ITALIAN LOVE AFFAIR
Although she’s only visiting Italy for the first time later this year, Sammi, who owns this opulent Whitford home with husband Jerome, has had a life-long love affair with Italian style and it clearly influenced the design of the property, which was built 13 years ago.
It’s situated in the private, gated Turanga Creek Estate, which is adjacent to Turanga Creek Organic Vineyard, and to mark the purchase of their 2626sqm site in 2009, Sammi and Jerome bought a bottle of that year’s vintage and had it bolted into the floor in their entrance hall.
Sammi says that creating this “forever home” for herself, Jerome and their two children, now adults, was a real labour of love.
“I sourced things from all over the world when I couldn’t find what I wanted in New Zealand. For example, our ornate metal doors were custom-made offshore and many of the light fittings were imported from the USA.”
She was keen to have a house where the family could spend time together and the open-plan layout and mezzanine helped to achieve that. The Tuscan-style kitchen has always been the heart of the home.
“We love entertaining friends and family, and everybody gravitates there,” says Sammi.
A large butler’s pantry and a separate laundry room add extra space and to the side of the kitchen is one of Sammi’s favourite parts of the house, a whisky room which was previously the formal dining room.
“I had a very clear idea about how I wanted it to look, and the decorators did a double take when I asked them to paint three walls black and one wall and the ceiling mustard.”
She had a graphic artist interpret her vision for the carpet, which was made especially for the room and the resulting space is quite spectacular.
“We have no TV in there and Jerome and I just love to sit and listen to music, with a whisky – or in my case, a glass of red wine.”
All four of the home’s bedrooms are on the third floor, where the main suite includes a huge dressing room and sumptuous tiled bathroom.
Sammi says that she and Jerome are downsizing because they want to travel more. “And the house is really too big for us now – we haven’t even been in the theatre room for months.”
That room is situated on the lower level along with a giant three-car garage and two storerooms.
There are several outdoor living areas, including a covered room with a fireplace for relaxing all year round and Sammi says that the vineyard is like an extension of her own property, with exclusive access.
“The owner is really laid-back, and he doesn’t mind when my friends and I have picnics amongst the vines.”
Listing agent Anita Jamieson, from Ray White, says that despite its size, Sammi and Jerome’s property feels very homely.
“Everything’s there, in a lovely community with great neighbours, and it’s the sort of place you never need to leave,” she says.