Eco-friendly living, with a modern edge

The choice to move into an eco village had its challenges along the way, but once this family found the right design and builder to suit their unusual block, it was a fast build and a smooth process.

Living in an eco village is not just about minimising the environmental footprint of your home, but also about adapting your lifestyle to become more communal. For southern suburbs couple Tim Paul and Naomi Hughes it was the sense of community that drew them to build a family home in the Aldinga Arts Eco Village.

"We love the vibe and the community in this area, and I believe we have one of the best beaches the Fleurieu has to offer," Naomi says. Living with their children Ryder, 11, and Seren, 2, plus Rex the dog, Baxter the cat and Buddy the bearded dragon, the family wanted a four-bedroom, two-bathroom home that worked with their lifestyle and their conscious choice to minimise their environmental impact.

"We really wanted a good sense of space with open areas that could also be closed off for privacy," Naomi says. Their home also needed a private home office for Naomi's therapy work as a transpersonal counsellor. "We also really wanted a separate children's wing where they had their own space with their own bathroom," she says.

When searching for a builder, the couple needed to consider the Eco Village's requirements and the shape of their unusual allotment, which initially proved difficult. "Our block is kind of like a sloped trapezoid with the widest part being at the bottom, it was a little tricky to get (a house) to fit well and as a consequence we have an odd shaped yard - but with all the common land around us we didn't mind at all," Naomi says.

The couple started looking at Gallery Living's designs which are all planned with good orientation and cross ventilation in mind. Originally falling in love with Gallery Living's Picasso design, Naomi says they couldn't quite get the design to work with their allotment despite their best efforts.

"We just loved the Picasso and no matter what we did we just could not get it to fit on to the block," she says. "Years ago I also fell in love with a Longridge home and this is Gallery Living's adaptation of that design, (the Warhol 245), now with our slight adaptations."

The family's customised Warhol 245 has a unique floorplan that looks like an H shape, with two main wings on either side of the entrance which sits in the middle of the design, adjacent a central lounge that looks out to the backyard.  The design has four bedrooms along one wing, plus a study and two bathrooms, and a discreet laundry. The other wing houses the double garage and a long, large living zone comprising the dining room, kitchen and another lounge.

After settling on the design, the couple say they found Gallery Living were very flexible with modifications to ensure their build met the requirements of the Eco Village standards. "Our designer had an interest in energy efficiency and as soon as we had our first meeting we knew we were in good hands," Naomi says.

These requirements included the installation of non-PVC pipes, a minimum 20,000 litres of rain water storage and only using sustainable building materials, along with other recommendations such as north-facing living spaces, good crossflow ventilation, solar energy and double glazed windows.

With a fast build time of only four months, the family found Gallery Living to be extremely accommodating to any requests for changes. "Our designer and site supervisor were both very accommodating to our needs and also great at outlining the issues involved if something wasn't possible," Naomi says.

Having lived in the property for more than 12 months, the family has completely settled into their new way of life at the Eco Village and are over the moon with the finished result. 'We all have our space and we can all come together in these spaces, the house has a great balance of functionality, aesthetics and comfort that suits everyone," Naomi says.

"It's very comfortable and always gives that real sense of coming home when we pull into the driveway."

15-Jan-19  - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine

This exact house model is no longer available, to see a similar house please view the  Warhol 250.

Top 4 Under $150,000

Amazing Value - Make your money go further with a new home for less than $150,000

Details: 244sqm total size | 213sqm living area | 16.6m wide | 18.7m depth | 2.7m ceilings | 4 bedrooms | 2 bathrooms

Why we like it: This unique design brings a lot of light into the home, so if that's important to you, this is worth considering. Built with two wings (think of an H shape) that wraps around two internal courtyards - one at the front and one at the back - it's a home that offers four bedrooms. two living zones, plus a home office and a study nook, large bathrooms and a streamlined flow. Designed with an open style and floor-to-ceiling windows throughout. The home feels large, bright and very different to other new homes on the market. And despite all the glass, it remains private thanks to clever wall placement.

27-Feb-16 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine

This exact house model is no longer available, to see a similar house please view the  Warhol 250.

