Coast castle fit for a king
SOVEREIGN Islands is known for its extravagant examples of modernity, so a swirl of turret and 200-tonne regal stone masonry has to almost be seen to be believed.
Resplendent on Royal Albert Cres, the waterfront mansion was the “renovation project” of former chief executive of insurer CoverMore, Peter Edwards.
Mr Edwards and his wife Christine snapped up the property at auction in March, 2017.
“It was a bit tired but it had such magnificent bones, and I’d just retired and needed a project,” Mr Edwards said.
In a fairytale transaction, the couple bought the property that they’d fallen in love with almost 10 years prior.
“When we lived in Brisbane we used to holiday here in 2009, it was rented out by its former owner,” Mr Edwards said.
After the Edwards moved to Sovereign Islands, coincidentally on the same street, they kept an eye on their former holiday home.
“On the day of the auction, Peter just walked up the road to go to it,” Mrs Edwards said.
“We went from not seeing it for eight years and then driving past it and seeing it in not its best light, to then having the time and the opportunity to restore it,” he said.
“It’s been a bit of a project of love.”
Painstakingly, the residence was repainted, the cedar doors and windows were re-stained, European linens were draped floor-toceiling, the garden and front yard re-landscaped and timber and Italian travertine tile floors restored.
“You have 100-year-old timber hardwood floors that were fully sanded back and restored,” he said.
Whimsical Juliette balconies jut from the facade, while the majestic internal turret spirals underneath a glistening chandelier, leading to the master suite with the same views of South Stradbroke Island as the first floor.
“It took artisans over six months to create the turret alone,” he said.
The interior is a mecca of European influence with masterstrokes of elegance.
“The tiles are French terracotta, then there’s the handpainted farmer’s kitchen, and the cellar has a Tuscan feel,” he said.
“The best we can come up with is it’s Spanish-influenced, but then there’s some Italian and French as well.”
Mr Edwards used the property to host a memorable conference before his retirement.
“It was a fantastic location, at night we found the timber, stone and water together takes on a warmth that’s unusual in most homes,” he said.
The property is on the market at $3.98 million.
CoreLogic records show the property first sold for $3.4 million in 2008, then changed hands for an undisclosed price in 2015 before the Edwards bought it for $2.6 million.
The property is being marketed by Edin Kara from Ray White Sovereign Islands and Ivy Wu from Amir Mian Prestige Property Agents.