Home Design - Vol. 18 No. 4

Words Danielle Townsend
Photography Saul Goodwin
The Mediterranean way of living is
highly desirable, indeed — relaxed
summer days or nights spent outside
with good food, fine wine and close
family and friends. It’s enough to make you
want to pack up and move to a secluded
part of Italy, but for this fortunate couple,
their Mediterranean-style villa is right
here in Australia, and is the site of
many fabulous outdoor parties.
The enviable 10-acre block of virgin land
where they chose to build their new home is
at Possum Hill near Possum Creek, just a threeminute
drive to Bangalow and a 10-minute
drive to the popular holiday town of Byron
Bay. Following their move from Sydney, they
enlisted local builder Andrew Priestley of
Byron Bay’s Priestley Building to create an
indoor–outdoor living space to capture the
amazing unspoilt views that stretch out over
the countryside and take advantage of their
property’s superb northerly aspect. It’s perfectly
positioned on the ridge to enjoy the surrounding
mountain views and easily offers one of the
best spots in the Byron Bay hinterland to watch
the sunset.
POSSUM HILL
The couple designed their glorious fivebedroom
home, which some may describe as
a Tuscan castle, with a distinctive Mediterranean
flavour. The Mediterranean influences they
love are everywhere, from the uneven walls of
Mediterranean oxide mixed with render to the
Spanish roof tiles complemented by slate paving
and finished with timber ceiling beams.
Their stunning double-brick home exudes
sophisticated style fused with relaxed elegance.
Easy access from the indoors to outdoors
was essential for the homeowners, so their
living area adjoins the large covered patio/
outdoor room, which overlooks the beautiful
tiled 15m-long infinity-edge lap pool and the
spectacular hinterland beyond. One of the
project’s challenges, and one which builder
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