My Houzz: A Newly Built Family Home Designed to Last
Careful planning and thinking ahead allowed this family to design a house that caters for all their needs, present and future
Lisa Atkinson
4 January 2016
Houzz Contributor. I am an interiors, commercial lifestyle, and fine art photographer based in Frankston South, just out of Melbourne on the stunning Mornington Peninsula. I have been professionally photographing for over 25 years, and have worked with many talented interior designers and builders, both residentially and commercially.
Houzz Contributor. I am an interiors, commercial lifestyle, and fine art photographer... More
Over the course of their relationship, Prue and Tom Walstab had lived in four homes together. Then, in 2009, they decided they were ready to settle into their ‘20-year house’, a place where their kids could grow up and that they could customise completely and so check everything off their wish list.
For Tom, a large garage and a home overlooking a park were priorities, while for Prue her dreams were all about space, storage and being within walking distance of the kids’ school. As they searched for land, or a knock-down-rebuild property, the couple were lucky enough to find a vacant plot with a tiny For Sale sign on it. The property even backed onto a golf course, which ticked all the boxes for what would become the Walstab family’s new home.
For Tom, a large garage and a home overlooking a park were priorities, while for Prue her dreams were all about space, storage and being within walking distance of the kids’ school. As they searched for land, or a knock-down-rebuild property, the couple were lucky enough to find a vacant plot with a tiny For Sale sign on it. The property even backed onto a golf course, which ticked all the boxes for what would become the Walstab family’s new home.
Houzz at a Glance
Who lives here Prue and Tom Walstab and their children, Max, 12, and Mimi, 9
Where Victoria, Australia
Size 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
The previous house on the site had burnt down and, after years of deliberation, the original owners decided not to rebuild. Instead, they quietly listed the plot for sale. Within a week of spotting this perfect location for their new home, the Walstabs owned the land. Then, after an 18-month-long build, the family moved into their perfect home.
Prue and Tom were drawn to the aesthetic of Federation-style homes, and let this historic architecture dictate the exterior of their new build, while the interior was to be completely modern. Prue designed the three-level layout in collaboration with architect Peter Wright, who drew up the final plans. The construction of the multi-storey residence was then carried out by McKimm Residential Design.
The only departure from Federation style was the choice of a traditional Victorian-style iron fence. ‘We felt it helped the house look established,’ explains Prue. ‘Federation fences are wooden and can enclose a space, and I wanted our fence to be open and unobtrusive. It also has a lifetime guarantee.’
Who lives here Prue and Tom Walstab and their children, Max, 12, and Mimi, 9
Where Victoria, Australia
Size 4 bedrooms, 4 bathrooms
The previous house on the site had burnt down and, after years of deliberation, the original owners decided not to rebuild. Instead, they quietly listed the plot for sale. Within a week of spotting this perfect location for their new home, the Walstabs owned the land. Then, after an 18-month-long build, the family moved into their perfect home.
Prue and Tom were drawn to the aesthetic of Federation-style homes, and let this historic architecture dictate the exterior of their new build, while the interior was to be completely modern. Prue designed the three-level layout in collaboration with architect Peter Wright, who drew up the final plans. The construction of the multi-storey residence was then carried out by McKimm Residential Design.
The only departure from Federation style was the choice of a traditional Victorian-style iron fence. ‘We felt it helped the house look established,’ explains Prue. ‘Federation fences are wooden and can enclose a space, and I wanted our fence to be open and unobtrusive. It also has a lifetime guarantee.’
‘We wanted to build our “20-year” house,’ says Prue. ‘It has been built to fit our family and, hopefully, when we are done, it will perfectly fit the next family. I believe it will evolve with us without any trouble,’ she adds. ‘In fact, I can see us needing to kick our grown-up children out in years to come, as we may have made it too perfect!’
The formal living room is at the front of the house, and is the perfect blend of masculine and feminine. Black accents and a chesterfield sofa are balanced by a feminine chandelier and accessories. ‘Although I love girlie things, I tend to not be too girlie for my husband’s sake,’ says Prue. ‘He, like many men, hates cushions, so I don’t have as many as I would like.’
Swallow wallpaper, Sanderson.
Swallow wallpaper, Sanderson.
The duck-egg blue armchairs were picked up in a Coco Republic sale. ‘I love a bargain!’ says Prue. ‘And I love a find that looks more expensive than it really is.’
The wooden cross was a gift from one of Prue’s close friends. ‘My decorating style is really about things I love,’ she explains. ‘I have a belief that if I fill a room with things I love, then I will love the room. Somehow, all the pieces seem to come together.’
