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Sanctuary Cove masterpiece offers luxury lifestyle on the waterfront

TRUCKING magnate Ian Cootes has put his spectacular Gold Coast riverfront home on the market.

Mr Cootes and his wife Maria, who are both based in Melbourne, bought their Sanctuary Cove block in 2008.

“We’ve been at Sanctuary Cove for over 20 years,” Mr Cootes said.

“When we saw that block of land on Anchorage Terrace we decided we would buy it with the intention of selling our other Sanctuary Cove property. There was a very high standard in Anchorage Terrace and we wanted to add to it.”

The pair, who have seven children and 14 grandchildren between them, enlisted architect Paul Ziukelis and builder JM Buildling Development to bring their vision to life. The house took eight months to build and was completed in 2010.

Its street appeal is evident — the house stands out with it contemporary facade which contrasts a white exterior with river stone cladding.

Inside, your eyes are drawn to the gallerystyled double ceiling height foyer while the riverfront location is taken advantage of with floor to ceiling windows.

Constructed using top-quality materials, finishes and appliances, the residence was crowned the 2011 Master Builders Gold Coast Housing and Construction Award for best individual home.

The house features an open-plan design with several living and dining areas that open up to the infinity-edge self-cleaning pool and terrace. A 10m island bench takes centre stage in the kitchen while Gaggenau appliances and Gessi sink mixers creates a functional yet stylish space.

“We imported the kitchen from Italy,” Mr Cootes said. “It’s a magnificent kitchen with a lot of stainless steel and marble.”

Other standout features include a bar with Calcutta marble benchtop and a temperaturecontrolled 400-bottle wine room.

“The bar opens up and cantalivers out to the outdoor living area which joins the pool,” he said.

The couple, who stay in the property at least once a month, said they were sad to be selling but the time was right to move on. “We just love Sanctuary Cove,” he said. “The main reason we’ve put the house on the market is we have family and business in Melbourne and we need to be in Melbourne more than we need to be in Queensland.”