Her 1970s property with views from Mission Bay around past the Sky Tower stands on the first curve just above the village. Thirteen years ago, she was itching to take on a more contemporary project after she and her late husband, James, sold their local character B&B just up the road.
Experience as an international buyer and designer of homewares for an importing company had honed her design savvy. The couple cast their eyes over the outlook from this two-storey, predominantly concrete block home and decided it'd be a great property to modernise.
Just after they'd gutted the upstairs level James was diagnosed with cancer. Their children and friends rallied around, giving them somewhere to stay and co-ordinating tradespeople to complete the upstairs' renovation before James died four months later. Julie feels the home's uplifting outlook helped her keep going.
"Nowadays I just love working in the kitchen, listening to opera and looking through the living area and out to sea. I live two minutes' walk from the cinema and restaurants and eight minutes' walk from the ferry. Couple this with the view and it's been close to perfection for me."
A mature western hedge of bay trees near the garden's front entrance is a reminder of a favourite Italian cooking school Julie attended.
Changing the large stairwell's windows from orangey-brown to clear glass flooded it with light. It was one of the steps taken to farewell the 70s decor including the wallpaper.
The home could be unified into a four-bedroom, two-living area set-up but is currently configured as a two-bedroom spread plus a two-bedroom self-contained guest suite with separate entrance. This guest suite would suit a parent or adult children. The home consists of a front entry foyer and a downstairs bedroom plus the stairwell and everything above, serviced by an internal access garage.
The upstairs living-dining area with open-plan kitchen draws compliments for its seaside and neighbourhood views and its perspective on twinkling night lights.
Industrial-style track lighting and polished wooden floors add panache and decks wrap around three sides.
The contemporary kitchen's polished concrete bench is smart and hardwearing. Julie says of the walk-in pantry and walk-in china cupboard, "You can just see everything at a glance.
"It's very difficult not to have breakfast in bed with the view from my bedroom," she says with a smile. Its generous walk-in wardrobe adjoins the upstairs bathroom-en suite, which features a glassless shower.
Image 1 of 7: 125 Victoria Road, Devonport. Photo / Ted Baghurst
There's offstreet parking front and back plus a rear single carport for the guest suite. This has its own deck, living room, two bedrooms, bathroom and kitchen (incorporating a laundry). It also gets harbour views from its kitchen and its own little front deck.
Friendly household feline Meer is a bit of a local identity, known for accepting tummy rubs from passersby whilst sprawled in the park next door to this property. This expanse of greenery is being beautified with a mosaic dragon seat that offers a midway resting point on the winding pathway up from the supermarket.
