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c8599400-15Aug

A seaside sanctuary for all seasons, this newly builtretreat isn’t your average retirement home.

ENDLESS SUMMER

HOME SALLYCROXTON

This superb Hawks Nest holiday homegives its owners the choice of threewaterways and the best of both worlds.

At present Ronelle and her anaesthetisthusband Stephen McKay call their cherished100-year-old Lorn residence home.

But after a decade enjoying holidays at theirHawks Nest weekender, the pair is thinking ofmaking the still-unspoiled area theirpermanent residence in retirement. With the

future in mind, they bought an 800-square-metre corner block opposite the Myallriverfront and sold the older weekender.

Their idea was to create a fresh,contemporary, carefree house with room fortheir immediate and extended family andfriends to enjoy that could also double as anupmarket holiday letting, with the option ofmaking the up-to-the-minute pad aretirement haven for the future.

Ronelle said her husband’s love of the waterand their enjoyment of ornithology sealed thechoice of Hawks Nest with its access to river,lake, ocean, port and national parks.

It took three years from buying the block toachieving their goal but after a year-longbuilding period the distinctive, luxurious AlkiraBeach House with its beachy, comfortablemodern furnishings chosen by the couple inMaitland and Newcastle was completed a yearago, ready to enjoy last summer.

‘‘You don’t have to go to Sydney any more tofind lovely things,’’ Ronelle says.

Now they have the choice of a Federationand a modern property.

Newcastle 950 Hunter St 4962 1070 www.ozdesignfurniture.com.au

*Offer available on new purchases of full price furniture and/or homewares of $1000 or more at OZ Design in a single transaction between 10th August and 14th September 2009. Offer awarded in the form of a $100 discount at time of purchase. Purchases undertaking a finance option or made with a gift voucher are excluded. Not to be used in conjunction with any other offer. Some items require self assembly. Props and delivery not included in the listed price. Price includes GST.Conditions apply. See instore for full details.

Give your home a fresh new look with bright colours, timber accents, cool stories, easy-living textures and lots of individual touches. And for

a limited time, for every $1000 you spend we will give you $100 off.

Campana 224 dining table

$999

dining chairs

$159ea

LARA occasional chair

$784 in Lotus Ruby fabric

HOLIDAY HAVEN: Clever use of high, angled windows allows the winter sun in while capturingnorth-east sea breezes on summer afternoons. PICTURES: NATALIE GRONO

These unusual lights suspended above the kitchen benchtop were sourced from Rovert Lighting in Broadmeadow. All the lights were selected there and chosen by the owners. These complement the area’s stainless steel and glass theme and prove Ronelle’s point that there is no need to travel outside the Hunter to source interesting interior design products.

FAVOURITE FEATURE

Ronelle, while still attached to Lorn wherethey brought up their four children, isrevelling in the ease of cleaning, the indoor/outdoor lifestyle, the winter sun and thesummer breezes that come with a well-designed new house. ‘‘It’s fun,’’ she says.

‘‘I suppose the houses are the two extremesand this is fabulous,’’ she says of the four-bedroom house arranged to allow a separateguest suite on the ground floor.

It also offers two sleek bathrooms tiled tothe ceiling in a practical sand colour and a vastBlackbutt-floored open-plan upstairs livingand dining room with decks at both ends anda smart kitchen with a sparkling grey glass

splashback, nougat CaesarStone worktopsand stainless steel trims.

Ronelle credits architect Stephen Coon fromSeymour Lawler Architects and LambertBuilding of Tea Gardens with the project’ssuccess.

‘‘We thought about not using an architect,’’she says. ‘‘I must say we’re very glad that wedid because it’s made all the difference to thejob and they were particularly good to workwith. They never rushed us.’’

Stephen Coon says that to take advantage ofthe views to the river and beyond to PortStephens the house has some west-facingwindows, undesirable for the hot summer sun

but its design, the extent of glazing, roofoverhangs and pergolas were carefullyconsidered to gain views while blocking outunwanted heat.

‘‘Comfortplus performance glass was used tohelp reduce heat gain, and this also allowedsome extra high level windows to be addedduring construction when it was discovered

how fantastic the viewstowards the water and treecanopies were,’’ he says.

Large and high north-facingwindows allow winter sun toflood the interior.

The design works. The day Isaw the house last week theroom was bathed in sunlightand was warm withoutheating. Ronelle says thatwhile Maitland wassweltering in 42-degree heatlast year, her daughter, whowas staying at the house atthe time, found it maintained

a comfortable temperature without air-conditioning.

‘‘In summer the sun goes over the top andwe don’t get any of that heat,’’ Ronelle says.‘‘Every afternoon we get these lovely north-east breezes. It’s glorious.’’

Architect Coon says because the owners arekeen birdwatchers they wanted to get as highas possible. So he provided them with a bird-viewing deck three levels above ground butstill incorporated within a two-storey formsympathetic to the neighbourhood.

Angled roofs, decks and pergolas helped tocreate the interesting facade but by keepingthe building itself generally rectangular it madeconstruction economical for the budget-conscious owners. That allowed them to spendmore money where they felt value was bestappreciated, such as on kitchen and bathroomfinishes and light fittings, the architect says.

From outside the house is eye-catching thanksto its form and the varied claddings whichinclude light-coloured rendered brick walls inTaubmans Woolooware, with ColorbondCustom Orb sheeting in woodland grey abovethe brickwork.