Thomas Hamel picks up South Yarra hideaway

International interior designer Thomas Hamel has bought a South Yarra bolthole.

12 Maher Terrace, Sunshine Beach.

International interior designer Thomas Hamel has bought a South Yarra bolthole. The Hawksburn Road home cost $2.06 million. The one-level residence, wrapped in balconies and greenery, has three bedrooms and two bathrooms. Marshall White Stonnington agents James Redfern and David Volpato sold the home. Hamel retains a $2.9m Illawarra coastal retreat outside Sydney. The Otford property was bought from former NSW premier Nick Greiner and Kathryn Greiner. His prior Sydney weekender was recently onsold by the former managing director of Goldman Sachs Australia Robert Tsenin and wife Estelle at Killcare Heights. The Tsenins secured $1.45m, having paid $1.47m in 2003, when it was bought from Hamel and the antique dealer Martyn Cook. In 2015 Hamel sold his flat in the Sydney CBD block Broughton House to financier Simon Mordant and his wife Catriona — bought fully furnished through Christies International. He lists New York — his home up until 30 years ago — London, Paris and Istanbul as the best cities in the world in which to discover treasures. But he also has a soft spot for Melbourne. Since setting up Thomas Hamel & Associates in Sydney in 1993, he has worked with a who’s who of Australian society, designing interiors for clients in Melbourne and Sydney and their holiday houses in glamorous locales such as the south of France, London, Florida, Hawaii and Colorado. One of his first clients were Malcolm and Lucy Turnbull in Point Piper.

Fit for purpose

The low-cost Jetts Fitness gym chain co-founder Brendon Levenson has paid $4.975m for a Sunshine Beach home. The T im Ditchfield-designed home has six bedrooms and five bathrooms. There is New Guinea teak flooring. The outdoor entertaining area features a covered terrace, an outdoor kitchen, grassed yard with cubby house and a solar heated swimming pool with water feature. Century 21 Conolly Hay Group principal Mike Hay sold the home after 180 days. Levinson, who co-founded Jetts in 2007 after qualifying as a personal trainer with his wife Cristy, sold the business last year.

Macfarlane lives the high life

Former federal minister Ian Macfarlane has bought an apartment on Queensland’s Sunshine Coast. He has paid a savvy $1.25m for an apartment in the Jedda complex overlooking Mooloolaba Beach. The apartment last traded for $1.25m in 2006 and was completely refurbished three years ago. Villa Prestige Property agent Linda Shore-Perez was asking $1.5m for the property, which had been on the market for nearly 200 days. Set on the top floor, the unit has three bedrooms, two bathrooms and a rooftop with jacuzzi. There are views to the Point Cartwright lighthouse and Old Woman Island. The Mount Lofty-based Macfarlane represented the Groom electorate for 18 years before retiring last year and becoming CEO of the Queensland Resources Council. Macfarlane had been the minister for industry, tourism and resources in the coalition government for two years.

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