A slice of Tuscany in Adelaide’s east to fetch $6.5 million
Immersive Light and Art founders Sophie and Nick Dunstone took inspiration from their travels in Tuscany when renovating their 1920s bungalow at Healthpool, which is now on the market with a price tag of $6.5 to $7 million.
When Sophie and Nick Dunstone purchased their Heathpool home in 2016, they were attracted to its period features, including high ceilings and original wooden floorboards.
“Everything about it speaks to that character and history, and that’s what appealed to us in the first place,” says Sophie.
Sophie is a psychologist and Nick a lawyer. The couple had been living in Hong Kong and were excited to move back to Australia.
“Originally we rented it out because we weren’t quite ready to move, but we moved back to Adelaide and into the home in 2018, and we then embarked on a fairly major renovation – it was going to be our forever home,” Sophie tells SALIFE.
Since then, the couple has become well known for their philanthropic arts endeavours, particularly in founding Adelaide’s centre for Immersive Light and Art (ILA) on Light Square.
Sophie says that although the previous owners had put a lot of love into the home, they wanted to make it their own.
The couple enlisted Proske Architects for the renovations, constructed by Urban Habitats and with interiors by Georgie Shepherd.
Complementing the original heritage home, Urban Habitats constructed a grand, separate pavilion with curved rammed-earth walls. This structure is self-contained with a bedroom, kitchen, bathroom and grand cinema room that opens onto the swimming pool.
Sophie and Nick’s renovations included extending the rear of the house, with the design taking inspiration from their holidays in Tuscany.
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“We love the modern feel of beautiful new renovations, but oftentimes, they’re a little bit clinical. So, we wanted to bring in natural features and speak to that Tuscan feel, which I think is very similar to our climate in Adelaide,” says Sophie.
They achieved this by using subdued, classic materials such as marble, natural stone and oak to complement the original sandstone dwelling.
“There’s something about the natural materials that helps it work together and gives it a homey, earthy feel – we absolutely love it,” Sophie says.
“We were focused on ensuring everything would be complementary and augment the beauty.”
A separate living quarters was also created for Sophie and Nick’s parents to stay over.
These days, 1 Stannington Avenue, Heathpool, which sits on two titles spanning 2,444 square metres, includes six bedrooms, four bathrooms, and space for up to four cars.
Standout features include a home gym, a library and a formal lounge room.
A unique feature of the property is a purpose-built music studio, which has been used as a practice space by the likes of Paul Kelly, opera baritone Teddy Tahu Rhodes and singer-songwriter Katie Noonan.
The studio also features sprung flooring for Sophie and Nick’s daughter to practice her dancing.
“My husband and I have a long-term interest in the arts, and we love music.
“We wanted to give ourselves the opportunity to engage in those passion pursuits,” says Sophie.
Sophie says this area is a perfect spot for entertaining guests, with glass doors opening out onto the swimming pool and grassed areas.
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For the outdoors, Sophie and Nick used Rob Cooper from Distinctive Landscaping.
Sophie says there was a “focus on creating special moments through the garden”, with extensive lighting and the use of natural stones such as Arbon and cobblestone pavers.
They retiled the existing swimming pool to match the other areas of the house, and transformed the tennis court surface from natural to synthetic grass.
Sophie struggles to choose a favourite feature of the property, but says if she had to pick one, it would be her “beautiful oak-blue kitchen”, where the family congregates for shared meals and where they entertain guests.
“There are always adults and children having a good time there,” she says.
Although Sophie and Nick are sad to part with their Heathpool home, the couple has now relocated to Singapore.
“We’d rather have another lovely family enjoy it because we’re going to be in Singapore for the foreseeable future … we’ll miss everything about that house,” says Sophie.
“I would love someone to move into that home who enjoys the character and beauty of it.
“It’s quite a unique property, and we thought that we really were going to live there for the next 20 years, so everything in that house is high-end, top quality, and it was a joy to live in.”
The sale of 1 Stannington Avenue, Heathpool, is being handled by Jamie Brown of Booth Real Estate.