Prue’s office space for her graphic design business, Gigi And Lulu, is tucked into the bay window of the formal living room. ‘My office is where I spend the most time, so it’s warm and inviting,’ she says. ‘It has space for casual meetings and I love sitting in the window all day watching the world go by.’
Prue’s love of bargains also paid off when she found this desk on eBay. She then had it professionally painted with a high-gloss finish for a lustrous look.
Prue’s love of bargains also paid off when she found this desk on eBay. She then had it professionally painted with a high-gloss finish for a lustrous look.
The master bedroom is another compromise of masculine and feminine décor. ‘I don’t think it’s fair to ask Tom to sleep in a pink bedroom,’ says Prue, ‘so I save my girlie urges for Mimi’s room.’ The couple count the big Heatherly bed, with its tufted upholstered bedhead, as a worthwhile investment.
Behind the partition wall is Tom’s wardrobe, while Prue has a separate walk-in wardrobe on the right side of the room.
Behind the partition wall is Tom’s wardrobe, while Prue has a separate walk-in wardrobe on the right side of the room.
The partition wall features beautiful textured, paintable wallpaper by Graham & Brown. This was originally white, but the couple painted it black at the start of this year to create a more dramatic statement.
In the master en suite, practicality took priority. ‘A lot of people are currently choosing nice floating vanity units,’ says Prue, ‘but I really wanted storage that went all the way down to the floor, so I had nice big drawers where I could store all my lotions upright, rather than lying down.’
The kids have their own space on the ground floor of the house. ‘I knew from the start that I wanted an office for them,’ Prue explains. ‘Somewhere that they could study, do crafts and music lessons. This space is a hub of activity. There is always a child in here – and not always one of my own!’
Hung on the wall above the double desk in the kids’ workroom is a custom-designed pinboard made by Prue and Tom using an image from Shutterstock. The wallpaper mural of a leafless forest brings a textural element to the space, without being too busy or distracting, while the pinboard is a practical addition.
The feeling of abundant space is one of Prue’s favourite features of the house. A long, wide hallway and high ceilings throughout the home also give Mimi plenty of room to practise her cartwheels.
Adding to the sense of space is the use of a predominately white palette in every room of the house. ‘My entire house is white – white everything. I grow tired of colour very quickly,’ says Prue. ‘I feel it will help the house stand the test of time.’
Adding to the sense of space is the use of a predominately white palette in every room of the house. ‘My entire house is white – white everything. I grow tired of colour very quickly,’ says Prue. ‘I feel it will help the house stand the test of time.’
A large open-plan space on the ground floor houses the kitchen, dining and living rooms. ‘Every inch of our house is used,’ says Prue. ‘There is no area in the dining or living room that sits untouched. Every space has a purpose – that’s what I love most.’
The bar stools that line the kitchen island are replicas of an Erik Buch design, normally only available with white, black or red leather seats. Prue bought an additional white stool and had it reupholstered in a pale green leather, to give the look more variety. ‘You can’t beat a replica,’ she says. ‘I know it’s frowned upon in the design world, but it saves you money and you still get to enjoy great design.’
As is the case for many families, the kitchen island is the heart of the Walstab’s home. ‘It’s where we start the day, and we love entertaining, so it’s where our parties begin – and usually end,’ Prue says. ‘We can watch the kids playing out in the pool from here, leaving the adults to socialise in peace. Our house is often the go-to house for this reason, especially in summer.’
Check out ways to stay sane when hosting a get-together
Check out ways to stay sane when hosting a get-together
Prue wanted her kitchen to be very open and simple, again with the focus on lots of practical storage and a basic white-and-stainless-steel palette.
In the adjoining dining area sits a table that was custom-made in collaboration with an interior designer, who also matched the finish of the chairs to the table. This was one of Prue and Tom’s big furniture splurges.
Dining chairs, Hans Wegner Round chair replicas.
Dining chairs, Hans Wegner Round chair replicas.
The family brought a lot of their old furniture to their new home, including their large corner sofa from King Furniture. While Prue admits it was a bit too big for their last house, they knew they would eventually upsize and it would then be the perfect fit. ‘We even designed some spaces in this home specifically around some of our existing furniture,’ she says.
As a graphic designer, much of the artwork Prue displays throughout the house is either quite graphic or quite typographic in style, including these pieces in the living room.
