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Exceptional modern mansion in Toorak stars in new Belle book

September 13, 2017 Leave a Comment

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There’s few things I enjoy more than ogling at gorgeous homes. There’s just something so exciting about taking a sneak peak behind the curtains and imagining a life lived beside them. The much-anticipated release of Belle Beautiful Australian Homes Volume II plays right into this obsession. Featuring 40 envy-inducing residences,ย from timeless to contemporary to the truly cutting edge, the 348-page hardcover showcases the work of the country’s most celebrated architects and designers.ย 

Below is an excerpt from Belle Beautiful Australian Homes Volume II,ย featuring an exquisite home in the Melbourne suburb of Toorak.

Regally positioned at the rear of a generous sweep of emerald lawns and manicured gardens to give a sense of arrival and grandeur, this classically styled Toorak mansion wouldnโ€™t look out of place in French wine country.

The seven-bedroom mansion comes with all the accoutrements youโ€™d expect for a property of this scale: six ensuites, โ€จa magnificent marble staircase, generous kitchen with double of everything, expansive two-table dining room, a huge pergola, a 25-metre swimming pool and spa, as well as an underground parking garage, an internal lift and, for the children, a sunken trampoline.

Completed in early 2012 following three years of planning and another three years of construction, this home is modelled on the finest examples of classical French architecture by its designer, architect Russell Casper of CAD Architecture & Design in Melbourne. He collaborated on the project with San Francisco-based architect Andrew Skurman, star landscaper Paul Bangay and sought-after Sydney interior designer Thomas Hamel and creative principal Dylan Farrell.

The owners had four young children and number five was born during the process of building the house. Based in San Francisco for the entire build, the couple were returning to Australia to live for family reasons.

โ€œI was the conduit between California and Melbourne since they were expecting their fifth child,โ€ explains Thomas. โ€œI would regularly visit with suitcases laden with marble and carpet samples, and lots of photographs.

โ€œLos Angeles is our biggest shopping market โ€“ the showrooms in California really suit Australian lifestyles,โ€ says Thomas, who divides his life between Sydney, where his office is based, and his home in LA. The challenge for Thomas and Dylan was how to give this classic home a contemporary twist and make it fresh and new.

The owners had requested pure white throughout the interiors. โ€œThere were to be no beiges, not even a yellow or grey tinge,โ€ says Thomas. โ€œBut I was concerned that the crispness and freshness of the tone would be too harsh. And I kept saying, โ€˜Practicality, practicality โ€“ five children, howโ€™s that going to work?โ€™โ€

Thomas says he and Dylan typically choose rugs first and decide how they will feature in the room as they set the tone for colour and pattern. โ€œWe tried many wool and silk rugs but they kept getting rejected because they werenโ€™t a pure enough white. The rugs we chose for the living areas all have white silk in them, which scared me to death at first. But they still look perfect now as this family runs the most pristinely organised home.โ€

The next challenge was to source a dining room table, which had to be large enough to accommodate family gatherings as well as for charity entertaining, one of the ownerโ€™s passions. A big wooden table was out of the question amid the ethereal, light, white palette so Dylan customised identical silver-leaf lacquered tables to make the perfect dining pair. The tables have glamour without feeling too big or solid. The large seascape painting is the strength in the room and the silvery lacquer complements it with its watery, light-reflective quality.

The dining chairs have dark contrasts which add drama, especially in the evening. โ€œBut the question was how to design the chairs and table as โ€จa suite?โ€ says Thomas. โ€œA strong crossbar at the top of the chair means the eye would just โ€˜readโ€™ those, so Dylan came up with a special upholstery detail using two fabrics which tied it all together.โ€

Sitting below the seascape, the mother-of-pearl inlaid sideboard is the perfect addition to the light, iridescent palette and was created by Dylan for Hamel + Farrell for Jean de Merry.

Rather than a typical hand-painted white kitchen, Dylan had it detailed so all the mouldings are gloss and edges are satin. Everything was painted twice to get the fine lines. โ€œIt added glamour to the kitchen. We knew that it couldnโ€™t all be shiny โ€“ it would just look vulgar โ€“ so we were trying to find a way to get that razzamatazz to the detailing and making it unique and classic but not too traditional,โ€ says Thomas.

The ownersโ€™ verdict? โ€œThey just adored the house. We became special friends and were invited to family occasions. The last time I visited, it looked the same as the day I left the lights turned on for them to take over,โ€ says Thomas.

See many more jaw-dropping houses in Belle Beautiful Australian Homes Volume II, which retails for $59.99 and is available nowย from leading Australian book stores.ย 

Buy the book (on sale!)

