Residing deep in the BLUE MOUNTAINS

THROUGHOUT HISTORY, people have escaped to the mountains to find solitude and solace, while being rewarded with better health and prolonged life. Scientific studies have proven this.

Can architecture also have a positive impact on our well-being, like mountain living with its attendant attributes such as air quality, outdoor activity, untamed views that take your breath away, etc? Yes, architecture can! Good design pays homage while harmonising with the natural topography, creating a unifying force that leaves you in a better physical and mental place.

Take this log home as a perfect example. Standing deep in the Blue Mountains, 4,000 feet above sea level. It welcomes with an entrance foyer, sitting room separated from the dining/ granite kitchen area by an unusual double-sided fireplace, heating both rooms simultaneously! An entertainment/dining balcony surveys the aweinspiring mountainous terrain and the JDF training camp below. Four bedrooms, four granite counter bathrooms, a powder room hiding under the stairs,

also contribute to the multilevel structure on terraced landscaping.

A family home dominated by timber, hugging you with the warmth of its timber floors and walls, wood shingle roof, timber frame French windows, and glass doors and woody fragrance. Owned by a businessman who purchased the two-acre property 17 years ago with a tiny, zinc-roof structure on it. It took 18 months to transform it to what we now appreciate.

There’s a time-honoured quote that says, ‘A picture is worth a thousand words’. Need I write anymore?

CONTRIBUTED PHOTOS This log home sits 4,000 feet up in the Blue Mountains after its expansion.

The wooden deck up in the air overlooking mountainous terrain.

Notice the glass windows up by the ceiling in the kitchen?

An inviting bathroom.

An unusual double-sided fireplace warming both the sitting area on one side and dining area on the other.

The original tiny cottage undergoing expansion.

The bedroom with seating alcove.