Catalina, Burradoo
Feb/Mar 2022
MELISSA PENN
Photographs Tony Sheffield
STANDING ON THE sun-drenched timber decking at the back of Andrew Parker’s modern Burradoo home, you could be forgiven for feeling like you are in one of the Palm Springs pool scenes captured by US photographer Slim Aarons in 1970. From the oversized blow-up gold swan gliding across the pool to the huge suspended daybed and sunken seating around a firepit, the house exudes relaxed glamour with an unmistakable air of fun.
Catalina, as the property is known, is exactly what Andrew, chief sustainability officer for Qantas, was looking for when he walked through its doors in 2019. As well as owning a warehouse in Sydney, he had a place on the South Coast but was finding it too far from work. When friends bought in Burrawang, they persuaded him to have a look at the Highlands.
“I fell in love with the house as soon as I saw it,” says Andrew. “It was one of those real estate moments when you have to pretend you’re not excited. Sometimes houses in the Highlands are too English for me – some people love to re-create the Cotswolds, which is fine, but we [Andrew and his partner] wanted a more Australian modern farmhouse style. This place is contemporary and fresh and beautifully designed in a way that works so well with the climate. The timing was perfect because although it was intended as a part-time home, we ended up living here all of 2020 and most of 2021.”
Owner-builders Dianne and Rhys Bremer completed the Martin O’Toole architect-designed home in 2019. The house was built by Tasker Constructions, while the entire front and back gardens, which include an olive grove and timber pergola as well as the mineral pool, daybed and sunken seating area, were conceived by landscape designer Mon Palmer. Bowral’s Jess Hunter Interior Design helped source furniture, artwork and lights.
From 2018 to 2019, Dianne documented the build’s progress on Instagram where she has more than 23,000 followers (the couple recently finished another build in Bowral). Andrew says he often encounters people standing on the street taking photos of the house, and occasionally someone will even knock on the front door, asking for a tour (it’s a no, unfortunately). “It’s a striking house so I understand, but sometimes it’s a bit much and I do shut the gates.”
On entering via the front gates, a wide sloping gravel driveway leads to a large white portico and black-framed oversized glass front door. The main part of the north-facing house is painted white (Dulux Snowy Mountains Half); two black-clad pavilions housing guest accommodation and a garage are on either side. The east-facing pavilion (which has a bedroom and en suite) has French doors leading to another decked area – “perfect for a coffee in the morning sun”, says Andrew.
Brass-finish outdoor lights make a dramatic statement against the exterior.
Andrew bought the house complete with much of the furnishings and artwork it contained. “Dianne did an amazing job with the interiors – she had beautiful taste. Her vibe was contemporary farmhouse, which she did very well. I did change a few things to double down on a more modern, solid farmhouse feel. For instance, I swapped the rattan-style light over the dining table to a Normann Copenhagen Bell Lamp in black aluminium, added black dining chairs and a modernist coffee table, and switched all the rugs to darker, more textural styles.”
Several pieces of wall art were commissioned or sourced by previous owner Dianne and remain in the house. A piece hanging over the fireplace, by visual artist Stacy Madden, is made from shells. A black and white painting hanging in the front entrance was found at Suzie Anderson in Bowral.
Says Dianne: “I love adding textural pieces to walls to add dimension and interest. With the overall house design, we wanted areas to accommodate ourselves, as well as guests in a separate wing. High ceilings and open spaces were a priority, and to make the most of the ideal north-to-rear aspect we wanted to capture lots of light using glass and large doors. It was also important to have a seamless flow between the kitchen and living spaces to the entertaining and pool area.”
The biggest additions Andrew made to the house and garden come as no surprise given his occupation. Solar panels were installed on the front and back of the garage – “I wanted the thinnest, most aesthetic black ones” – and a Tesla battery powers the house at night. Another smaller Tesla battery charges his electric car. An existing 1600 litre rainwater tank collects water for the garden, washing machine and toilets.
“If there’s one stamp I’ve put on the house it’s its environmental credentials,” says Andrew. “The solar panels catch the sun all day, fill up the battery and run the house at night. The battery is an investment – it cost about $5000 – but it’s incredible because it’s how you power your house when the sun goes down. On days that we’re not here, the electricity is fed back to the grid. My last bill was $13 in credit.”
The main living space is a combined lounge/dining/kitchen with sturdy black-framed double-glazed doors leading to the decked area. The all-white space with black touches has a vaulted ceiling, ceiling to floor curtains and light oak flooring.
White lounges from MCM House in Paddington and black and white chairs from Beachwood in Avalon contribute to an airy feel. “It wasn’t until we were living here that I realised it’s not a huge house,” says Andrew. “It’s so well designed that the rooms feel spacious while also intimate.”
Next to the lounge is a cosy TV room with two giant black-framed windows – one with a section of louvres to catch the breeze – looking to the garden and pool. It’s Andrew’s favourite place to sit and “binge on favourite shows” on cold nights in front of the dual-sided slow-combustion fire. A framed print of Slim Aarons’ famous Poolside Gossip (1970), bought after a holiday in Palm Springs, hangs opposite the window. “While we were there we visited Kaufmann House where the photo was taken. I love Aarons’ work and I love the story of this photo.