Welcoming Feel

There's something to appeal to every member of the family in this generous-sized Gallery Living home

You'd be so nice to come home to. That's how husband and wife Kris and Debbie Trajanovski felt about their Gallery Living home plans - a modification of the Da Vinci 275.

The couple were ready to upgrade to a spacious family home that would be somewhere they could relax after a hard day's work and a place their young children would enjoy.

Debbie says: "I knew I was going to be at home a lot more with three children aged under seven so we built this house and all the features in it as the kind of place you want to be and love to be."

"I love its size - the layout is so perfect for a large, five-person family."

A key aspect for Debbie was using all the space in the design because she works from home and wanted to be able to retreat from the office into a welcoming and comfortable living area.

"We really wanted an easygoing style with a real coastal feel and inviting features," Debbie says. "A major defining factor for us was altering the size of the rooms as well as having control over the internal living and kitchen area."

"We added extra rooms such as the study, walk-in pantry and dedicated home theatre, and adapted them to ways which better suited us as a family."

The design has a casual beachy look because of the coastal location and it suits the family lifestyle.

With mum at home in the office, the children, Alexandra, 9, Olivia, 7, and Zac, 3, have the option of watching movies in the home-theatre room, playing in the games room or staying in their cosy bedrooms. She says: "The kids love it! They like their big double rooms and how they can transform the theatre room into their playroom."

While the house has a palette of sophisticated colours, each of the children's bedrooms breaks the mold. Debbie explains: "They are bright blue, aqua and pink because I wanted to give the kids their own room identities... I wanted them to be happy and cheerful places."

The entry hall turns into a passage leading to an open kitchen, dining and living area. "It's really the central hub of the home,'' Debbie says. "The kitchen is really functional and there's so much space with the caesarstone benchtops."

The living space surrounds the outdoor alfresco, becoming a luxurious place for entertaining guests by creating a large integrated area with the slide of the large full-length windows.

"The kids play in it a lot and we entertain in it all the time. It combines the gaming, living and dining areas and it's really a good use of space," Debbie says.

20-Jan-13 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine 

This exact house model is no longer available, to see a similar house please view the  Warhol 270.

Warhol is just dandy

Bright and contemporary, Gallery Living has created a unique home with the Warhol 230

From any perspective, the Warhol 230 design by Gallery Living has a clear goal: let the outdoors in and create a light, bright home where walls of glass connect the interior with the exterior. Designed with this in mind, the home sits on a squarish H-shaped footprint of 230sqm, with a 16.8m width and a 16.2m depth, and ideally suits a square or wide block.

It's a popular design with families who enjoy the contemporary layout where two wings have been created. Behind the double garage are the sleeping quarters with three secondary bedrooms, the main bathroom and separate toilet and storage. A study nook outside the bedrooms has been added for technology use, so children don't stay cooped up in their rooms or take over the living spaces.

The other wing takes in the living quarters as well as the master bedroom, ensuite and laundry. The main bedroom, at the front of the home, is spacious and made comfortable with carpet.

The bedroom has been given two sets of built-in robes for much-needed clothing storage and the luxury of an ensuite with a large shower. The open plan kitchen/ dining/family flows through to the central rear courtyard, with plenty of space for the family to enjoy an uncluttered sense of living. Here, privacy has also been considered as the exterior side wall in this wing is left solid, so if the home sits close to a neighbour, the family's privacy is assured.

Central to the design, and the entrance, is the formal lounge which is sectioned off from each wing, but also opens to the rear courtyard. The courtyard, with access from the family and lounge areas, offers great privacy and is an ideal spot for entertaining as it acts as an outdoor room. You could later add a pergola here and grow a vine over it as a beautiful garden feature. Other inclusions such as Thermatech thermal protection keep the home comfortable throughout the year.

Exterior options are a personal choice, here the Warhol 230 is given a fresh timber look and fibre cement cladding with render for a contemporary feel, but the range also includes solid timber and other finishes.

17-Aug-14 - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine

This exact house model is no longer available, to see a similar house please view the  Warhol 210.

A Prime Exhibit

Gallery Living's Warhol 245 shows how a home design can also be a work of art

Kitchens and bathrooms will always sell houses, the old saying goes and you know, I tend to agree. That's because these areas have a lot of effort put into them and it's where you can wow people with innovation and good finishes.

