Latest news with #familyliving
News.com.au
2 days ago
- Business
- News.com.au
Revealed: Beach shack's big glow up
Its crisp apex roofline nods to the classic child's drawing of a house – but this striking new home is anything but basic. A builder couple's reimagining of a tired Gold Coast shack, the property at 4 Alpha Ave, Currumbin is going under the hammer on June 14 with Coastal agents, Ed Cherry and Cooper McCormack. Named Aeri, the home is the fourth local project from Mitchell and Rebecca Kekwick, and one of few new builds in a tightly held pocket close to the creek, schools and beach. Its peaked roof and single-level layout are about all that remains from the original cottage, with the couple creating a four-bedroom floorplan around a landscaped internal courtyard. 'We had a decent settlement so we spent a lot of time planning. We wanted to keep the original apex shape as a bit of a homage to a home that you would draw as a kid — that being said, the existing apex was only 2.4m,' Ms Kekwick said. Raked ceilings now soar to 5.3m, enhanced by skylights filling interiors with natural light. Designed foremost as a functional family home for the Kekwicks and their two young children, the home's clean lines and neutral palette are softened by warm timber finishes, walnut joinery, and creamy Italian marble. Large sliders open onto a covered alfresco barbecue terrace and pool zone, while inside features include a designer kitchen with high-end appliances and a butler's pantry, wet room-style bathroom, office space, and a media room. Ms Kekwick, 31, was pregnant with her youngest when they took on the renovation, having spent more than a year scouting for the right site. Records show they paid $1.15m for the 569 sqm property in November 2023. A former lawyer and self-described 'Type A' personality, Ms Kekwick traded corporate life for full-time renovating — managing the design, schedules and selections while raising two children under two. Sky home with 'rock star vibes' on the market Big blow for anyone who isn't a millionaire 'We'd settled on our last house 10 days before I was due with our daughter who is now two, so we were navigating becoming parents for the first time,' Ms Kekwick said. 'We had previously renovated a few houses and I loved working with my husband, so I saw it as a bit of an out from a career I didn't love.' The couple pulled off their latest project just in time to move in together as a family of four – but not without overcoming a few major hurdles. They were hit with a surprise $25,000 quote for asbestos removal partway through the build, and later told they could face a wait of up to three months to get power connected. Then came the challenge of bringing the house in line with recently tightened building codes, adding complexity and cost to the already ambitious project. Now, Ms Kekwick is enjoying the days she has left in the property she describes as a 'dream home'. 'The house is really unassuming from the street, but I think we have created a real wow factor with the ceiling height over the hallway,' she said. 'Nothing compares to someone coming into the house and saying, 'oh my gosh, I wasn't expecting that'.' Currumbin's median house price rose 9 per cent over the past year to $1.69 million, according to PropTrack.
The National
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- The National
My Sharjah Rent: Mother gets twice the space for same price after leaving Dubai
My Sharjah Rent takes you inside a reader's home to have a look at what they get for their money, how much they pay in rent and asks them what they like and don't like When Pakistani mum-of-two Huda Tayyab wanted more space for her family last year, she realised she could get an apartment double the size for the same price if she swapped life in Dubai for Sharjah. The freelance journalist, 34, said she has no regrets over leaving life in her one-bedroom apartment in Dubai Silicon Oasis and moving her family to a two-bedroom in New Muweilah, on the outskirts of Sharjah last September. Ms Tayyab said she relocated, along with her husband and two children, as she needed extra space following the birth of her second son. She invited The National into her home to show us what makes it so very special to her. Why did you choose to live here? I was working on a freelance basis and realised if we moved here for a year, we could save up some money. I was not working full-time and needed extra space because we just had a second child. My husband was working in Sharjah, which is why it made sense for us to move here. When I had one baby, I was able to be up and about, I could go to Dubai Mall or Mall of the Emirates with them. When I had the second baby, it was very difficult for me to handle an infant and a toddler. I needed a space where I can give them everything at home. What do you get for your money? It's very accessible. We have restaurants with cuisines like Indian, Pakistani, Syrian and Yemeni right on our doorstep. There's a bakery and pharmacy as well, down in the building. Living with children, it was important to have that accessibility to a pharmacy. How have you made the apartment feel like your home? I feel like this is a little sanctuary for me, living here with the children. I love the space that we have made. I'm a minimalistic person and I don't like very busy places. I set everything up according to my aesthetics. I wanted something that was peaceful and calm as soon as you walk in. I try to use pastels and nudes and I try to keep all the things that are necessary and not anything extra. It's a very healthy place for my children to feel calm and serene. There is a space where the kids can play on their own. There's a big kitchen which means I can cook whatever I want. In the lounge, I have put up some pieces of art because I am an art lover. Are you happy with the location of where you live? There are top-notch cafes, if we want to go out and hang out with friends. We also have cinemas and malls which are just five minute drives away. One of the benefits of being this side of Sharjah is that we are close to Dubai. We can be in Mirdif within 10 minutes. Are there any disadvantages to living where you do? If I have to travel by taxi, I have to be very, very considerate of the time because of the bottlenecks. In Dubai, I used to call a taxi no matter what time it was. Here I try not to go out in the rush hours because I know that it will be insane.