More homes with wow-factor

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Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressi Australian made bathroomware is seriously impressive!

The new @studio.xox ONLY sells Australian brands. Like @nood_co coloured basins, lead-free eco brass from @faucetstrommen and @lindseywherrett's  ceramic basins made by hand in Tassie.

And as for their Sydney showroom (they also sell online): WOW.

See and read more on the blog now via link in bio.

#interiorsaddict #theinteriorsaddict #jenbishop
#creatingbeautifulspaces #homestylingdesign
#designbywomen #homestylingtips #sydneycreatives
#homestylingsydney #interiorstyling #interiordesignsydney
#everydaydesign #interiortrends #renovationinspiration
#homedesigninspo #lovemyhome #stylingdetails
#loveinteriors #homeimprovements #interiordesignaustralia
#dreamhomeinspiration #homemakeover #personaldesign
#interiordesignaus #creatingbeautifulspaces
#creativehomes #housestyling #sydneyhomes
#interiorinspiration #myhomedesign
I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new I'm THRILLED to be an ambassador for the brand new @madeinaustshow in Sydney this August.

๐Ÿฆ˜๐ŸจForget every tacky association you ever had about touristy Australian made and prepare to see a showcase of the best of home, lifestyle, fashion and beauty made right here. If the pandemic has made you appreciate buying local even more, this is for you.

It's the first business to business trade event connecting retailers with Australian made products to champion our local makers๐Ÿ™

Apply to exhibit or find out more at their website, via their bio, now!

Are YOU buying more Australian made post covid?

#madeinaustralia #australianmade #aussiemade #aussiedesign
Do I recommend a timber vanity top? A big fat NOP Do I recommend a timber vanity top?

A big fat NOPE! ๐Ÿ’ง 

Which is why we have recently covered ours with a Caesarstone top (thanks to @justinplace_sydney for the advice and supply) and the sweet RELIEF of not having to worry about this high traffic area anymore, I'm telling you!๐Ÿค—

Doesn't matter what they tell you or how many times it's sealed, I'm not sure it's a great idea in a room which is so, well, wet!

I love having the warmth of timber in the bathroom and it's a beautiful piece, but timber on the top? Never again.

Ours probably lasted a year (if that) before it started to go downhill (and we want a good decade out of a bathroom, right?!). 2.5 years on, everything else in this bathroom looks virtually brand new and the water marked vanity top was really letting the side down and making me sad!

But I'm so pleased with this solution, I have to say! Took the plumber less than an hour to remove the sink, install the top and connect the sink back up. We didn't need to move the tap and it isn't too close to the basin.

The kids are allowed to brush their teeth and wash their hands (liquid soap ๐Ÿฅด) in here again and I can leave my hair straightener on there with gay abandon ๐Ÿ˜†

The reflective surface (which I can clean with whatever I like!๐Ÿ’ช๐Ÿป) brightens the room up too!

Next week I'll tell you what I really think of my brass tile trim too ๐Ÿ˜‰

#interiorsaddictbathroomreno2 #interiorsaddictfamilyhomereno #timbervanity
Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than F Is there a more decadent and delicious soup than French onion?

I think not!

Grab the recipe on the blog this morning via link in bio.
Get to know me! I haven't done one of these in YE Get to know me!

I haven't done one of these in YEARS so there's possibly thousands of you who don't know my back story. Here's a few things you may not know about me!

โœ”๏ธ I'm English ๐Ÿด๓ ง๓ ข๓ ฅ๓ ฎ๓ ง๓ ฟ and I moved here (just for one year) back in 2008๐Ÿ˜† 

โœ”๏ธ I can't end the day without a bath, even if I get home really late or on a really hot day. It's a mental health thing and my happy place. ๐Ÿ› 

โœ”๏ธ Before becoming a blogger and running my own small business, I was a journalist from the age of 18. My favourite news gathering times were as a newspaper crime reporter (bit different to interiors!) ๐Ÿ““ 

โœ”๏ธ I once worked at New Scotland Yard in London ๐Ÿš” 

โœ”๏ธI had an interview at Oxford (didn't get in!) but chose not to go to uni at all after being offered a job on the local paper #universityoflife ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My mum died when I was 3, I have an excellent dad and one sister (younger) in the UK โค๏ธ ๐Ÿ‡ฌ๐Ÿ‡ง 

โœ”๏ธ At school, my favourite subject was French ๐Ÿ‡ซ๐Ÿ‡ท and I was head girl ๐Ÿค“๐Ÿค“

โœ”๏ธ I'm addicted to โ˜•๏ธ , long hot baths and๐Ÿ’„ (been wearing it since I was about 14!)

