It was always a dream of Dora and Tom Zafiris, a civil engineer, to have their own tennis court.

But when the husband-wife bought 4 Woodland Road, Springfield nearly 30 years ago, there was no tennis court, and a 1970s ranch-style dwelling sat where their grand neo-Georgian home now rises.

“We entertain a lot with the four children – we’re big entertainers – so we wanted a great entertainment space,” explains Dora.

“We built it, designed it and all the rest together…it’s been a labour of love.”

Dora says that when choosing somewhere to build, location was key.

The house is located in one of Adelaide’s most exclusive enclaves, near the historic Carrick Hill estate, restaurants and cafes, and highly sought-after public and private schools,

“We love the location because of all the mother nature. You know, we could hear the birds, we could hear the water flowing in the creek that passes through our property and it was just a lovely environment to raise our children.”

Nine years ago, the 1970s ranch-style house made way for an ambitious project to build their “dream home”.

As owner-builders, Dora and Tom were heavily involved in the planning and construction of the house, in what Dora describes as a collaboration between herself, her husband and the architect.

They enlisted Spyros Paraskevopoulos from Arco Architecture and Interior Design to realise their vision.

Tom was the engineer for the project, while Dora took charge of the interior selections, opting for a timeless Georgian style.

“It hasn’t dated,” says Dora.

“The beauty is, here we are seven or eight years later and my children are doing their own houses – renovating – and they’re picking similar designs, similar joinery. So, it’s lovely to see ours hasn’t dated.”

Set on a block of some 2150 square metres, the five-bedroom house is spread across three floors.

Stepping off the classical portico into the front entrance hall with its oak parquetry floors, you will find the formal living area, a study, a bathroom and a laundry to the left.

The sitting room features a chandelier, gas fire and French doors that open onto the pool and spa.

To the right, double French doors lead to the formal dining room, a butler’s pantry and the open plan living/dining area looking onto the outdoor entertaining area, the pool, the spa and the tennis court.

Making your way upstairs on the grand staircase boasting intricate wrought iron balustrading, you will pass beneath a glittering chandelier before landing on the upper floor.

On this level, you will find the master suite, with spacious his and her walk-in wardrobes connected to a private ensuite.

Here, there are also the four other bedrooms, each with their own walk-in wardrobes and shared ensuites.

Taking the lift down to the lower ground level, you will discover what can only be described as an entertainer’s dream, with a gym, a retreat, a private theatre, a wine cellar and a wine-tasting room.

Outdoors, Dora and Tom have created a “tranquil” outdoor escape, with hedging, tropical trees and a creek running through the property. A separate garage has enough space for up to eight cars.

Dora says her favourite part of the house is the alfresco dining area.

“From an entertainer’s point of view, I just love it,” she says. “Our kids, they say, ‘Mum, we had a wonderful upbringing as children’. We had all their friends over. I think we’re the party house.

“Every time there was a get-together, they’d always be at our house in our pool, on our tennis court, which was wonderful.”

Her other favourite part is the stunning views from her bedroom.

“All the bedrooms we’ve designed so there are views and when I lie in my bed, I can have my breakfast or watch TV and I can see all the way down to Glenelg,” she says.

But with their children having grown up and starting their own families, Dora and Tom are now looking to downsize.

“We’d just like the next family to get the same joy that we’ve got out of it.”

The sale of 4 Woodland Road, Springfield is being handled by Sally Cameron from Toop + Toop.