When a family had the chance to relocate to the country they
chose to build with Sarah Homes and create a unique home on
a property with views of rolling hills and vineyards
There comes a time where many of us dream of escaping to the country and leaving the city hustle behind. For southern suburbs couple Sue and Giulio Dimasi, this dream became a reality when the opportunity came to relocate and build their dream home on a farm with views over a vineyard.
"Giulio (a viticulturalist) and I both come from rural backgrounds, we have both spent many years back in suburbia but it has always been our dream to return to the country," Sue says. Attracted by the innovative style of Sarah Homes ' designs, the couple chose the Pavilion 145 floorplan to base their home on, particularly liking its openness, skillion roof, large living area and an independent kids' area.
The Pavilion 145 is a designed with two pods - a living zone and a sleeping quarters zone - which is connected by a breezeway, with a large deck area out the front. "The house was designed to incorporate the views of the hills beyond," Sue says.
"We started with the Pavilion design then expanded from there. Sarah Homes are very flexible with their home designs and can easily modify existing plans to suit bigger families or needs." The couple decided to modify the design by adding a third pod , with sleeping quarters on either side of the central living zone to accommodate both their teenage son at one end and have a wing to themselves at the other.
"Because we were building on a farm we needed to find a country house design that incorporated a long thin aspect that had glass along one complete side of the house that allowed for our stunning views across the hills," Sue says. "Our sunsets and sunrises are amazing. "We also wanted it to suit the rural setting, and have space for family and entertaining."
The four -bedroom, two-bathroom, two-living room home is 29.2m in length and has 212sqm of living space. "With teenage children it is nice for them to have an area to themselves when they need it," Sue says. "We liked the layout of the master bedroom in one pod and the other bedrooms in another pod. The house also lends itself to guests staying over with their own bedroom, bathroom and lounge area."
At one end, Sue and Giulio have a pod to themselves with a large master suite, ensuite and walk-in robe, and sliding doors opening to their own courtyard out front. The home 's entrance and double garage sit behind their room at this end of the home. At the other end of the design, in the third pod, are three bedrooms, the main bathroom, a huge laundry and a snug kids' retreat room.
In the centre is the open -plan living zone with a raked ceiling and views both front and back. Their stylish white kitchen sits at the back of this space overlooking the views, the dining zone and main lounge area. A walk-in pantry is a plus while the island bench is polished in fresh whites and clean lines.
A sheltered raised deck off the living extends this zone further and there's ample space outdoors to fit their dining setting, a couple of reclining loungers and a couple of comfy armchairs to enjoy long lunches and barbecues in the open air.
Originally quoted a 20-week build time, the Dimasi's home was built in 17 weeks and the family got to move in early, which was a pleasant surprise. "We found Sarah Homes fantastic in every respect," Sue says. "Our build process was extremely smooth. After we got through the red tape with the council (which had nothing to do with Sarah Homes) each of the build stages seemed to dovetail back-to-back relatively smoothly.
"When we did hit some problems with the council, Sarah Homes were able to assist us in finding a Planning Development consultant and they worked with him to build an argument for our case."
Having now lived in their home for just over 12 months, Sue, Giulio and their son Mathew, couldn't be happier with the end result. "Our house is filled with family and now a beautiful granddaughter," Sue says. "Our golden retriever Bella is also loving all the extra space."
16-Sep-18 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine
For more information about the house in this story please look at the Pavilion 145.
