When you need some time out, head to a weekend retreat such as the delightful Grace 3e by Sarah Homes
Relaxing is one of home's pleasures. There's often little time to do it elsewhere, certainly not at work if you have a job like mine, and many of us don't have time to organise regular spa treatments. Sometimes you need to get away to relax, and being able to sink into a comfy couch with your latest book is the perfect option. Owning your own shack or a second home away from the city, where you can leave your work life behind and relax with family or friends, is a great lifestyle choice.
The Grace 3e by Sarah Homes is one such design that you'll find is bright and breezy, and comes in at an affordable price point starting at $97,300. Lifestyle is key in this open plan single-storey design that's not about multiple living spaces or state-of-the art inclusions. Rather it revels in simplicity and pared back living. It's a comfortable, relaxing and chilled out home focused on restful times and shared experiences.
One large L-shape space encompasses the living/dining and kitchen for daytime living, and thanks to its wide, floor-to-ceiling windows and three sets of aluminium sliding doors which open to two large decks and create good cross ventilation and thermal efficiency it's a light, bright area where the family can come together but still feel like they have enough room to spread out.
Higher 2.7m ceilings as standard in the Grace 3e design also add to the feeling of spaciousness. Sarah Homes' Helen Lowrie says the Grace 3e was designed as a holiday or weekend home where you can regularly visit and without it breaking the bank. "This home has no formal entry and no formal rooms. It was designed as lifestyle home for those who want to live in their home and enjoy every space," Helen says. "It provides people with something different and is a home to enjoy that offers a change from their main home in Adelaide."
In the display at Victor Harbor, the middle wall, which separates living areas from sleeping quarters, has been painted in Colorbond's Monument as a striking feature, and its impact is impressive against the home's otherwise off-white tones. A dark bank of cupboards in the kitchen complements the wall and breaks up the space, where a long island bench with waterfall edge dominates and acts as a great workbench and casual meals area. Blum soft close drawers, a double sink and underbench oven are also included as standard.
"The living area is quite a large space and while it is flooded with light, we wanted to bring some strong colours into the room," Helen says. "The dark wall was chosen to complement the large amount of light and give the room a backdrop of colour." From the living/dining and kitchen area you can look out in four directions, and if positioned well in a coastal or country location, you're bound to be rewarded with remarkable views. Helen says it's the home's bright feel that visitors are usually attracted to. "The living area is so filled with light that it is quite an uplifting space to walk into. Visitors say they left feeling light and happy.
"There is little wasted space with only one passageway. This has resulted in a very cost-effective home that is efficient in space, but feels like it has an abundance of it." A large timber deck out to the front of the home and another off the side from the kitchen create outdoor relaxation areas where you can add a pergola or sit under an umbrella in good weather. And Helen says it doesn't really matter what shape block you have to work with, as the decking can be modified to suit the client and the block, so it takes in the best aspect.
When it's time to rest, retire to the back wing of the home where there are three good size bedrooms. "The dropped ceiling in the passage between bedrooms delineates the space between the living and sleeping zones," Helen says. "By painting the wall black that leads to the sleeping zones, this gives it a real gateway or framed entrance to the bedrooms."
The sleeping quarters are separated from one another, with the ensuite bathroom between bedrooms one and two, and the main bathroom and laundry between bedrooms two and three. Each room has a good amount of storage with built-in wardrobes, and the master has the privacy of its own ensuite and also has sliding doors opening to the front deck. Both the ensuite and main bathroom share the same neutral tones and feature tiling, luxurious vanities and spacious showers. Throughout the living areas floorboards offer a fresh, coastal feel and are low-maintenance.
22-Mar-2015 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine
For more information about the house in this story please look at the Grace 160.
