Style magazine: (13th October 2007) A class of it’s own

Tucked in against the side of the hill Peter and Gail Molloy’s award-winning home is a lasting and telling testament to the creative genius of renowned architect Philip Boorman.

The home is a building concept that is environmentally friendly and suitable for sloping and difficult sites. Built strong and solid to stand the elements for many lifetimes to come, the home has fulfilled the hopes and dreams of its owners many times over.

“We’re just ordinary people,” says Peter, a retired motor mechanic, “but Philip gave this house his absolute full attention.”

As we wander around the home, both Peter and Gail speak highly of the man who, rather than be put off by their almost inaccessible hillside block in Montville, was excited by the challenge of building them the home of their dreams and to budget.

It was a case of first things first – heavy-duty machinery had to be called in to create access and lay the foundations for what could well be one of the most expensive driveways on the Sunshine Coast. But it had to be done. “When we bought the block, Gail and a friend picked their way through the scrub to check out the view from the 14 acre parcel of land that had been for sale for quite a while.

“When she came back up I could see the excitement in her eyes, and she said, ‘You should see the view’. That was enough for me – we bought it that day,” Peter says. While the couple waited for their home in Tamworth to sell, they set about finding an architect.

“The agent who sold us the block gave us a card for Philip the day we looked at the land, but it took some false starts with another home expert before we got around to giving him a call. From the first meeting when he started drawing plans, we knew he was the right man for the job.”

The result is everything you would expect from the man who has a reputation for attention to detail and a unique approach to timber and design. In fact, it’s common knowledge that only one of the homes Philip has ever designed has been resold, and that was because the owners were leaving the state. Peter and Gail say they have no plans to leave their very special home.

Spanning out from the front entry, great attention has been paid to the “fan” shape – with particular attention paid to the angled joined on the polished timber floors, right down to the fan-shaped cut outs in the entry foyer.

Stepping through the foyer the home opens up to reveal a lounge area and fabulous kitchen, with nothing but a series of concertina timber-framed glass doors between them, and the huge deck where the couple spend a great deal of their time. The kitchen is Peter’s domain, and he enjoys being able to watch the ever changing scenery that stretches across the valley, taking in Buderim Hill and the royal blue waters of Mooloolaba and beyond.

“The sun comes up over the ocean and it’s just brilliant,” says Gail, who comments that they chose the hinterland because they don’t like the humidity of the lower lying coastal areas. But they do love their water views. A formal dining room is made extra special thanks to a Philip Boorman dining table, again echoing the fan shape of the house.