Having a decent bathroom is something on my mind of late, as we troll through a very slow bathroom renovation, so when I see a spacious and well thought out bathroom, such as the two in Gallery Living's Warhol 245, I'll admit I get jealous.

The main bathroom in the left wing of this home, which is on display at Mt Barker, offers good light through the long window, plenty of space to move, a decent deep bathtub, and a generous vanity all dressed in whites and neutrals for calmness and simplicity.

There is a separate toilet next door. On the other side of the home the ensuite is off the master bedroom. As with the main, it's also well designed, this time with a narrower but long frame, but the length is a plus when you see the wide shower at the far end, another long vanity, and toilet - all with a good space for getting ready.

Another bonus here is that the bedroom's wardrobe is just as long as the ensuite so closet space isn't likely to cause those with "too many clothes – or shoes" any concern.

Gallery Living's Helen Lowrie says visitors to the display always comment on the size of the Warhol 245's bathrooms as well as the open plan, modern feel.

"The home feels larger because of the simple uncluttered lines and the lack of corridors that take your eye from one part of the house to another enhancing the perception of depth and spaciousness," Helen says.

The Warhol isn't your average design and it's narrowest part is at the centre of the home where the entry meets the formal living. The design is 16.6m wide so it will suit a traditional block size.

Two wings, to the left and right, make up the majority of the home and as such, the home has two internal courtyards that act as private, secure sanctuaries but also light wells for the big rooms on either side.

The front courtyard creates a fabulous entrance as seen here, with a pergola structure that looks like a giant sculpture, but would also look great with a green vine growing over it.

"The entry is often commented on due to its feeling of grandeur," Helen says. "This is because it is a large area and opens directly on to the more formal lounge with its outlook on to the other courtyard."

The back courtyard is ideal for entertaining or just playing with the kids. These courtyards also make this a viable, sustainable home where natural light is resourced for the ultimate benefit – less impact on the environment and reduced living costs.

The kitchen, configured as a galley style, sits centrally in the design. "While there is a living wing of the home, which is away from the secondary bedrooms, the kitchen is still the central hub. This is an important feature in a family home with older children," Helen says.

Under and overhead cupboards with soft-close doors and drawers as standard keep the storage component ticked. The island bench is set with double sink and features Laminex's Essastone in French Nougat, and there's the capacity to include a 900mm freestanding oven.

The kitchen overlooks the dining area and a nice space is given for the casual living area. This opens through sliding doors to the back courtyard. Walls of glass flood the design with natural light, and doors can be opened up for a true get-back-to-nature feel.

"The light streams through the glass as soon as you enter," Helen says While open-plan is great for living quarters, luckily there's still divisions to give privacy, such as the study near the entrance for when you want quiet times.

Bedrooms are also directed outwards for privacy. Each of the four bedrooms is well sized, with three behind the double garage, and the master on the opposite side.

Not to be forgotten is the good laundry, with a bank of cupboards and excellent storage. A secondary study nook is off bedrooms three and four, but if not required it is also a good space to include further storage if you would prefer more in your home.

14-Dec-14  - The Sunday Mail Home Magazine

This exact house model is no longer available, to see a similar house please view the  Warhol 250.

H is for happiness in a H-shaped Hebel home

The enduring challenge of building a large family home is how do you get direct light into every living area? All too often there is always one living area that is dark and cold.

The Warhol range by Gallery Living has an innovative solution to this challenge, thinking outside the square with a light-filled, 'H-shaped' family home.

When you open the front door you are welcomed by light streaming through the large, full-length lounge windows, opening up to the main courtyard of the home.

Kids' bedrooms are on one wing and the large master bedroom on the other, with designer kitchen, dine and main living areas.

The Warhol is constructed with Hebel, weatherboard and feature iron - all materials that avoid the retention of excess heat often found in brick homes.

These materials not only result in a dramatically reduced air-conditioning demand, but open up the design flexibility for more feature windows.

24-Oct-14 - The Weekender Herald

This exact house model is no longer available, to see a similar house please view the  Warhol 250.