Monet 265: It's a work of art

Natural light and a bold palette create a home with vibrancy and personality in Gallery Living's Monet 265

Colour, light and vibrancy are three qualities that make for a pleasant living environment, and when they all cometogether it's easy to see how a home will be a welcoming place to live. Such is the case with Gallery Living's new Monet 265 display home at Aston Hills, Mt Barker. It's the unique design of this three/four bedroom home that captures light through it right to the centre of the home, but when paired with dashes of monochrome, it becomes a creative pace with something interesting at each turn.

I admit the Monet 265 is one of my favourite floorplans, as I love the idea of an internal courtyard that centres the living zones and filters light to each at different times of the day. The design comes in various size options but the layout is similar to its compact Monet 195 version, which you'll find at Evanston South.

In the 265 there's a double garage and a study (or fourth bedroom) at the front, then a dramatic living room with a black feature wall that opens to a central courtyard, before a window-lined hallway guides you to the kitchen, dining and second living zone. What's delightfully different about this design is the multiple outdoor zones linked to these living areas.

The rear lounge/dining area is bordered by a choice of two outdoor leisure areas, so the aspect from any point in the living area is going to feel connected to the back garden or alfresco. The dual aspect of sunlight, plus windows on a third side, will also give you ample spots to bask in the sun as the weather cools, while in summer it will offer great cross-ventilation when everything is open and the breeze blows through.

Gallery Living's Sales Manager Russell Slater says the Monet 265 is a luxury courtyard home with large living and entertaining spaces, both internally and externally. "The use of a large central courtyard makes light the consistent theme of the Monet 265, along with a very luxurious feeling of space," he says. "It also allows for seamless integration of designed outdoor spaces as part of the internal house aesthetic.

Families benefit from the courtyard as they enjoy the open/light benefits associated with large, open-plan living areas, but also the important functional benefits of spatially separated (but visually connected) living spaces, allowing families to feel connected while pursing individual activities. "It's a home that is a breath of fresh air to return to everyday with open light and generous sized functional spaces and lots of storage."

Pitched towards professional families who want light-filled open spaces and separate living and working areas, Russell says the study at the front provides the option to operate a home office or studio. The home's structured sophistication starts at the entry, where a raised ceiling with box edge is a stunning feature.

The open-plan kitchen is another standout and, as Russell says, it's the heart of the home. "Every home and family revolve around the kitchen in today's busy life and a large island bench is so much more than a food-preparation space, becoming the secondary dining table, homework area and perfect entertaining hub of the home," he says.

"It's important for us that the kitchen is spacious and situated where it can directly link to all other living areas." A dedicated breakfast bar at one end of the long island has room for bar stools on two sides, while the white and timber-look cabinetry and a discreet walk-in pantry make it a sleek space that is accented with white subway tiles and dark grout lines.

Within the living/dining zone, storage is integrated along the middle wall with a built-in cupboard and a set of floor-to-ceiling shelves, which become a feature of the space. Mirroring the bold black wall in the first lounge, the second living space has a recessed wall for the entertainment unit to sit within, and by being painted black it adds another focal point.

"It has been important in this design to streamline the interior spaces with clean, unbroken finishes that allow for the central courtyard to be the focus," Russell says. "Window placement has been carefully considered, and the large amounts of storage carefully integrated into walls so as not to detract from the openness and light."

This ties in with the home's aesthetic, which mixes openness with a structured feel, polished off by the arbours that feature in both outdoor courtyards. "The interior is an open and sophisticated blend with modern architectural details such as feature windows, varied ceiling heights, semi commercial window frames and square set cornice details," Russell says.

The Monet 265 will best suit a block with a minimum 15m width and 30m depth, but also corner blocks as displayed at Mt Barker. "We chose to display this plan as it is readily adaptable to take full advantage of a corner allotment (which many traditional plans struggle with)," Russell says. "The specification on display is representative of a medium level of upgrades and reflective of the level of finish most people choose for this house in their building contracts."

What I really like about this design is that it utilises a block so well and doesn't leave any part of it unused. The living zones all face one side and, with a clear view to the rear yard and courtyard, there's a clear connection to the outdoors. On the other side where the bedrooms run in a row, there is room enough for a path that leads to a private courtyard outside the master bedroom.

Gallery Living's designers have indented the floorplan, allowing for a courtyard nook to be an extension of the master bedroom, so I'd add a set of sliding doors here and use it to its full potential. In between the bedrooms (all with built-in wardrobes) are the laundry and bathrooms, with a long ensuite off the master, which includes a wide shower, double-basin vanity, designer mixer taps and 2.lm-high tiling as standard. The main bathroom follows suit but is separated into a powder room, bath/shower room with a curvaceous Caroma Classic bath.