Nik and Rachel Tandy had fulfilling careers with international companies in various parts of the world, but something called them back to the picturesque down of Dunsborough in WA’ South West to raise their three children. Having renovated homes in the past, the Tandy’s eagerly stepped in to their first new home building experience with local custom home builder, Adrian Zorzi,

Adrian showed us around his own Dunsborough home and we were thoroughly impressed with his manner, his attention to detail, his use and selection of materials and his thoughtful and accomplished design,” Mr Tandy said. “Adrian’s knowledge of local trades and tradesmen, and particularly his contacts and reputation amongst the materials suppliers that I was negotiating with, cemented his position.”

The Tandy’s committed a great deal of trust in Adrian as the build was started and completed while they were still living and working overseas. “Adrian and the team made a great effort to concentrate the site communication times and give me their full attention when I flew in to review the crucial stages and discuss upcoming stages and material selections,” Mr Tandy said. “Our confidence in Adrian was well rewarded with impeccable finishing and each of the stages was completed to the project plan scale and time schedule.”

Perfect for it’s rural location, the Tandy’s sought wide, open spaces that would cater to their love of entertaining and a home that would grow with their children. They had strict criteria for the living space, which was to have an open plan and a natural flow, whilst maintaining a clear delineation between the lounge and dining areas.

A carefully planned kid’s wing was to have a breakout area for play, so that bedrooms were kept just for downtime. A serene parent’s retreat with a separate bedroom and library area for Mr and Mrs Tandy makes the most of the view.

Mrs Tandy said she was guided to new ideas for finishes, fixtures and fittings by Mr Zorzi during construction. “Adrian and his team spent some time reviewing the architects design and drawings, and he had some unique views on how to improve certain aspects of the build,” Rachel said. “These were driven by Adrian’s cutting edge knowledge of window manufacturing, and so his suggestions dramatically improved certain aspects of the home and view, and fundamentally the overall openness of the home.”

Mr Zorzi said his aim for this project was to foster a good connection between the interiors and exteriors. “The relaxed sense of connection to the rural surrounds is achieved by completely opening the home onto the land, removing fencing and barriers between the native bushland and personal living spaces,” he said. “We installed 10m of glass, which completely opens the interiors out onto the alfresco area, taking advantage of the stunning views and northerly aspect.”

 “We love the ultimate flow of the home and the maximised aspect of the view from the show-stopper windows in both the living area and the parent’s wing,” Mr Tandy said. “Close behind would have to be the paramount entertaining kitchen with its perfectly twinned local Marri kitchen top and dining table, which tie the modern house to its inception in the love of the South West and its stunning landscape.”

Mrs Tandy said it is a home built for family life across all seasons. “In summer, as soon as the children step out from the car, there’s a separate wash area to leave the remnants of the beach outside and a shady place to hand those soggy wetsuits,” she said. “In winter the mud-room acts as a one-stop- drop to leave soccer, hockey and rugby kit in, with the washing machine directly opposite to stop those mucky uniforms from being trailed through the house.”

“It’s comforting in winter to have all three ovens and fire going and be surrounded by friends, letting all the kids toast marshmallows over the fire whilst the adults chill out,” Mr Tandy said.

The Tandy’s said their home not just met, but exceeded, their expectations for entertaining. “Our busiest, noisiest and happiest times are Christmas and Easter, when we have a home full of friends, and family fly in from around Australia and wherever they are over the world,” Mr Tandy said. “It’s not unusual to have a dozen kids to feed who then happily run around and play whilst we feed a score of adults around the main table.”

“In short, the home is paradise,” Mrs Tandy said. “Our home is loved, lived in and played in and around, just exactly in the way we hoped it would be.”

See more of this stunning Dunsborough Custom Home by Adrian Zorzi below: