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Easy-going layout
Publication: Sunday Times HOME Magazine
Writer: Paula Aubin
Section: Build under $350,000
Date: 14th June, 2009
There's plenty to be inspired by in the Southport - APG's newest single-storey display home.
From the row upon row of drawers in the kitchen and the extra-high stacker doors in the living area, to the frosted frameless glass shower screen and the soaring ceilings in the master suite, this is a single-level home with two-storey attitude.
"We're getting more and more demand for this type of product," says Leo Callisto, sales and marketing manager at APG.
APG has also recognised that it's not just the design flourishes and features that are important to its client. Buyers want to know their new home will be to live in, with an easygoing floor plan and sensibly planned spaces.
And while many may be opting for single storey to fit their building budget, they still want a big home.
"With a single-level house, providing you have the land content, you have a great opportunity for the same square meterage as a two-storey but at a more economical price," Leo says.
The Southport is certainly spacious, topping 310sqm with its open-plan kitchen, dining and living room, and its study, media room and
four bedrooms.
The kitchen is one of the highlights and proves that our love affair with our drawers shows no sign of waning.
There are no less than 12 big kitchen drawers in the Southport, forming a uniform bank below the cooktop.
A wall oven, full height cupboards and an island bench with underslung sink and stone upstand give the design a sleek, streamlined look.
APG has used 30mm stone benchtops in the bathrooms and the powder room as well as in the kitchen.
Extra high stacker doors open up from a corner part to smoothly merge the living area with the alfresco space.
Shown in the display home with a barbecue kitchen, the outdoor room also demonstrates how house, alfresco, pool and water feature can combine for maximum impact.
The glass pool fencing neatly divides the pool from the alfresco space, which can still be easily accessed from both the kitchen and the
living area.
The windows at the back of the living area look directly out to the pool, providing a glorious outlook.
Leo says the Southport is ideal for a deeper block when there's room to capitalise on the view to entertaining areas and a pool at the back of the house.
"A pool has got that really nice tranquil holiday feeling about it, so why not capture that every minute of the day by having it visible while you're walking around the home?" Leo says.
"A pool costs a substantial amount of money and if you're not getting that visual impact then you're probably not fully utilising your investment."
The pool area isn't the only feature with maximum impact. The ceilings throughout the Southport are high but those in the master suite are higher still.
Reaching to 37 courses, they not only bring a tremendous sense of volume to the bedroom but they also create a talking point in the front elevation where they cause the roofline to break up through a horizontal feature wall.