The builder was in his early seventies in 1992 when he somehow got the premonition that the time was drawing close for when he and his wife would need to be within walking distance of shops, so he bought this good block in Yuulong Street and set about creating a retirement home for them both. They were living in a much bigger home here on over an acre then and the work of maintaining it was getting too much. He had previously built a couple of unusual pole homes on Mount Tamborine and it had been observed already that he had an imperfect relationship with both a spirit level and a plumb-bob. He preferred to trust his aged eyes which gazed at you through hugely thick glasses. So if you are a person with perfect vision and an eye for perfectly straight lines, you might expect to notice that some lines inside the house do not quite live up to your vision standards.

But, he was a craftsman who believed in hand crafting every thing he used in a home, right down to the solid timber set of shelves in the main bathroom which has become a bookcase there now. He carved whatever pieces of timber he wanted for decoration and adornment and he loved to adorn things like doors and wardrobes. He created a unique kitchen of timber and glass and the vanities in both bathrooms. He made use of opportunity to create unusual angles here and there too, but each angle had its purpose, including the strange little jut out window in the bathroom that features 2 strips of interesting blue glass that he had been hoarding for some future use. He knew that his wife, a quite well known local artist, was creating the finishing touches in the form of hand painted tiles to give a special charm to the kitchen and both bathrooms. The owner of Lane Realty actually saw his wife working on the tiles and says if anyone buys the home and decides against keeping the tiles, she will be around to buy them. The Blue Kingfisher tiles in the main bathroom are exquisite!

This builder definitely thought about what he and his wife would need and want in their retirement, especially as they had grown sons and grandchildren who would come to visit. So he included ample space in the living and dining for the family to gather around and have meals together. He loved natural light, so he made sure he used lots of windows and glass doors too so that the light would flow into the home. He made the master bedroom bigger than normal with a large bay window that offered the space for a full sized sofa if Mum kicked him out of the bed one night, and he built-in a dressing table just for her use. He included 2 more bedrooms with built-in robes and positioned the open deck right next to the kitchen for them to be able to enjoy open air dining without his wife having to walk far with the food.

The home has been lived in and much loved by the current owner for the last 13 years, and the gardens around it have grown, including the lovely Jacarandah trees in the rear garden which supply such a stunning display in late spring & early summer. Now it is someone else’s opportunity to enjoy the comfort here and the very quick and easy walk to all the shops in Main Street as well as the local community life.