A modification to the Emily two-storey design by
Sarah Homes was exactly what this family needed
Stunning ocean views were the top priority for Kerrie Cooper and her husband Tony, when searching for the perfect home for Kerrie's elderly parents. The Emily 2-Storey design by Sarah Homes was the answer - with modifications made to suit their needs. "We found that it fitted on our long, narrow block really well and took advantage of the views, which is what we wanted," Kerrie says.
She says building with Sarah Homes was a smooth process and the company made it easy to make changes to the original design. "We modified the two front rooms to move the main entrance to the front of the house, instead of the side, and made one room slightly bigger and one slightly smaller to accommodate the change. "We also modified the top level slightly and made the deck a bit larger.
"The builders were really good about the changes we made along the way. We found everyone at Sarah Homes really helpful." The home has four bedrooms, three on the ground floor serviced by a bathroom with a shower, bath tub and separate powder room with a toilet, and one on the upper level with a large ensuite comprising a shower and toilet.
"The ensuite bathroom has a lot of space to move around, and the way it's situated brings in a lot of light," Kerrie says. There is also an open-plan kitchen upstairs adjoining a dining and living area with sliding door access to a massive deck overlooking the ocean. Kerrie's parents live in the lower level of the home due to her mother's mobility issues after hip replacement surgery, and she says "they're more than happy." "It works really well for them.
The living area downstairs has been fantastic because they have the big outdoor area with a flat surface, and mum loves her garden, so she still gets that downstairs. "We also made some modifications to the laundry to include a kitchenette so they can cook down there as well." Kerrie says the layout of the home, with upstairs and downstairs living areas, lends well to entertaining and having guests to stay. "We live close by, so we often go over there and have dinner or cook for them, and they have their friends over as well," she says. "The times I've stayed there it has been really easy to live in, and I've enjoyed spending time upstairs because it's so spacious and airy with lots of natural light and a great view."
She says the home offers "the best of both worlds" with the view and decked area upstairs and the garden downstairs. The home is decorated in a mix of both Kerrie and her mother's tastes, as they divided the decorating duties between floors. "I left it to mum to decorate downstairs, so she went for more of a cosy, woodsy-type look with darker colours, whereas upstairs I went for more of a beach style with lots of light colours and pops of colour with cushions," Kerrie says.
The home is fitted with light-coloured bamboo floorboards from Planet Timber. "We decided on bamboo floorboards in a strand-woven type, which makes it really strong and hardy," Kerrie says. "They're also more sustainable and hard-wearing and easier to clean which is why we went for it in the end." Kerrie chose the lightcoloured floorboards to "make the most of the natural light" and complement the paint used on the walls.
Carpet features in each of the bedrooms to give a "warm and cosy" feel. "It was always on my mind to have carpet. I've always been one of those people who loves carpet in the bedroom," Kerrie says. "It was actually a free addition as part of a promotion Sarah Homes was running at the time we built, so it made it really easy for us – all we had to do was pick a colour."
22-Feb-2015 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine
For more information about the house in this story please look at the Emily 240.
