Great sense of history

This five-bedroom Queenslander is blessed with all the characteristic charming features which make this style of home so appealing for families

IT WAS a dream come true for homeowners Shane and Letitia Thomson when they stumbled across a slice of their past.

The couple bought a block of land at Gibsonville St, Tallebudgera Valley in 1996 after envisioning a picture-perfect Queenslander.

They have a strong links to Gibsonville St — Mr Thomson worked on the former farm when he was growing up. “He did some agricultural work as a jackaroo so he knew the owners really well and the land even better,” Mrs Thomson said. “My husband found out the owners were subdividing it and selling it so he was quick to grab a block,” she said.

The couple then built a beautiful blue Queenslander with wraparound verandas.

Mrs Thomson said they designed the house around family living and entertaining.

“When we have guests the first room they see is the formal lounge with the fireplace and it always makes a great first impression,” she said. “We put the kitchen at the back of the house so it open out onto the veranda.”

The five-bedroom house comes with quintessential Queenslander features such as ornate cornices, french doors and fret windows. The mother-of-three said the timber was made in Southport at The Woodworker’s Door Warehouse.

“My husband and my dad are both carpenters so they were able to build most of the house together,” she said.

“The barn house is my favourite, they built it from the trees on the property.”

Mrs Thomson said the style of the house perfectly fitted her family’s lifestyle.

“All my kids were born here and they got the luxury of having a creek to play in and a tree house to climb,” she said.

“All the french doors in their bedrooms open onto the veranda and they used to ride their bikes and play out.”

Poised on 5680sq m, the house comes with a few modern twists which Mrs Thomson said they added over the years.

“We built it almost 20 years ago so the house has really evolved with us,” she said.

“We have renovated the kitchen and the bathrooms from timber to stone and restyled the furniture over the years,” she said.

“The Queenslander style never seems to age though.”

A bar, library and fireplace add a touch of luxury. A fire pit with sandstone seating overlooks the pool, which the couple said was something they had put in 10 years after they built the house.