Coatesville: Country living city style

An elegant makeover, a long list of luxuries and stunning park-like grounds make this old dame a grand find. By VICKI HOLDER.

A former country lad living in Epsom, Andrew Smits yearned to move back to a lifestyle where he could enjoy the peace and quiet of the wide open spaces.

His city-girl wife, Sue, was happy to resort to the country, "but I wanted a park, not a farm", she says. Both partners got what they wanted when they shifted to a gently rolling block of rural land in Coatesville. Nearly eight years later, after a considerable amount of work, they've created an expansive city-style property that happens to be in the country.

The 120-year-old double bay villa perched high on a hill was moved from Ellerslie 15 years ago. Previous owners had done the meticulous structural work, bringing the home up to the highest standard of presentation.

Sue admits that what she and Andrew have done to the house is purely cosmetic. The elegant traditional makeover certainly adds to the enjoyment of country living, but the real hard work was in taming the land - transforming it from lumpy paddocks into landscaped, park-like grounds.

Although it appears as if the grounds have been established for many years, there's not a square centimetre of the property that has not been dug up at least twice, says Sue.

As a welcoming entry to the property the couple have developed a large, rocky pond at the gates, which attracts resident ducks. Visitors must cross a stone bridge before weaving up the tree-lined driveway. A sensor inside the kitchen alerts the couple when someone is coming so they can open the gates by a remote system in the kitchen.

A huge area was levelled in front of the house as a turnaround and parking forecourt for visitors. The owners use the garaging at the rear of the house. Decking and paved terraces were extended from the dining room and the formal lounge, so entertaining can be done in the morning or evening sun. Gardens soften the edges of both areas. Sue has planted roses close to the house and low-flowering shrubs form a colourful carpet underneath.

A big area down below was levelled as a lawn tennis court, although it is mostly used for volleyball. The surrounding fruit trees, including citrus varieties, macadamias, feijoas and loquats, are Andrew's concession to farming.

Painted different taupe shades with a burgundy trim around the windows, the house has a smart, traditional elegance. The look is continued inside with beautiful wallpaper and tailored window treatments.

Swags and tails around sash windows add a formal ambience in the lounge, which is decorated with an acorn leaf design to dado height with stripes above. Heat from the enclosed fire on one wall is ducted to the three bedrooms.

Stripes feature in the children's playroom next door, which has a stunning outlook through french doors to the bush on distant hills.

A big, practical, country-style kitchen boasts a large walk-in pantry. Opening to the dining room through a pretty archway, it laps up the morning sun.

Unlike many of today's homes, this one benefits from good old-fashioned storage areas. Pull-out bins provide space for linen behind the cupboards in the laundry.

To suit the home's vintage, traditional fittings in the tiled family bathroom include a clawfoot bath, wide pedestal basin and a toilet with a flush chain hanging from a cistern on the wall. Another tiny en suite incorporating a shower off the master bedroom has been squeezed into an empty wall cavity.

Retreating to the country doesn't have to mean going without the comforts often reserved for city life, as the Smits' have discovered in this fine Coatesville property.

Vital statistics:

ADDRESS: 242 Sunnyside Road, Coatesville.

FEATURES: Renovated villa on landscaped park-like grounds; three bedrooms; formal living area; children's playroom; pond; electronic gates; security system; drainage grills on paving and driveway; septic tank with irrigation system; space for pool and tennis court; plans for expansion; garage plus separate office.

SIZE: Land 1.04 ha.

AUCTION: 2pm, November 27, at Bayleys' Maritime Square auction rooms.

AGENTS: Phill and Jo Lanigan, Bayleys North Shore. Ph 489 0999 bus; 027 279 5468 mob.