Apparently Aarons rang his friend Nelda Linsk and asked her to gather some friends for a pool party at her home so he could take photos. They re-created the photo a few years ago [in 2015] with all the women.”
The guest pavilion containing a bedroom and bathroom is linked to the main house by a glass-walled ‘bridge’ leading from the TV room. It’s one of Andrew’s favourite elements of the home’s design. “There are trees and plants either side so it’s cool and green. During COVID I bought a Peloton stationary bike and put it here – you can use the screen for yoga classes too, so it was a good spot to lay out a yoga mat.”
The kitchen cabinets and cupboards are an eye-catching black with a Carrara marble-topped island and brass-finish tapware. There’s also a butler’s pantry and a well-stocked bar. “We had a party for my birthday in December 2020 and said no presents but asked everyone to bring a bottle of spirits,” says Andrew. Two rows of orange plastic Veuve Clicquot champagne flutes are a memento of a skiing holiday in Aspen. “The restaurant handed them out instead of glass ones for safety reasons. When I opened my bag three months after the trip I saw I’d collected quite a few. They’re great for around the pool.”
A study space, where Andrew works, links the main house to the bedroom wing with three bedrooms on the eastern end of the house. The master, with walk-in robe and en suite, has a huge window looking out to a row of French lavender and the olive grove set in white gravel.
“The olives fruit beautifully and the first year we were here I thought I was going to get rich from having an olive plantation,” jokes Andrew. “I even bought an olive press. Then the first day the olives ripened, 30 king parrots arrived and in the space of three hours every single olive was gone. It happened the next year so I’ve given up.”
A sculptural vine wreath made by Robertson artist Brooke Munro hangs over the bed. “Apparently Dianne had finished the house when she realised she had nothing for this space,” says Andrew. “Brooke came up with the piece at very short notice. I think the thorns look a bit like shark teeth.” The spare bedrooms are popular with friends who come for the weekend and “sometimes don’t want to leave”, says Andrew. “They say it feels like a hotel.” Guests also enjoy the large bathtub in the guest bathroom, he says.
A keen gardener, Andrew quickly set about planting more trees on the one acre property. “I’ve added about 50 trees, including three more chanticleer pears out the front and another wisteria on the pergola. The quality of gardens in Burradoo and the Highlands is so high. My hope is to take a fairly immature garden to one that flourishes and reaches its potential.” Native bee-friendly flowers grow on either side of the glass bridge and Andrew added a beehive. He also planted more water-friendly grasses in the ‘water garden’ at the lowest point of the property, which absorbs run-off during the rain.
On the western side of the property a pittosporum hedge gives privacy, but Andrew was dismayed one day when he realised three in a row had died, leaving a wide gap. “We think they were planted a little lower down the slope and got too much water after a big rain event. We’ve replanted, and at least there’s nice view while they grow.”
Weather has wreaked havoc on more than just the plants. The pool’s resident gold swan has ended up in a nearby cul-de-sac twice, thanks to the wind. “Last time my sister was staying here during a storm and I forgot to tell her to put it in the garage. I love having it because if I’m here on my own I’ll see her floating around out of the corner of my eye and think I have company.”
Andrew is enjoying every aspect of his “cleverly designed” home. “I especially love the house at night,” he says. “It’s well-lit and when you stand outside and look up, the stars are incredible.
I used to wonder why they set the house so far back from the front boundary, but I get it now. You have this great expanse with views out to the trees and a wonderful sense of space. You know you’re in the country.”
February / March 2022 (PDF Download)
Relive the beauty of the Southern Highlands with this digital back issue of Highlife.
Sustainable glamour
Andrew Parker wanted contemporary not Cotswolds when he came looking for a home in the Highlands, and he found his perfect match. He explains how he’s made Catalina even more fun and functional.
Koalas for keeps
Find out how landowners are working to protect and increase koala habitat to build the 3000-strong Southern Highlands koala population.
Where plants help people grow
A lockdown-inspired boost in gardening interest proved a boon for Welby Garden Centre, which has been growing strong since 2016. But its main success goes beyond selling plants.
Leafy and lush
A Japanese-inspired koi pond proved a major attraction for the new owners of a Burradoo garden. Soft-foliaged woodland plants add to Elouera’s tranquillity.
Strudel awakening
When Austrian-born Katarina Ferro wanted to stop commuting she started her own business by cooking the comfort cuisine she knows best. Anyone for strudel?
By George
On the December day when Huw Kingston launched his sea kayak in Lake George, the vast lake was as full as it had been in a quarter of a century. Six years ago it was completely dry.
Nursery tales
A century ago, Exeter was a hub for commercial nursery gardens, including two owned by well-known plantsmen Arthur Yates and Frederick and John Searl.
Ride time, right place
After a COVID cancellation in 2020 and a postponement in 2021, cyclists finally got on their bikes for the fifth annual Bowral Classic.
Escape
STAY The Somerton Collection, High Range
PRODUCER Foodies delight in The Southern Highlands Food & Wine Festival
WEDDING Dreams come true at Montrose House, Sutton Forest
INSTA STAR Textile artist Jasper Fearnley remembers her Robertson childhood
This is a virtual product. Upon purchase, you’ll receive instant access to download the magazine as a PDF. A secure download link will also be sent directly to your email, so you can revisit and enjoy your issue anytime.