dwell. on the Northern Beaches. 170920

More documents

Recommendations

Info

Suburb Profile. Wheeler Heights, 2097 Photo: Mark Merton / Sydney Images Unassuming Wheeler Heights is starting to make waves in the local property market. By Kate Farrelly Silvio Mastroianni has been a familiar face at the Wheeler Heights strip shops on South Creek Road since the early 1980s. First he was the local small goods distributor, then he took the reins of the delicatessen and when the little hardware store next door closed up, he opened the family-run Avanti Pizza restaurant. So it was always going to take a little more than a demolition team with an excavator to make him pack his bags for good. “I’ve been servicing those shops for close to 40 years,” Mastroianni told Dwell. “It was a good little shopping centre but I knew they were going to knock it down eventually.” Cite Group had bought the block and after a three-year build program, Livistona is hoping to welcome its first residents next month. And the good news for Avanti fans is that the Italian favourite will also return, taking up one of 10 retail spaces within the development. “My daughter and I bought one retail shop each,” says Mastroianni, who has been operating his restaurant from Cromer Heights during the construction phase. “We’ve got very strong plans to move back soon.” The new shops, which will also see the return of the Wheeler Median house price: $1.58 million Median unit price: $1,252,500 Population: 2986 Dwellings: 969 Garden Chinese Restaurant and the Little Bottler liquor store, sit beneath a block of 39 apartments, with all bar two properties already sold off-the-plan by Upstate’s Peter Mosedale. “Wheeler Heights isn’t a suburb you associate with apartments,” he says. “It’s one of the least-searched suburbs on realestate.com.au because it’s not a wellknown suburb.” The streets are largely lined with freestanding homes, many dating back to the 1960s, and there are also a handful of townhouses and over-55 offerings. From 1984 until 2011 the suburb was reassigned as a locality within Collaroy until a band of determined residents successfully lobbied to have the suburb re-established. With its nearest neighbours including Narrabeen and Collaroy Plateau, it’s well-positioned to take advantage of the proximity to the lake, the lagoon trail and the bike path into Dee Why. On the southern boundary of the suburb, directly opposite Livistona, you’ll find St Matthews Farm Reserve and on the western boundary the green expanse of the Cromer golf course. There are two primary schools, and a great set of shops on Veterans Parade on the boundary between Wheeler Heights and the Plateau. Market snapshot. Wheeler Heights is popular with families looking for extra value in a “bridesmaid” suburb. Cunninghams agent Matthew Lemon says young families are slowly replacing the baby boomers who moved in when the suburb was first subdivided. “The big difference we’re noticing now is that the suburb is being discovered by out-of-area buyers,” says Lemon. “We’re getting a lot of eastern suburbs, inner west and North Shore buyers. I think it offers really good value, particularly compared to the Plateau. The blocks are a little bigger and it’s a good lifestyle suburb.” Mosedale says the Livistona buyers are a mix of local downsizers and investors keen to embrace apartment living in a lowdensity suburb. “The people that have been buying here are buying for the peace and quiet and beauty of the spot,” he says. “It has really resonated with people – it’s a home not just another unit.” House prices in Wheeler Heights start at around $1.2 million and generally range up to $2.5 million with the suburb record set in 2014 when 20 Ettalong Street sold for $2.8 million. 6 September 19, 2020 <strong>dwell</strong>.sydney
You Must See. On Trend. Reclaimed timber 64 Rose Avenue Agent Matthew Lemon welcomed 30 groups through the first open of this family friendly property located on a 620-square-metre, north-to-rear block a short walk from St Rose Catholic Primary and Wheeler Heights Public School. The four-bedroom, two-bathroom home wraps around a huge, covered deck which extends into the garden to a separate studio office. The level garden is bordered in established greenery and the kids will love the cubby house. An all-white Corian kitchen comes with gas appliances and an island bench with breakfast bar seating. Other features include a tandem garage, ceiling fans and air-conditioning. $1.7 million; Cunninghams – Matthew Lemon 0414 830 140 102/180 South Creek Road This classy one-bedder is one of only two apartments left for sale in the new development Livistona. The open-plan living