre x 30 metre site.

“Internally, we enhanced the feeling of spaciousness by incorporating clear sight lines from the entry to the light-filled living areas at the rear,” Jim Taylor, Company Director of Gold Coast Unique Homes says.

“A void above the entry and hallway paired with the use of high quality porcelain floor tiles adds to the feeling of light and space, overcoming the dark, tunnel effect so often a problem in terrace-style homes. We also added an open tread timber and glass staircase to enhance the sense of style and space.”

The home perfectly balances work and leisure, with a sizeable study located near the front door which could easily be used as a home office. From here, double sliding glass doors open to a private courtyard where client meetings could take place without encroaching on the home’s living areas.

A comfortable media room is located immediately behind the double garage. Through the day, large sliding windows and sliding double doors flood this room and the staircase with light, while at night the windows can be closed off with heavy curtains.

The rear of the home’s ground floor incorporates a luxurious galley kitchen complete with high-end cooking facilities, tapwear and fittings. Black marble benchtops provide a stunning contrast with the gloss white cabinetry. Bench-height windows increase the feeling of light and space while retaining an element of privacy from nearby neighbours. From the kitchen, a sliding door opens to reveal a huge walk-in pantry. A further sliding door leads through to a practical laundry and linen store. The north-facing open-plan lounge and dining areas are flooded with light and make entertaining a breeze, with ready access to the kitchen. Large sliding glass doors lead out to an alfresco entertaining deck, sensibly located beneath the master bedroom for added shade protection from the summer heat.

A ground-floor powder room is centrally positioned between the lounge room and stairwell. Upstairs, the staircase opens to reveal an additional lounge area. A huge master bedroom is accompanied by a luxurious ensuite complete with freestanding bath, double vanity, double shower recess and separate toilet. A very spacious his and hers walk-in fitted wardrobe is also accessed from the master bedroom. Three further bedrooms, each capable of accommodating double beds are serviced by a separate bathroom. This display home amply demonstrates how a luxurious lifestyle can be enjoyed by families or empty-nesters seeking the advantages of smaller, low-maintenance waterfront and suburban blocks of land. A pool, outdoor kitchen and boat pontoon could easily be incorporated where space permits.

“We specialise in building custom-designed luxury homes,” Taylor says.

“Clients can avail themselves of the company’s complimentary home and interior decorating design services to develop a floor plan and decorating ideas perfectly suited to their individual needs.”

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