Practicality, space and storage were high up on the family’s wish list when they were planning the design of the house. All three considerations converged in the clean, streamlined design of the utility room. ‘This room is huge,’ Prue says. ‘It’s hard to hate laundry when you have the space to do it in.’
Having the property backing on to the golf course means ducks frequently fly over the fence to enjoy the family’s swimming pool. The pool is also a regular hotspot for friends without feathers during the warmer months of the year.
From the upstairs balcony, the view of the golf course visually extends the back garden, with the two spaces separated only by an unobtrusive mesh fence. ‘We dreamt of living close to, or overlooking, a park,’ says Prue. ‘When we found this plot of land for sale it was like, ‘tick!’ It feels like living in the country and yet we are 15 minutes from the city. Birds fill the trees – it’s serene.’
Prue adds that privacy is not an issue, as the golfers are generally too engrossed in their game to notice the goings-on of the family. ‘They’re only out there for a minute or two before moving on,’ she says.
Prue adds that privacy is not an issue, as the golfers are generally too engrossed in their game to notice the goings-on of the family. ‘They’re only out there for a minute or two before moving on,’ she says.
While the ground floor of the house is home to the main living and working spaces for the family, the upper floor plays host to the kids’ bedrooms, guest room and a playroom. ‘It’s their domain and I love that I can go days without needing to go upstairs,’ says Prue.
As Max approaches his teenage years, his room has been decorated to reflect his love of the St Kilda Football Club, with red, white and black décor. The world map mural is from Mapworld, and was added to encourage Max to always seek new adventures.
As Max approaches his teenage years, his room has been decorated to reflect his love of the St Kilda Football Club, with red, white and black décor. The world map mural is from Mapworld, and was added to encourage Max to always seek new adventures.
Next door is Mimi’s bedroom, which is also decorated in a style intended to last through her childhood years. The decorative timber bedframe comes courtesy of Prue’s mother, who tends to tire of furniture and décor quickly and often hands pieces down to Prue and her family.
Birds & Butterflies wallpaper, Schumacher.
Birds & Butterflies wallpaper, Schumacher.
The main upstairs bathroom, which is predominantly used by the kids, retains a sense of fun with touches such as the mermaid tail hanging over a towel rail and the dinosaur figurine on the worktop.
The guest bedroom is also upstairs. It features a delicate iron-framed bed which was also inherited from Prue’s fashion-forward mother. ‘My mum is a big influence in my décor choices,’ says Prue. ‘Although she is a lot more eclectic than I am, I respect her vision and often seek her advice.’
Get tips on giving your home an injection of designer style
Get tips on giving your home an injection of designer style
To maximise the space and to accommodate Tom’s wish list requirement of a large garage, an underground level was built below the house, which also features a cinema room.
The garden was designed and developed by Gills Nursery and Landscaping, and includes the gorgeous mature palm tree that Prue and Tom gave to each another on their 10-year wedding anniversary. The couple also added a solar tile system on the roof, which blends in nicely with the slate tiles.
The garden was designed and developed by Gills Nursery and Landscaping, and includes the gorgeous mature palm tree that Prue and Tom gave to each another on their 10-year wedding anniversary. The couple also added a solar tile system on the roof, which blends in nicely with the slate tiles.
‘The basement is known as “Man Land”. Tom is living his dream down there!’ laughs Prue. Tom loves his toys, and in keeping with the vision that Max and Mimi would eventually have cars of their own, the couple decided to make the garage large enough for six cars.
They count the vehicle turntable as one of the splurges made during the building process, chosen so the manoeuvring of so many cars wouldn’t be too difficult further down the line. ‘We didn’t want to look back and wish we had done it properly,’ Prue explains. ‘We didn’t extend ourselves too much, but are now grateful we said yes to the turntable, the ducted vacuum system, the electric blinds in the living room, and the hydronic heating.’
TELL US…
What is your favourite part of this house? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
They count the vehicle turntable as one of the splurges made during the building process, chosen so the manoeuvring of so many cars wouldn’t be too difficult further down the line. ‘We didn’t want to look back and wish we had done it properly,’ Prue explains. ‘We didn’t extend ourselves too much, but are now grateful we said yes to the turntable, the ducted vacuum system, the electric blinds in the living room, and the hydronic heating.’
TELL US…
What is your favourite part of this house? Share your thoughts in the Comments below.
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Hi Lisa,
My husband created the pin board using foamcore and stretched printed fabric. He's pretty handy. I was looking for someone too and decided to just do it ourselves. Sorry I can't be if more help
Prue