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Functional Integration
Publication: Sunday Times HOME Magazine
Writer: Paula Aubin
Section: Display homes $280,000 to $350,000
Date: 10th January, 2010
Homebuyers can expect more from their outdoor space this year as builders continue to devise ways of integrating the inside with the outside.
Treating a swimming pool as an integral part of a home's design is a great way to blur the lines, as the Southport by APG demonstrates.
"Pools are no longer an add-on," says Leo Callisto, sales and marketing manager at APG.
"They are a fully integrated part of the design process."
Leo says understanding elements such as pool fencing, window location and the position of the pool equipment will help achieve a high-impact area that is also practical.
In the Southport, the APG team has illustrated how house, alfresco, pool and
water feature can work together to create an impressive yet supremely functional indoor-outdoor leisure area.
A single-storey residence from a builder known primarily for its double-storey designs, the Southport display home is shown with an outdoor kitchen in the alfresco area.
"The outdoor kitchen is simply an extension of the indoor kitchen and both work beautifully well when the sliding stacker doors are pulled back to give you that true indoor/outdoor experience," Leo says.
"It's perfect for larger gatherings of family and friends in the summer months."
The alfresco area can be reached from both the living room and the kitchen, while lots of glazing in the living room offers up a stunning vista to the pool.
The main kitchen highlights our continued love affair with drawers for storing everything from plates and platters to cups and cutlery.
Featuring no less than 12 extra-capacity drawers, the streamlined galley-style design includes stone benchtops, overhead
cupboards, stainless-steel appliances and an upstand to shield the kitchen sink from view.
With its easygoing floor plan that includes a generous main living area, study, media room and four big bedrooms, the Southport is a prime example of APG's approach to single-storey designs.
"It illustrates an understanding of how families live and play together," Leo says.
"It gives every family member space to call their own, plus there is enough space for when everyone comes together for family time."
The Southport can be built from $266,737 but at almost $320,000 the display version provides an elevated specification that includes a lot of extra little luxuries.
There is the custom fit-out to the walk-in wardrobe in the master bedroom, for example, and the stone benchtops and frosted, fully frameless shower door in the ensuite.
Other designer flourishes include square vanity basins, contemporary tapware, a double under-slung kitchen sink and the feature glazed doors separating the living areas from the main passageway.
High and extra-high ceilings give the Southport a tremendous sense of volume, which is further accentuated by the extra-tall
stacker doors to the alfresco area and huge expanses of glazing.
Leo says the Southport will particularly appeal to growing families with teenagers thanks to the distinction between the children's wing at the back and the master suite at the front.
"Separate entertainment zones also appeal," he says.
From the front, the Southport has great street presence, boasting a two-toned rendered finish with strong horizontal elements.