Architect John Grove lets dream house in Woollahra go for $7.3m

An accomplished husband and wife are ready for a tree-change

Architect John Grove in his home of 12 years in Woollahra. Picture: Adam Yip

Sydney architect John Grove always knew where he wanted to build his own dream home in the tree-lined streets of Woollahra, a suburb he had always loved because of its history.

“I had my eye on the property for years. It was a rare opportunity for complete demolition and a new build, where my wife, Jennifer and I have lived for 12 years,” Mr Grove says.

“The aim was to design a simple house with sound sustainability credentials that worked well in the streetscape.”

The award-winning eco-friendly, sustainable design was completed in 2008 and through the years it has retained its dynamics, functionality and timeless appearance.

The house on Moncur Street sold to a local family ahead of its planned September 26 auction. Picture: Adam Yip

The house at 95 Moncur Street in Woollahra, Sydney, sold this week to a local family for $7.3m ahead of its September 26 auction through The Agency’s Ben Collier. Its original asking price was about $6.5m and the agent says there were four key interested parties.

“On our first Saturday inspection we had 51 groups inspect the home, on our following midweek inspection we had 31 groups. And on our last viewing Saturday past, 44 groups inspected the home. And this does not include additional private appointments,” says Mr Collier. The grand four-bedroom, two-bathroom house features an open plan layout with plenty of natural light and cross-ventilation, while smudging the line between indoor and outdoor areas and dining zones.

Ms Grove, a leading yoga teacher, had a downstairs studio with a separate entrance in the contemporary split-level house, where Mr Grove also had his office.

natural light flows through the house, which features Australian timber throughout. Picture: Adam Yip

“There is lots of scope to repurpose simple spaces in the house to meet changing needs well into the future,” Mr Grove says.

Australian timber features throughout the house as well as louvred glass windows that capture breezes and seem to bring the outdoors inside.

The gourmet kitchen has stone bench tops, gas stainless steel cooktop and timber cupboards.

It leads to a large outdoor entertainment deck with a pergola surrounded by landscaped gardens.

“It’s covered with shady cascading flowers in summer and is a sun trap in winter,” Mr Grove says.

His favourite room is the library and study that’s lined with bookshelves and is ideal for reading and putting your feet up.

A reflection pond on the north side, which is one of Mr Grove’s design trademarks, sees intriguing patterns wriggle across the walls and ceiling, bringing sunlight deep into the house in winter.

The simple palette of black, white and timber works harmoniously to create a sense of calm and serenity.

The simple palette of black, white and timber works harmoniously to create a sense of calm and serenity. Picture: Adam Yip

Mr Grove has always loved the Paddington and Woollahra heritage areas.

“I know the areas well. The streets were always bookended with a pub, a church or a corner shop, so the new house needed to reinstate that bookended streetscape,” John says.

In a nod to the area’s heritage, the house is built almost entirely from sustainably grown Australian native wood selected to reflect the loss of historic timber builds once seen around the historic suburbs.

Artwork by talented West Australian artist Eveline Kotai, who Mr Grove knew from university days, features in the house along with his own artwork.

Mr Grove says he knew at the age of seven he wanted to be an architect and over the years, it’s lost none of its appeal.

“At one stage it was a toss-up whether I attend art school or study architecture and although I became an architect, art is always an important part of my life,” he says.

A great joy is working with daughter Sky, a co-director of Grove Architects, which focuses on delivering elegant and refined, contextually and environmentally, responsible design.

They have been well rewarded with a string of coveted architectural awards for outstanding designs over the years.

The Groves have recently moved to Kangaroo Valley, about two hours from Sydney, where John has designed a new house — free from city building constraints — and he’s loving it.

“I have room there to do everything one can’t do in the city so it’s a nice big spread, but I will miss our Woollahra house — it’s pretty special too.”