โœ”๏ธ I'm not a phonecall person and will never ever pick up an unknown number. Ever. They can leave a message ๐Ÿ˜

โœ”๏ธ My favourite cuisine is Japanese ๐Ÿฃ ๐Ÿœ and Damian and I honeymooned in Tokyo and Venice 

โœ”๏ธ I have zero design qualifications. I just started blogging about my passion, which is trying to persuade everyone to #heartyourhome That was 11 years ago...

โœ”๏ธ My favourite tipple is a good GnT or๐Ÿท 

โœ”๏ธ Cheesy as it sounds, ๐Ÿ’โ€โ™€๏ธbeing a mum is my absolute biggest joy in life ๐Ÿง’๐Ÿ‘ฆ

โœ”๏ธ I will never give up my old school paper diary! Has to be A5 and week to view ๐Ÿ“– 

โœ”๏ธ My official surname isn't Bishop. I kept my maiden name for work after I got married but changed it for everything else. Often confuse myself!

โœ”๏ธ I didn't get my Ps until I was 37 and I'm still a terrible parker ๐Ÿ˜ฏ ๐Ÿ…ฟ๏ธ

Hope you feel like you know me a bit better ๐Ÿ˜˜

๐Ÿ“ธ @vanlowvanlow
Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ @nood_co coloured con Blue, green or lilac? ๐ŸŽจ 

@nood_co coloured concrete basins is a great Aussie business success story. Although co founder Matt Di Costa first found fame as one half of Matt and Kim on The Block, he hasn't relied on this to build his brand.

โ€œWe are very honoured to have been a part ofย The Block, and all they have done for us. I am, however, a believer in letting the product take centre stage,โ€ he says.

Read our interview with Matt via link in bio now.

๐Ÿ™Share your favourite colour basin in the comments!

#colouredconcrete #noodco #colouredbasin #blockheads #the block #bathroomtrends2022

Pic 1 by @naibudesign_ and 2 by @twostyleinteriors
I'd love to see more colour in Aussie interiors! I'd love to see more colour in Aussie  interiors! ๐ŸŽจ 

At the end of the day though, it's a matter of personal taste. I love pops of colour but it's not for everyone. 

We couldn't resist featuring this Canadian house tour today. The amazing Kelly Green  hutch (swipe) was an upcycled $200 find ๐Ÿค—

Head over to the blog via link in bio to see the rest including one of the best playrooms we've seen in ages!

Project by @in.house.design
๐Ÿ“ธ @philcrozier
Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis o Create an unexpected city oasis with an emphasis on light and nature.

That was the brief for the conversion of a corner shop and a warehouse bakery into a luxury family home in Sydney's Newtown. And how about the library?!

Take the tour of this very special @annacarindesign project on the blog now, via link in bio.

Pic: @justinalexanderphoto
The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ N The things that excite me as a 40 year old ๐Ÿคญ

None of us enjoy laundry (OK, there are a few of you out there who do. Weird!) but we have to do it. And often. So if your laundry bin can be as good looking, functional and space saving as this, then why wouldn't you?!

I've lost track of how many baskets I've thrown out because they've gone soggy or mouldy. They look pretty, sure, but they're not fit for purpose and they're often messy and overflowing.

Here's what I love about his @brabantia_australia one:

โœ”๏ธ ventilation holes
โœ”๏ธ no need to remove the lid for small items plus it hides your dirty laundry from view
โœ”๏ธ easily removable and washable inner laundry bag that velcros back on 
โœ”๏ธ corrosion resistant so fine in bathroom or laundry 
โœ”๏ธ Brabantia make things as sustainably as possible
โœ”๏ธ compact, sleek, European design
โœ”๏ธ 10 year warranty
โœ”๏ธ tall and skinny so takes up less floor in my tiny laundry

The Rolls Royce of laundry bins? I think so ๐Ÿ‘Œ๐Ÿป

TOLD you this was going to be exciting!

Now I need to know, do you have your laundry basket in the bathroom, the laundry, every bedroom? We used to have one in each bedroom but moved to the laundry-only situation which I much prefer (one for colours and one for whites). My boys know to put their used clothes in the bin in the laundry each night and they're 7 and 3!  #raisingfuturehusbands

#gifted
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About Olivia Shead

When she's not writing for Interiors Addict, Olivia is now a TV and radio news producer. She's a journalism graduate of UTS Sydney.

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