Coffee king’s castle: Paul andP

Chocolate-brick, round archways, sunken living room — Dean and Kath Merlo’s house is not your typical farm Queenslander.

Dean and Kath Merlo at their home in Boonah, Queensland. Picture: Glenn Hunt

For someone who has built a ­career on coffee, many would be surprised to know that Dean Merlo does not have a coffee ­machine.

That doesn’t mean the Merlo Coffee Roasters founder and wife Kath don’t drink coffee; on the contrary, it is part of the reason they decided to buy their Boonah property. Situated an hour and a half southeast of Brisbane, the town caught their ­attention straight away.

“The first time we heard about Boonah, we decided to come down for a drive on the weekend,” Ms Merlo explains.

“So, we came out and we turned down the main street and one of the first things we saw was the Merlo coffee umbrella, and we were like ‘OK’. So we stopped down at the little cafe — which still has Merlo coffee — and were like ‘yeah, this is the town we want to be in’.”

The Merlos in the sunken livingroom. Picture: Glenn Hunt

After contacting the local real estate agent, the couple managed to buy their 32ha property and the house atop the hill before it hit the market in 2000.

The original home is largely the same as it was when built in the 1970s. Mr Merlo says many people are surprised when they drive up the winding driveway to find a chocolate double-bricked house with round archways and sunken living room — it’s not your typical farming Queenslander.

But that was part of the charm.

While the family lives in Brisbane during the week, their heart stays at the property. Most weekends, they head down to the property and enjoy the quiet and outdoors — often biking, hiking or waterskiing at nearby Lake Moogerah.

The home holds many special memories for the family.

A purpose-built bocce court has been created on the side of the property, next to the deck, overlooking the stunning rolling hills and fields. It showcases the two bocce balls Mr Merlo’s grandfather brought over from Italy.

Artefacts in the Merlo home. Picture: Glenn Hunt

The Merlos were married on the court in 2007, while both of the couple’s boys, Tom, 13, and Nicky, 10, were christened at the property.

Christmas and Easter are traditionally large events, bringing together 20 to 40 friends and family. Long feast tables are assembled on the back deck.

In colder months, a huge bonfire is built in the field. Mr Merlo says the method of lighting it is evolving each year, excitedly showing a video of a flaming arrow being shot into the pile of wood earlier this year.

For a house in such a prize location, some would question why the couple would not modernise the property or knock it down and start afresh. For the Merlos, the house is just as important as the ­location.

“We love that whole genre, the mid-century look. I think we fell in love as much with the house as we did with the property,” Ms Merlo says.

“It was pretty run down but we could just see there was so much potential there and we just loved the style of it.”

The Merlos have done three renovations in almost 20 years of ownership, but the job last year was by far the biggest. The home was extended, adding a huge games room for the kids, a new kitchen and entry and a courtyard in the middle — all in the style of the original home.

Mid-century styling also shines through furniture and decor items.

A 48-star US flag is displayed in the living room, paying tribute to the year the family spent there, sitting opposite a bright orange fireplace. Scattered among Ms Merlo’s collection of quirky lamps are nods to the family’s travels, including figurines from Japan and a totem pole and protection tokens from South America.

The family try to duck south each weekend, and when they are there, coffee is brewing on the stove top.