This is the home of Ian and Julie, soon to be empty-nesters who had the opportunity to build from scratch—covering the things that were important to them now, as well as those they anticipate needing in the future.

A fantastic relationship with Classic Constructions ensured a rewarding journey.

“Our brief was for a house that was low-maintenance, comfortable and of a timeless aesthetic,” says Ian, who was intrinsically involved in the design and build process. “It’s been designed to cater to Julie’s and my needs as a couple, but the layout is family-focused to accommodate our children, grandchildren and love of entertaining.”

The couple plan to live here well into their twilight years, and this intention drove the design.

“Because we want this to be our ‘forever home’, we took a realistic view of becoming older,” says Ian. “So we included wider doorways and passageways, cavity doors and pull out drawers from the waist down in the kitchen, in case either of us ends up in a wheelchair.”

“And a low maintenance garden and flooring—so we can spend more time enjoying our home rather than working on it,” adds Julie.

Ian and Julie can live quite comfortably on one level, whilst two bedrooms on the second floor and a third on the ground floor, each with their own bathroom, allow visitors their own separate space.

“I’m also a big believer that a home should pay for itself,” says Ian. “So we could even rent out the rooms upstairs to boarders and get an extra income, with very little impact to our lifestyle.”

Whilst future practicalities were catered for, the build was also a chance for the couple to indulge their long-awaited wish list of features.

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Having lived and travelled throughout the world, the couple had picked up a lot of inspiration along the way. For Ian, a shower that could completely open up to the outdoors, was a must.

“When we travelled through Bali, the thing I loved most was having an outdoor shower. The Canberra weather isn’t exactly conducive to that luxury, but this is the next best thing.”

A butler’s pantry, tranquillity pool, fireplace and extra high floor to ceiling windows were other luxuries the couple had to have, whilst the striking wood and stainless steel staircase was a feature that evolved out of the design and build process.

“We’d had our designs drawn up before we approached Classics to do the build,” says Ian. “Classics were able to refine the designs to fit within our budget and building restrictions and, thanks to their imaginative thinking, the staircase became the focal point of our home.”

The original designs featured the staircase and bedrooms at the rear of the home. However they were knocked back by ACTPLA because the second storey cast a shadow on the neighbour’s land.

“Classic’s came up with the idea of shifting the plans around 90 degrees and building a mezzanine level above our main living area—which is why the staircase is where it is now,” says Ian. “It was a really clever suggestion and Julie and I love the final result.”

Energy efficiency was also paramount to the couple and through features such as hydronic heating in the flooring, evaporative cooling and ceiling fans the home has an energy rating of 6 stars.

With everything the couple could want now and in the future, Ian and Julie’s home really is one that they can enjoy happily ever after.