Blog

Written by Lauren Ahwan

A haven of private spaces to relax in, it’s the clever smaller details that make this a practical yet luxurious family home

Big ticket items can take your breath away but, sometimes, it’s the little details that steal your heart. To my mind, it’s these small, thoughtful inclusions that should take priority when selecting a house design because they add so much to the liveability of your home.

Take the Ashville Alfresco, by Statesman Homes – here, a myriad of blink-and-you-might-miss-them features make for a truly functional four-bedroom, two-bathroom home for families at all stages of life.

For example, there’s the door in the front entry that allows the home theatre and master suite to be closed off from the main living areas – an inclusion you almost never see in home designs but a definite sanity saver when you want to protect your weekend sleep-ins from rowdy children watching early morning TV in the main living area.

Then there’s the power-points on either side of the cooktop splashback in the gourmet kitchen, provision for a double-door fridge-freezer to handle voracious family appetites, a store room to keep the bikes and holiday camping gear from cluttering the garage… all minor inclusions but with the ability to cause major annoyances when they are overlooked.

When combined with sophisticated grey cabinetry throughout (KT3’s PVC cabinets, in dust grey with a Barossa profile), the Ashville Alfresco, which is on display at Liberty estate at Two Wells, presents as the ideal family home.

As Statesman Homes’ design director Ruth Vagnarelli likes to describe it, the Ashville Alfresco is the “perfect blend of practical living and luxury’’.

“The home has been designed (so that) it is really spacious but every square centimetre has been thought through,’’ Ruth says. “The three-way bathroom, large walk-in pantry, walk-in robes or in-built robes in all bedrooms (and) extra storage in the garage – these are the practical features that make life a breeze in this home.

“Then there are the beautiful touches of luxury, like the stunning ensuite with its double bowl vanity and large shower and generous his-and-her robes.

“With its sleek, dark flooring, elegant grey joinery and sophisticated marble-look benchtops, the Statesman Ashville Alfresco is the epitome of modern glamour.’’

The luxurious home theatre and master suite are located at the front of the home, both bathed in natural light thanks to large, industrial-style windows framed in Monument, a popular, not-quite-black colour that suits modern and classic homes and works with virtually any colour scheme.

Gloss benchtops (in veined, marble-look Monte Bellina, with a tight edge radius, by Motivi) are used on both the TV cabinet and the ensuite’s double vanity to give a refined, polished look, while soft carpet underfoot, also in dark grey tones, injects a sense of depth and warmth.

In the main living area, more grey cabinetry, topped with the same marble-look benchtops as in the home theatre, are hard to beat. Three vintage-style pendants complement the decorating scheme, while the large island bench, with in-built sink, connects the kitchen to the living and dining zones and “encourages guests to pull up a stool while food is being prepared,’’ Ruth says. The outdoor alfresco beckons from a sliding door in the meals area.

Three minor bedrooms are located in a separate wing of the home which also boasts a laundry, a three-way bathroom and cosy study, which could be furnished as a nursery if needed. Another plus is the three-way sliding door linen cupboard (the Portsea storage system, by Packers, in true white with a mirror finish and matt natural trim) to keep extra bedding and other essentials close to hand.

Ideally suited to a 17m by 30m block, with the garage built on the boundary, Ruth says the Ashville Alfresco is, quite simply a “modern family’s dream’’. For more information and pricing, please visit Statesman Homes - Ashville Alfresco