Living together is one thing – working side-by-side is another. For 3D artist Andrew, and business owner Emily, creating a home where they could work and relax – and where their two young girls, Mae and Emily, could play – was paramount. The pair, who have been together for 17 years and married for a decade, found exactly that in the Riviera 29 with Contempo façade.
‘We built our first house in Tarneit in 2009. After outgrowing it, we decided to sell up in 2018 and make the move just down the road to Mambourin,’ explains Emily.
What to expect from the build process
The pair first heard of Boutique Homes in 2018, when they began researching floorplans and realised the designs were exactly what they were after. Their must haves? A home where the back fence wasn’t visible from the front door and where there was plenty of space for them both to work from home in solitude.
Read more: Find out from Display Design Manager, Andrea Grover, how working from home has changed what Victorians look for in a floorplan.
‘We also wanted a home theatre toward the front of the home and a spare room for the kids to play in – so there were a lot of boxes to tick,’ says Emily. ‘Luckily, the Riviera ticked all of them! Its separate zones were exactly what we were looking for. I was even able to transform the study into my own workshop.’
They quickly fell in love with the home design, but it was their New Homes Consultant, David Kelada, that made them realise they had found ‘The One.’
‘David was so patient with us while we were selling our original house and he took the time to send us numerous quotes, until we had everything we wanted in a new home,’ says Emily.
‘He made us feel like we were his only clients. Customer service was really important to us this time, so between David, the floorplan and the superior inclusions, it was a no-brainer.’
Creating our unique interior design
Spring boarding off the affordable and modern Contempo façade with its lush corner windows, the pair describe their interior design as ‘industrial boho.’ A mostly monochromatic colour palette of creams, blacks and concrete are offset by textured rugs and throws, mesmerising prints and a dash of colour.
The secret to creating such a beautiful home? The Interior Design Consultation and drawing inspiration from the fantastic display homes.
‘The fact that we knew we had all day to make our final colour selections made the entire process really enjoyable. There was no pressure to rush into any decisions,’ says Emily.
The pair also took full advantage of the Boutique Homes social media community for inspiration, confirmation of their decisions and support.
‘Using the Instagram hashtags #boutiquehomesvictoria, #ourboutiquehome, #wefoundtheone we were able to see our façade and brick colour on a ready-built home before we actually selected it,’ says Emily.
‘The community was simply wonderful, answering our questions along the way and reassuring us when we were unsure of anything.’
As for anything the pair would do differently?
‘We would put floorboards in the retreat. But other than that, we love our house and we think we got it pretty spot on,’ says Emily.
Emily and Andrew’s top tips for new home builders