A PLACE IN THE SUN

IT TOOK ALMOST TWO DECADES, BUT A COUPLE OF FORMER CITY SLICKERS HAVE FINALLY REALISED THEIR DREAM OF LIVING IN A LIGHT, BRIGHT QUEENSLANDER

- TAHN SCOON

SITTING PRETTY In Olivera and Bob’s sun-kissed Brisbane home, architectural details such as the deep verandah, James Hardie Linea weatherboard cladding (opposite) and casement-style windows helped Bob achieve his vision of a new build that sits comfortably amid surrounding character homes. An extra wide front door painted in an inky Dulux Ebony high gloss is a stylish surprise against the serene exterior palette (Dulux Tranquil Retreat Half, with trims in Dulux Lexicon Half). Beyond the threshold, the interiors are just as welcoming. “We’re big readers, so having a library was important to us,” explains Oli of this colourful corner (below), where the false balcony frames the treetop setting and enhances the city views, and the ‘Chippendale’ lounge chairs from Xavier Furniture make a stunning statement.

Olivera and her husband, Bob, are hardly the first Sydneysiders to be lured to Queensland by the promise of a warmer climate and lower house prices. But back in the early 2000s, Bob also had his heart set on leaving the corporate world to pursue a career in the building industry. Today, he is co-partner of an award-winning construction company and, after 17 years of building for others, he’s just completed the couple’s long-awaited dream home in a riverside suburb of Brisbane. “Though I grew up in Sydney, I’ve always loved traditional Queenslanders,” says Oli, as she’s usually known. “Our first home together was a tiny terrace, one room wide and very dark. A sun-drenched timber house really appealed to me.”