“We wanted an industrial, eclectic look,” says Jecasta of the 260-square-metre design.
But it turned out that the project chewed up most of their time and energy. “We were spending every evening and weekend finishing it. We loved it but it was high-maintenance and took for ever to clean!”
Then Pat landed a job as a sales manager for New Style Homes and suggested they downsize to one of the company’s new-builds. “I wasn’t convinced because we’d put so much energy into building our house,” says Jecasta. “But when I saw the plans, I knew a low maintenance, minimalist space built by someone else would not only provide financial freedom, it would also give us back precious family time.”
CHANGE OF PLAN
The couple opted for a 219-square-metre home with four bedrooms, two bathrooms and a media room in a new subdivision across town. Pat was able to project-manage the build, which started in December 2018 and finished five months later. The Souths made a few minor tweaks to the plans, including getting rid of a study nook (which increased the size of their butler’s pantry), adding oodles more storage and a built-in laundry.
“When you have four children and two pets, you need to do a lot of laundry,” Jecasta says. “Having a dedicated laundry space, rather than just a washing machine plonked in the garage, makes my life so much easier.”
INTERIOR DESIGN
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Denne historien er fra February 2020-utgaven av Your Home and Garden.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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GET MERRY
Everyone will go crackers about these festive dinner favourites and the delicious trimmings
A brief history of...The Lips sofa
How to straighten up and free yourself from negative behaviour patterns
BREAKING BAD HABITS
How to straighten up and free yourself from negative behaviour patterns
MOMENTS of JOY
Sue Pat's whimsical stationery cleverly captures the wonders of Christmas
GIFTS of the EARTH
An excerpt from garden and interior designer Michael Mansvelt's longawaited book Everyday Opulence
All WHITE NOW
A fresh, coastal take on the classic white Christmas starts with a backdrop of relaxed vintage style. On top, layer shades of white from rich cream to crisp snow, offset by foraged shells and coastal flora also spray painted in white, then worked into wreaths and other essential festive decor elements.
COASTAL CHRISTMAS
A writer is all about enjoying a cruisy, coastal celebration with family and friends
Happy place
A shed on the garden's edge became healing renovation project
ALL IS BRIGHT
Colour is key in Kip&Co co-founder Alex McCabe's vibrant home over the holidays
BOLD & ECLECTIC
In an excerpt from The Makers, writer Pandora Sykes' home is a cosy and chic statement in fearlessness with colour and patterns