A mountain-top home that’s custom to a T
When you’re graced with picturesque views over the Glasshouse Mountains and surrounded by 200 acres, it’s only fair to create a home that rivals such natural beauty. From the outside, this residence may look like a simple cattle farmhouse, but first impressions are often misleading, which is crystal clear when you enter this award-winning lodge created by Mark Gacesa of Ultraspace and Stewart Homes.
Finding a home-meets-hotel in the small town of Wamuran, Queensland, is a pleasant surprise given the grassroots vibe of the area. With two ambitious globetrotters as clients, it was only natural the project was =QUOTE=completely custom from the interior to the exterior design. “The clients often travel abroad and experience many glorious locations,” says interior designer, Mark Gacesa. “They wanted this house to represent not only a culmination of those experiences, but to surpass the feeling of staying at glamorous hotels around the world.”
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The agreed aesthetic of the home revolved around fusing earthy elements with rich, opulent pieces. “This house was to be luxuriously organic in nature in both design and finish selections,” says Mark. The exterior of the home is a reflection of its surroundings, with natural rock cladding (aluminium snap extrusion custom powder-coated with an oak grain over black Colorbond sheeting) and universal steel profiles with custom-coloured and folded woodgrain inserts all chosen for their low-maintenance properties. These natural elements are continued inside, with timber featuring heavily throughout and contrasted with textural elements such as fur, velvet and leather.
Deceiving the eye is signature to Ultraspace’s design ethos, and this home is full of clever tricks. In the master suite, a moveable wall appears to be a continuation of the oak battening that extends from the floor to the ceiling in the living space, but once inside the master suite (half a level up), a section of the wall is clad in a mirror that reflects the views of the Glasshouse Mountains. “When opened, two thick doors fold back into recessed pockets to reveal a view into the lavish living space and down to the concealed kitchen,” explains Mark.
Other quirks in this lodge include a rotating marble fireplace, a one-way triple-etched mirror in the master suite and a fully concealed kitchen. “At first glance, the kitchen zone is more like the front counter and reception area of a luxury hotel,” continues Mark. “It blends into its surroundings with the majority of its functionality concealed. A spacious scullery is concealed with two separate entrances and also incorporates a full bar, but the full gourmet entertainer’s experience is accessible in an instant.”
Due to the complex nature of this project, it was clear there would be problems, and Mark admits he could write a book on the subject. “It has been the most challenging and custom project I have ever created,” he says. “Ian Henry and the team from Stewart Homes and I have been the perfect combination, and I could not see this home coming together any other way. With the amount of first-time designing, that is what the client and I needed to acheive this luxury property.”
Securing close to 20 awards, this lodge is a labour of love that’s custom right down to the core. “This project proves to me that with the right team, a positive attitude and a common desire to think and build way outside the box, anything is achievable.”
ultraspace.com.au
stewarthomes.com.au
Originally from Home Design magazines, Volume 19 Issue 2
Written by Annabelle Cloros
Photography by Fred McKie Photography