Hampton Modern Country | House of the week

After many requests our last home tour of the week features my own home!  A mix of Hampton and Modern Country style its a home that has my heart. A beautiful family home featuring high ceilings, loads of light and a stunning exterior its definitely our forever home

Who lives here 

Luke ( Plumbing Manager), Louise ( Photographer - Owner of Louise Treacy Photography) and boys Lachlan (16), Cooper (14) and Jack (11).  Fur babies include two King Charles Cavaliers Millie and Charlie, and cats Leo and Maggie. 

Style of home and location 

Hamptons Modern Country - located North East of Melbourne on half an acre 

Timeline of build 

We purchased our land early 2013. Plans were designed and then building started in December of 2013. By October 2014 the house was finished and we enjoyed moving in.

Our gorgeous block of land with views to the city

Final plans  - it was seriously love at first sight

Back elevation

Tell us a little about your build journey 

We actually used to live just a few blocks away from the land and I would always walk around the neighbourhood admiring the gorgeous big houses on the hill. This particular block was vacant and I used to think 'Wow I would love to build our dream house here"  One day a for sale sign came up on the land but by the time I rang the real estate agents it had already been sold.  Fate has a funny way of working though as a few months later a 'for sale by owner' board was erected - I rang the owner and made him an offer.  He actually declined and so I thought that was that.  Four months later the block was still for sale so I made him an offer again ( a lower price then previously) and he agreed!  It was just meant to be ours!

I started to put together the design of our home using magazines and pinterest.  Hampton style back then really wasn't mainstream so I knew we would have to design and use a custom builder to get the look we were after.  We worked with a fabulous architect  - I pretty much showed him everything I loved and he  came back with the design. We hardly made any changes to it at all he was that good!

We then signed up with a custom builder who had a reputation of doing a really solid well built build.  We started building in December 2013 and it was ready to move in by October 2014.

Did you enjoy the process of building and designing your home? Any hiccups along the way or things you would do differently?

Yes and no to be honest. I loved the designing aspect - it was probably my most favourite part. Choosing every element and then watching it come to life. Building as many people will tell you can be stressful - its a long process with many decisions required.

Luke being a plumber meant he was in charge of all the plumbing, drainage, roofing etc - it was a huge undertaking but gave us a little more control on our build being on site alot of the time. Working with our builders was also a very strange relationship - all I can say it that they did a great job but their customer service wasn't a high point and unfortunately I will never mention their name or recommend them. 

The only thing I probably would have done differently is make some areas a little larger such as our deck and rumpus room. On paper the spaces look large but once built they look different  - just a few extra square metres would have made all the difference.

Lounge area before

And after

Master bedroom

Favourite room in your home?

Hands down it would have to be my kitchen.  Designing this space was a labour of love and I have to say I'm pretty happy with how it turned out. Its definitely the hub of our home and its a pleasure to cook in.  We also have a huge butlers pantry with extra sink, coffee area and wall to wall pantry space

Kitchen before - featuring 10 feet ceilings, shaker style cabinetry, ceaserstone benches and marble splash back

A room you couldn't live without?

Would have to be my amazing photography studio. Its a dream come true to have my own dedicated space.  It features its own entrance and driveway and is a huge beautiful room with 10 feet ceilings and the most amazing natural light.  It also has a full bathroom and access to my office so my work and home space is separated. I specialise in newborn, baby and family photography  - you can see more of my studio and work over at          Louise Treacy Photography 

Any further plans or areas you still need to complete?

Landscaping and lots of it still to go!  Considering that we started with a bare block of land we have come along way.  We still need to finish our second driveway, a huge retaining wall running along the second level and some landscaping around the pergola area. I still have plans to keep chickens which hopefully be completed by Spring time along with some veggie gardens too. We are on half an acre so its a rather big and expensive job!

Winter time - Our backyard is split into two levels - a work in progress at this stage!

Pergola area off garage - gravel needs to be put down and a retaining/ seating area with screens to be built.  Our ornamental grape vines were planted this year so hoping over the next 5 years or so this will cover it.

Hubbies huge modern country garage was built last year - my only requirements were that I designed the facade and the colour scheme so it matched the house!  Driveway and paths still to be finished plus two large embankments that need massive retaining walls and garden beds

Garden looking very wintry this month  - all of our neighbours ugly fence screens have now been painted thanks to my dad!

Is this your forever home?

Well you can never say never but I will say its definitely our forever home for the foreseeable future.  Being a lover of renovating and interiors hubby and I do tend to get itchy feet so we may look at flipping a older home in the future. We have our eye on older style homes in Ballarat  - I would love to bring one back to life!  Fate had a way to bring this home to us so you never know what will eventuate  - will just have to trust in the universe x

LINKS TO LOVE

Instagram accounts:  @ourhamptonstyleforeverhome

            Photography  Louise Treacy Photography 

           
            Colours used on our Exterior   HERE


            Any further questions on our home please contact Louise at ltreacyphotography@bigpond.com 

Why I chose the country-Hamptons style

We bought our beautiful half acre block of land in a leafy suburb with views of the mountains ranges and surrounded by farm land, so it made sense to keep the style of our home in a country-Hamptons style to suit its surroundings.

