Bali Hai in suburban Brisbane
The Pradella family loved travelling abroad but when they came home it was to their own slice of Balinese paradise. Now it’s on the market.
For the better part of two decades, a yearly Fijian escape was a must for Brisbane’s Pradella family.
But why would you want to get away when your home is the epitome of holiday living?
Set along the prized riverfront street of Longman Tce in the southside suburb of Chelmer, number 61 stands out from the rest due to a distinct Indonesian Balinese-inspired design.
The home’s entry gatehouse is guarded by two statues, and the thatched roofs of the entry and pergola create a distinct look. Palm trees dot the perimeter of the home, creating a private oasis similar to a tropical locale.
“It’s very calming, a very easygoing thing,” said Kim, a local property developer.
The view from the back deck is a favourite for Jane, who would spend most mornings with a cup of coffee and the newspaper, enjoying the sun catching on the movement of the water.
“Then after I did all my normal stuff, at about 5pm when the rest of the world was finishing work, I’d come out here and finish the paper,” she said.
“So, I spent most of my time out here after getting woken up by birds in the morning.”
The kitchen offers the prime position to chat with those on the deck, pass food straight out to the person with the barbecue tongs and see everyone splashing about in the saltwater lap pool.
The walk-in pantry is complemented by an industrial coolroom, which also proved a hit with the kids in summer.
“In the summertime, you’d open it and the kids would be sitting on cases of beer playing cards together,” Jane remembered with a laugh
“It was also very convenient.”
The home was perfect for the couple’s two daughters as they grew older. When they were little, they enjoyed playing cricket on the large grassy yard and throwing crab pots into the river from the elevated jetty to see what they could catch. As they became teenagers, they were given free rein of the poolside pavilion to spend time with their friends, far enough away from their parents on the back deck.
“One of the other things we love about it is, even though we are in the suburbs, we have a lot of privacy,” Jane said.
“Nobody sees us in the swimming pool, nobody sees us on our back deck and we love the doors because you open them up and it just becomes an indoor-outdoor feel.”
The couple have just put their home on the market after downsizing to an apartment elsewhere in Brisbane. Place New Farm agent Ann-Karyn Fraser and principal Sarah Hackett have been tasked with selling the home, which will be sold via an expressions-of-interest campaign closing on November 14.
Each of the four bedrooms upstairs has an ensuite, but only the bathroom connected to the master has views of the river and metres-tall bamboo from the bathtub.
A large office space is directly off the entry of the home, allowing Kim to work from home when needed.
Downstairs is a large multipurpose room with a contained unit, wine cellar and plenty of storage.
A hefty renovation has just been completed at their new home, with Kim confirming the design is modern and more neutral than what they are used to.
With less to worry about, more holidays are definitely on the horizon.
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