Charity auction leads Matt Lancashire to his dream home

This family home has farmhouse charm and plenty of play space.

Caitlyn and Matthew Lancashire with their three children, Monty, 6, Lulu, 3, and toddler Ziggy. Picture: Glenn Hunt

A charity auction at a local school led Matt Lancashire to secure his dream home.

The real estate agent was auctioning off his services at an inner-city Brisbane school when the owner of the New Farm property raised his hand to make a bid. While they didn’t win the prize, after a bit of prodding Mr Lancashire was able to secure a deal to move in with his own family.

“I used to doorknock all these houses and years ago I used to say to my wife: ‘I will own that house one day’,” Mr Lancashire said.

The master bedroom. Picture: Glenn Hunt

He built his career selling property from a young age, working his way up to owning Ray White’s New Farm agency, on the edge of the Brisbane CBD. He and wife Caitlyn had eyed off the century-old Queenslander from their home across the street for several years. It was a very different style to the contemporary, dark and moody home surrounded by bamboo they were living in at the time but the large block and farmhouse charm made it an aspiration for the young family.

Two of the biggest draw cards were the single-level living and tough-as-nails bones of the traditionally built house.

“We went from a house where we had multi-levels. Now we can be in the kitchen and we can watch the kids play in the back yard,” Mr Lancashire said. “It’s not a pretentious style home. We can kick it around and the kids can ride scooters in and out. That’s something that we’ve really enjoyed, not having to worry about marking a wall because it will be fine.”

one of the children’s rooms. Picture: Glenn Hunt

The couple gave the home a refresh following their purchase in 2019, including a full renovation of the bathrooms and wet areas. Cedar + Suede’s Carlene Duffy, of The Block fame, was brought in to style the interiors.

Antique colours were used liberally, including calm and moody blue hues in the living room and sage green walls in the hall and master bedroom. The homestead’s original stained glass panels of yellows, reds and greens still frame the windows and doors, a nod to the rich history of the property.

Most of the large walls are adorned with Australian art, with paintings by David Bromley hanging in daughter Lulu’s room, a Dina Broadhurst print in the master bedroom and bold monochromatic works by Cj Hendry in the kitchen. “It’s a hard space to fill because the walls are so big,” said the agent. “But we just love the high ceilings, the curved archways. It’s really a lovely home to live in, very easy living.”

The light and airy eat-in kitchen. Picture: Glenn Hunt

Functionality was pivotal. The sunroom on the western side of the house that connects the bedrooms of son Monty and Lulu has been turned into a playroom. Above the pastel-green cabinetry in the kitchen is a bespoke gold railing, matching the tapware through the house, for those rainy days or for airing uniforms.

The home is on one of the largest blocks in New Farm, allowing lots of space for the three kids to run around on the lawn. A swing set has been installed and a small veggie patch established to teach the children the value of growing their own food and to encourage them to get outside.

The Lancashires plan on renovating in coming months, working with architect Shaun Lockyer. They hope to expand on the existing entertainment spaces with a new pool and outdoor area, while adding an extra bedroom, a gym and home office. “We want to make sure that we pay respect to the tradition of the home and then add our little touch to it,” Mr Lancashire says. “But this is our forever home, we’ll never sell this.”