Grand scale in paradise

No expense has been spared for this superbly renovated five-bedroom waterfront mansion, which brings new meaning to ‘Queensland living’

TAKE one look at this Gold Coast mansion and you’ll be swept off your feet.

With a breathtaking design perched on the waterfront, this jaw-dropping palace has just undergone an almost $2 million renovation by homeowner Pat Worboys.

“We engaged an architect before we bought it because we wanted to know if it was possible to really bring it back to life without ruining it,” Mrs Worboys said. “We knew we were about to build something special.”

Mrs Worboys said she interviewed a handful of architects and designers before choosing Michelle Marsden.

Mrs Worboys said she had built houses in the past but this project was her first renovation.

“It was originally home to a European family, the rooms were quite pokey and there was a lot of gold and peach,” she said.

“The tricky part was keeping the integrity of the house but incorporating our own style into it. I wanted to give it a Queensland lifestyle, which to me meant a big focus on outdoor living.

“We ripped out the pool which was in the front yard and put a new one in out the back to face the water.

“We wanted the space for a big front lawn for the kids to run around and enjoy.”

The mother-of-three said the key to “Queensland living” was lots of windows and a seamless indoor-outdoor style.

“To keep the classic style we added more french doors,” she said.

“Our family has travelled a lot, we have been into a lot of amazing houses around the world and we took note of everything that wowed us and injected it into this house.”

Mrs Worboys, the boss behind interior