Stay a While

Whiteley 175 makes the most of ocean views

This couple made the most of ocean views and
built a holiday home with Sarah Homes

FOCUS on creating a relaxed ambience for people looking to escape the daily grind led to holiday rental homeowners Ian and Kathy Russell choosing to build with Sarah Homes. The couple bought a block at Victor Harbor and, after discovering the sea glimpses available from the ground level, they opted for a two storey design. With its expansive decked balconies front and back and picture windows throughout, Sarah Homes' Whiteley 2 Storey design was the answer.

"We wanted something practical that took advantage of the views, "Kathy says. "We're really happy with the result and our clients love it, we always get good feedback and often have families coming back year after year." Kathy says while the design in its original state offered what they were looking for, they made slight alterations to complement the beachside holiday feel and expanded the areas for entertaining.

"We made a concerted effort to make the balcony big enough to have dinner parties and get togethers, and we wanted the home to have little nooks and crannies where people could sit and read, so we made the upstairs bedroom smaller, "she says. "We also made the ceilings higher on the ground floor to elevate the top floor and maximise the sea views." Ideal for holidaying with other families, the design comprises four well-sized bedrooms with ample space for either double beds or sets of bunk beds.

Three of the bedrooms are downstairs while the master is on the upper level with easy access to the open-plan main living zone. Kathy says the bedroom layout, as well as the inclusion of separate living spaces, allows holiday-makers to escape the action to enjoy a moment of privacy when necessary, and come together at meal times. "It can accommodate four couples (or two families) with room downstairs and upstairs so the families aren't on top of each other, "she says. "We wanted it to be spacious and practical for family holidays."

A ground floor laundry and two bathrooms, one of each level, offer easy convenience for guests. Of the home's many standout features, Kathy says the statement square windows in the upstairs living area are her favourite. "Those small square windows sort of frame the views, it makes it a nice spot to sit and enjoy the surrounds," she says. "The long windows also bring in a lot of light and brighten up the space, while keeping it quite private.

"The kitchen, located upstairs, is designed for communal use, meaning the kids can help prepare meals without getting in the way, says Kathy. "The way the whole house is designed is to make it comfortable for several people to be in at once, so everything had to be quite open." As well as the upstairs balconies, Kathy and Ian placed seating areas in the simple landscaped garden to ensure all outdoor spaces were taken advantage of. A carport was also added for guests.

"We wanted to offer people an opportunity to really enjoy life outside," Kathy says. "We have areas underneath the veranda with a garden seat where people enjoy private time and take in the garden if they need peace and quiet. "When decorating the home, Kathy kept it simple with crisp whites/beachy neutrals and floating floorboards both to appeal to a range of clients and allow the views to shine.

"We wanted something that was overall quite basic with similar colours throughout, something fairly constant all over apart from the feature wall upstairs, which we might do downstairs in the future – it just brightens things up a bit, "she says.

 

10-Jan-2016 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine

For more information about the house in this story please look at the Whiteley 175.

 

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