Leader Reef

Runner Up Custom Built Home

 Our clients, Max Cherry and Bernie Fitzgerald, brief was clear. Given there was only the two (2) of them they wanted to be able to live in one part of the house, having the ability to shut off the remaining house most of time. However they still wanted to have 3 bedrooms, a main bathroom with separate toilet for when their children and grandchildren visited. A double lock up garage with direct access into the house was also essential.

The land Max and Bernie had purchased possessed excellent orientation to the rear but presented few challenges with its slope, approx 20 degrees sloping down to the rear of the property. It did offer a solution to one of the brief points, build half the house on a concrete slab with the remainder on stumps, bearers and joists, dividing the house directly into two as such. The design then took shape to have the garage, bedrooms two and three, laundry and main bathroom on the slab facing the street with remaining living areas facing north towards the rear of the property, taking advantage of the solar gains.

An open plan design was created with an office that could be opened up to give the feel that this room was part of the lounge area. The master bedroom suite made up the remaining area with views overlooking town, completed with walk-in robe, ensuite and separate toilet.

The clients wanted to take advantage of the views on offer over the township in the lounge area so hence full glass sliding doors leading out to outdoor entertaining area were used. Not to feel enclosed, the ceiling was lifted and constructed on the rake continuing through to the deck area to give a very open, light feel.

Given Max and Bernie had always had brick veneer houses in the past, they were set to build themselves a brick veneer with the addition of some Glenrowan rock work at the front of the property. With the excellent orientation of the living area to the north and the benefits of light weight construction, discussions took place around cladding the house in various light weight materials and keeping the inclusion of the rock work. Both were to agree the light weight materials in the Scyon range and EasyLap panel would give their new house a point of difference and excellent visual appeal. Corrugated iron was added as the base boards. The $18,000 saving moving from a brick veneer to light weight materials was a sealer for the deal!

The height out of ground under living area offered a solution to Max’s garden shed location. A door was created to give access under the house which has now doubled as the garden shed.

Inside, the kitchen was designed to be part of the living space and a feature with its island bench complete with waterfall ends. The bench doubles as another eating area with stools fitting under it. The colour plate continued from the kitchen into the bathrooms and laundry with custom built vanities and cupboards in matching materials. A luxury bath in the main bathroom and a walk-in shower in the ensuite were added to give a few finer finishing touches.

The end result is a visually appealing home from the outside that continues to flow inside to an open, light, grand looking living area that continues on to the outside deck area overlooking the picturesque township of Bright.