This is living
Your day begins: you rack up a few KMs on the treadmill, stretch it out in the sauna, skip upstairs and slide into the roof top pool for a cool-down. Relax on the terrace and take in the view over Newcastle and the ocean and you haven’t even left home. With five bedrooms, four bathrooms, a four-car garage, a glam room (yes, you read that right!), a wine cellar, a self-irrigated indoor garden and home automation from top to bottom, this is luxury living at its finest.
For current owner, Sophie Chaffey, her decision to part with this luxurious seaside sanctuary is bitter sweet. Sophie bought the house just over a year ago and put her heart and soul into the renovation but soon realised she would have to relocate. “I will be travelling so much, I just wouldn’t use this house enough. It deserves to be lived in, it needs to be filled with life” she says. After launching her recruitment business in the Hunter Valley, later expanding into Queensland and Western Australia, Sophie is now busy travelling interstate and will be spending less time in Newcastle.
The beautiful dining table had to be brought in with a crane. 
Room with a (spectacular) view 
The sleek, modern look of the kitchen has been carried through in the bar downstairs. 
The bar and adjacent display wine cellar have very different yet compatible aesthetics. 
The ocean in the distance, the rooftop pool just a few steps away.
“At the right time of the year, I sometimes see whales from the shower.”
The house is a true reflection of Sophie’s personal style. “I am very fussy about the things I like, but I can’t stand fussiness” she says with a smile. “And I love to entertain, but I don’t want to spend time on cleaning or maintenance. Everything has to be easy and functional for me.” The minimalist design shows her love for clear, simple lines and is echoed throughout the house.
Read more in Edition 92, Summer 2018/2019 of Hunter & Coastal Lifestyle Magazine.
Story: Cornelia Schulze, photography courtesy of Belle Property, Sophie Chaffey and Sustainable Surrounds