spaces include a stone island kitchen with Smeg appliances and flow out to a covered balcony, while the bedroom features a walk-in wardrobe and en suite. There’s also a media room which could easily double as a second bedroom or home office, a second bathroom, a European-style laundry and air-conditioning. The property is located on level one of the building and comes with lift access to a car space and storage cage. $924,000; Upstate – Peter Mosedale 0408 177 207 From the exposed Oregon beams in a clifftop cottage to the polished elegance of a Blackbutt dining table, you’ll find reclaimed timber in homes the length and breadth of the country. Initially driven by architects and designers, the trend for upcycling wood found its way into the mainstream thanks to its aesthetic appeal and green credentials. “The age and imperfections found in reclaimed timber give it character, warmth and uniqueness,” says Rupert Roxburgh, who together with wife Poppy owns Avalon’s Beachwood, which specialises in custom-made furniture. “People like something that tells a story and something with history always has a story.” Roxburgh says Beachwood has been using reclaimed timber for 25-plus years, but its popularity has surged over the past five to seven years. Two of the company’s most popular products are daybeds fashioned from recycled fence palings and custom indoor and outdoor dining tables made from recycled hardwoods. While there are plenty of applications for using reclaimed timber in its rustic original state – picture big old timber columns in a warehouse conversion – there are even more options for transforming it into furniture for the modern home. “We’re using the raw material and turning it into something much more contemporary,” Roxburgh says. “You’re starting with the same product but you’re working it differently and finishing it differently so it appeals to more people.” He gives the example of a clean-lined dining table made from spotted gum which has been salvaged from the Navy barracks in Jervis Bay or a lovely outdoor table created from timbers recycled from the boardwalk at Clovelly pool. “Sometimes you know the history of the timber and that adds to the appeal,” he says. “When you look globally there’s so much sameness. You can go into any big furniture store anywhere in the world and see the same things. So the appeal of something unique and local and green is strong.” Of course it takes time and skill to give aged timber a designer edge, especially when current trends reject the natural reds and oranges inherent to Australian hardwoods. “They’re quite strong colours Furnishing a bright future and these days everyone wants the pale style of American oak, the Scandinavian look,” says Roxburgh. “One of the things we’ve worked on over many years is being able to give the timber the finish people want and making sure it’s still practical and functional for spills.” For Roxburgh, one of the key drawcards of reclaimed timber is its quality. As a tree ages, its wood grows denser and stronger which makes it ideal for building purposes. And with much of Beachwood’s supply sourced from inside buildings, the timber is wellseasoned and less likely to split or warp. Committed to sustainability, Roxburgh says they are mindful of keeping their furniture-making business low impact when it comes to the environment. Locally sourced reclaimed timber avoids many of the processes new lumber goes through – tree harvesting, ‘It’s about as green as you can be from an environmental point of view.’ transporting, drying and milling, all of which use energy. “It’s about as green as you can be from an environmental point of view,” he says. Beachwood sources its reclaimed timber from people who specialise in demolition and also from local builders who may be pulling down a home on the Northern Beaches and don’t want good timber going into landfill. As a bonus, a report by Planet Ark found wood elements incorporated into building design can have some amazing benefits on the body, acting as a de-stressor and lowering blood pressure. It can also heighten social interaction and promote a more positive emotional response to built environments. So if you incorporate reclaimed timber into your house design or fit-out, your house won’t just look good, it might help facilitate human wellness! <strong>dwell</strong>.sydney September 19, 2020 7
Page 1 and 2: dwell. on the Nort
Page 3 and 4: Northern Beaches Total sales The St
Page 5: To the east, you’ll find the poin
Page 35: Inspections This Weekend. Opening T

dwell. on the Northern Beaches. 170920

You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles

Delete template?

Save as template?