Our half acre block with elevated views

Our boys looked so tiny back in 2013! 

The first drawings of the front elevation - it was love at first sight!

Having half an acre and a block that measured over 30 metres wide it made sense to design out house in a long ranch style.  To prevent the home looking too long and straight the architect ensured the design had many variances such as verandas, windows that jutted out and garden beds to break up the long lines.  The use of materials were also important for the style. Our house is rendered and we then used Linea weatherboard from Sycon Walls around two large windows for interest. The photography studio entrance is located to the left while the main entry features a large entrance with black door.

The end result of the design is a beautiful country-Hamptons style home.

Our country Hampton style exterior featuring Linea weatherboard from Sycon Walls - image Louise Treacy Photography

Image Louise Treacy Photography

What I love most about the country-Hampton's style is its ability to make you feel welcome. Its one of those homes that is comfortable year round, either in the cool of summer or in front of the fire in winter. Entertaining family and friends is a breeze either around our dining table or in summer on the deck, or downstairs in the garden.  

Visit Sycon Walls for more inspiration and information about getting the look with Linea weatherboard cladding.

Travertine stone fireplace with wood heater is the perfect spot during the cold Melbourne winters - image Louise Treacy Photography

Our dining space is the perfect area for entertaining - image Louise Treacy Photography

To achieve our country Hampton's style look we designed our home with 10 foot ceilings, deep cornices and skirting boards, large banks of windows to take in the beautiful view and added texture such as a marble splash back in the kitchen and the travertine stone on the fireplace. The kitchen also features a butlers pantry which is perfect for hiding away all the small appliances while keeping the kitchen streamlined. Built in cabinetry, beautiful feature lighting, timber flooring and a neutral palette makes our home lovely and timeless.

Our kitchen features 10 foot ceilings, feature lighting and a marble splash back - image Louise Treacy Photography 

Image Louise Treacy Photography

Our large entrance featuring wallpaper, classic buffet and a neutral palate - image Louise Treacy Photography

Linea weatherboard from Sycon Walls

Love the country-Hamptons look? Head to Scyon Walls for more inspiration, ideas and advice

Five ways to embrace the Hamptons look in Australia

There's no doubt the Hamptons look is a popular choice in Australia. It tends to be a timeless design and suits our way of living. Here are five key features you should consider when designing your Hamptons style home.

1. Outdoor Living

Australia is well known for it sunny weather so our outdoor spaces are a key design element when building or renovating our homes.  Add in a gorgeous al fresco area or deck with room for an outdoor table and the all important BBQ. To add that Hamptons vibe, use a fresh colour palette and opt for a classic weatherboard look with Linea from Scyon Walls. You can even line your ceiling with v groove boards for added texture. Layer your furniture and add cushions for a welcoming look that extends your living space.

If your budget and space allows for it, a pool and pool house go a long way to help create a classic Hamptons look.

A luxe pool area is key to the Hamptons look.

A seamless indoor/outdoor transition helps bring your Hamptons home to life.

The all important BBQ area with a Hamptons vibe - image via Pinterest.

2. Exterior

One of the biggest key features in a Hamptons style home is its exterior. In Australia, its all about adapting the grandeur of the Hamptons look to suit our lifestyle. Whether you have a single or double home, design elements such as large timber windows, a grand entry door or beautiful exterior lighting add a luxe appeal to your facade. Get classic Hamptons look with Scyon Walls Linea weatherboards for clean lines. You can also add your own twist to the look by mixing other materials like render, just like we have with our own home.

Scyon Linea weatherboards give this home a classic look

Get the Hamptons look with a mix of materials - image via Pinterest

Our own home mixes render with weatherboard features and a gorgeous black door - image Louise Treacy Photography

Love the weatherboard look? Visit scyon.com.au for more Hamptons inspiration.



3. Colour scheme

The colour scheme of your Hamptons style home is an extremely important element. You can use a neutral palette with soft beige's or greys and whites to accentuate your windows and trims or you could go with a darker palette for a more modern look. I also love a stunning entry door painted in black with white trims.

This glossy black door adds a modern element to this classic weatherboard Hamptons home.

4. Landscaping

For anyone that has built or renovated the landscaping can make or break your new home's design. Choices of plants should complement your new homes exterior and outdoor spaces. For the Hamptons Iook, I love stone retaining walls, travertine paving and a garden with lots of greenery such as box hedges, feature trees and white flowers. Keep the design simple and repetitive so your homes exterior is the star while also choosing plants that will survive in your climate.

A garden full of gorgeous green and white - image via Pinterest.

Image via Pinterest

Image via Pinterest.

5. Interior Elements

Hamptons style in Australia can range from traditional, modern, beachy to contemporary. Ensure to include design choices such as high ceilings, large timber windows, shaker style cabinetry, white walls, oak flooring and texture such as marble. Keep your choices timeless in style and you can't go wrong.

Our own take on on a Hamptons kitchen - image via Louise Treacy Photography

A stunning mix of high ceilings, loads of light and oak flooring in this kitchen/dining space - image via Pinterest.

A Hamptons look bedroom - image via Pinterest.

For more Hamptons inspiration, head to scyon.com.au