FEATURE LISTING: Luxury living in Linden Park
Hitting the market this week is the stunning Park Crescent address of Darren and Sarah Ball who transformed a 1930s sandstone Tudor into a glamorous family entertainer.
Driving past the understated facade of the 1930s sandstone Tudor at 14 Park Crescent, Linden Park you can only imagine the incredible luxury that is revealed when you enter the home.
Purchased by Darren and Sarah Ball in 2011, the four-bedroom, three-bathroom home was in great condition, but needed a modern facelift.
Four years in the making, the couple spared no expense in transforming the home into a glamorous family entertainer that is sympathetic to the original home and creates a seamless transition between the Tudor and the open-plan rear extension.
“We gutted the whole house and kept only the original flooring, fireplace and ornate ceilings in the front part of the home,” Sarah says.
The front of the home offers formal entertaining, perfect for an intimate evening with a small group and spaces to cosy up during the winter months.
“We have a formal dining room so in winter we can sit inside around the table for dinner and then retreat to the formal living room in front of the fireplace for a glass of wine or port,” Darren says.
Upstairs is the parents’ retreat where a grand master bedroom connects with a luxury ensuite featuring a shower, free-standing bath and twin sinks.
Beside the master bedroom is an expansive walk-in robe that used to be a room in itself, and offers abundant space for a fashionista to enjoy.
“The bedroom and wardrobe windows look over the tennis court and out to the foothills,” Darren says. “In the morning, you can open the blinds and just lay in bed and admire the view as the sun rises.”
Moving to the back of the home, a grand, Enoki-designed space is revealed with an open-plan design and sliding glass doors reaching the alfresco entertaining area.
The Jag-designed kitchen boasts an integrated fridge-freezer and Miele appliances such as a M-Touch oven.
“The oven has recipes already loaded into it which makes cooking the Christmas turkey so easy,” Darren says.
“I am a terrible cook when it comes to some of these things, but since we have had that oven they have all come out beautifully.”
The alfresco entertaining area is perfect for hosting family and friends in the summertime with a built-in outdoor kitchen right beside the tennis court, lawns and swimming pool.
“We took a standard pitched veranda-patio and modernised it, adding a spectacular outdoor kitchen where we can sit and prepare food and host barbecues,” Darren says.
The solar-heated pool means swimming can be enjoyed year-round and the floodlit tennis court allows games to extend late into the night.
“It is really fun to have a muck-around, hilarious game of tennis on a balmy summer’s night with all the kids and parents playing with six a side,” Darren says.
Although they have adored living in the home for the past 11 years, Darren and Sarah are ready to move on and begin a new adventure.
“We are excited to be moving, but it is going to be difficult to leave because it is a unique property that only comes around once in a lifetime,” Darren says.
“For the new owners, there is nothing left to do. We have always made sure to use the best features and contractors to ensure the inside of the home matches the prestige of the outside of the home.”
The sale is being handled by Effie Vlachoulis and Phil Harris of Harris Real Estate.