The embodiment of luxurious country living, this expansive family home boasts a high level of finish and design detail.
Set in the midst of a peaceful, bushland-embraced five-acre block in the heart of rural south-east Victoria, this is the luxurious home of Nick and Rebecca Bishop, co-founders of Elite Building Services. The couple purchased the property when the home was partially constructed, deciding it would make the ideal base for their family of four and serve as a means of showcasing the calibre of their work.
“When we bought it, the home was almost at lock up stage with the slab, frame, roof and bricks up,” explains Nick. “We changed some of the basic structure, including some of the internal walls, and completely changed the fittings and fixtures, style and character of the home. Our goal was to produce an exceptionally high quality of home and showcase our complete range of products and skills — it certainly has been a labour of love.”
From the outside, the home looks like a country retreat but once you’re inside, it has more of a Hamptons/coastal chic feel, which is all down to Rebecca’s impeccable eye for design. “As soon as you step into the entry your eyes are drawn up to the 4.8m ceiling, an amazing pendant and skylights. You then look down to the stunning herringbone floorboards, a classic Hamptons touch,” says Nick.
“Follow the high ceiling to your left and you find yourself in the kitchen. Of simple, elegant design it has many hidden features, from integrated appliances to a pull-out condiments cabinet in the mantle over the oven. We wanted the kitchen to be the entertaining hub of the home so included a spacious island bench incorporating beer and wine fridges. Behind that is an enormous servery window to the outdoor entertaining area.
“As you move into the dining and rumpus areas, the ceiling reduces to 4.2m. These two areas are separated by a dual-sided, Hamptons-style stone-clad fireplace that stretches from the floor to the ceiling.”
Straight ahead from the entry is the great room which boasts a beautiful fireplace and a stunning feature ceiling. Lastly, if you head right from the entry you find the leisure room and the home’s six bedrooms, including the master suite with its luxurious ensuite and opulent dressing room, complete with custom-made beauty bar. “We wanted the master to feel like you were spending an evening at Crown Melbourne — a private oasis,” adds Nick.
Down this way you will also find a SoundScreen-insulated theatre room with a full-height DVD library wall and a projector screen that extends down from the ceiling. As the family are all movie buffs, this was a must-have.
Under the same roofline is a separate wing with a guest room, kitchenette, sitting room and bathroom. In total, this abode, which featured on the TV show Open Homes Australia, boasts 26 individual rooms. “While this home is sizeable, both in square metres and ceiling height, it is bathed in natural light and has a warm and homely character that is very welcoming,” says Nick.
To let the home speak for itself and create a timeless look, Rebecca’s interior colour palette emphasises white. “It is clean, crisp and elegant and creates a luxurious look that won’t date. The liberal use of white, with touches of soft grey, also helps to emphasise the sheer size of the home, turning it into a feature,” adds Nick.
Although the end result looks effortlessly elegant, there were multiple challenges. There were defective works to be rectified, numerous custom elements to incorporate and the home’s size made some tasks daunting — just installing the ducted vacuum and heating systems was a huge job due to the magnitude of the home and the high raked ceilings.
“Completing the home was like running a marathon and Rebecca and I were very relieved when we made it to the finish line,” says Nick. “We both feel a great sense of pride in this home. We always wanted to have a bit of land for the kids to grow up on and the level of finish we were able to achieve shows just what we can deliver for our clients. Now we can relax, breathe a sigh of relief and enjoy living here in peace and privacy for many years to come.”
The facts:
Location of home: Maryknoll Vic
Time taken to build: 10–11 months
Year completed: 2019
The figures:
Size of home: 914.58sqm
Size of land: 5 acres
Bedrooms: 6
Bathrooms: 4.5
Floors: 1
The details:
Elite Building Services (Vic) Pty Ltd
Address: Maryknoll Vic
Phone: 1300 883 754
Website: elitebuilding.com.au