SCHOOL ZONES:
Westmere School, Western Springs College.
CONTACT:
Tricia Lafferty and Kym Aikin, Ray White, ph 021 611 205 (Tricia) or 021 596 222 (Kym).
*2 secure off-street
After years enjoying the tranquillity of Thailand, this restful and private Westmere home provided a wonderful transition for the Charlton family.
"It's such a peaceful house, with really good energy. I fell in love with it instantly," says Kim Charlton. "It's got a really free-flowing living style with such easy indoor-outdoor flow."
Her family moved here in 2009 as her husband, Brett, had taken a general manager's role at Tip-Top Icecream. His marketing background had taken Kim and children Aska, 12, Taj, 11, and Sarai, 8, to Thailand for six years where they'd enjoyed living. The property started life as a modest two-bedroom state house with a big backyard.
But it bore no resemblance to that when the Charltons bought it, as a previous owner had re-invented it not long before as a five-bedroom, 340sqm contemporary home.
Its expansiveness isn't immediately apparent from the street, which emphasises the upper entry level. Gates open to a secure double parking pad and a welcoming courtyard, lush with plants and harbouring one of two outdoor sheds.
Inside, skylights bathe the foyer's wooden floor in light. This level encompasses a second living area or children's playroom, four roomy bedrooms and two bathrooms. An en-suite bedroom is particularly good for guests.
"Lots of people have said downstairs is really like a sanctuary. It's so private that you feel like you're in your own little world."
At the bottom of the stairs a spacious living-dining-kitchen expanse unfolds, kept toasty in winter by its heated concrete floor and gas fireplace. Its outlook takes in children swimming in the fenced pool that's well-positioned for westerly sun and has plenty of leafy greenery around it.
Kim loved the entertainers' kitchen, taking morning cups of tea seated at its large island admiring a picturesque side garden she and Brett established. She appreciated being able to nip outside to pluck something fresh from handy herb and vegetable beds to add to meals.
"We threw a couple of really big parties and the house could easily accommodate them. The concrete floor is brilliant for easy entertaining as you don't need to worry about guests' stilettos marking wooden floors."
It also stood up well to Storm, their pet Bordoodle. Living also opens to the rear lawn and a sheltered courtyard good for alfresco dining.
"From the master bedroom you never even hear a car pull up," Kim says.
Painting the master bedroom the bluey-grey of Resene Grey Chateau was one of the few changes the couple made.
This bedroom opens to the courtyard and has an expansive walk-in wardrobe and an en suite with three shower heads. This level also houses a media room or office, a well-equipped separate laundry, a powder room and a storage cache complemented by extra storage upstairs.
"There's enough space for everyone, and nothing needs to feel cluttered seeing there's so much storage."
Image 1 of 6: Crisp, contemporary lines define space and privacy
At one stage she was importing homewares and had enough to fill a shop tucked out of sight here.
Kim applauds the way the home's reinvention incorporated premium extras, such as Diamond Fusion treatments on showers to make their glass easy to clean and a laundry chute from an upstairs bathroom.
"I just love Westmere as a suburb," says Kim, somewhat wistfully now they've moved to Brisbane for Brett's new job.
"We found it was handy to everything, has a nice sense of community and lovely friends and neighbours," (some of whom feature in these photos seeing the Charltons are already overseas).
