A “greenfield” site was the location of this designer home – the land, a subdivision of an old property on a large block was purchased as a vacant site. “Hideaway” designed by architect Donald Gallagher, is a luxury home consisting of four bedrooms, three bathrooms, living, lounge, meal, dining, rumpus, cinema, study, gymnasium, bar entertainment area, five toilets, laundry, pool washroom, sauna, and six-car open-plan garage basement.

The client’s brief was to work within overlays and planning constraints to design an 800sqm, four-bedroom house. However, numerous challenges presented themselves, such as height constraints and a minimum floor level.

Overlooking the parkland is one of the property’s best features — the elevated tiled outdoor entertaining area. This area includes a collection of contemporary outdoor furniture, barbecue, a fully tiled lap pool and spa which extends out from the house. A porthole, surrounded by stacked stone and seen from the front, is just a hint of what’s behind it. However, this pool is quite hidden from those who pass by, ensuring privacy for the home owners and their guests when swimming.