Adelaide’s unique version of the Sydney Opera House is up for grabs, with buyers around the nation expressing interest in an award-nominated foothills residence named after the iconic landmark.
The Stonyfell home at 6 Kurrajong Ave is known as the Opera House – Adelaide’s version, anyway.
While officially titled Stonyfell House, the mid-century, four-bedroom home, at 6 Kurrajong Ave, Stonyfell, has been colloquially known as the Opera House since its inception – in reference to its striking serrated roofline formed by six triangular provisions.
“The architect (Graham Whitford) was from Sydney and he called it the Opera House when he built (designed) it in 1978,’’ said vendor Edi Dishnica, who purchased the property with her husband almost seven years ago.
The impressive home has four bedrooms and four bathrooms.
It has epic views from floor-to-ceiling windows.
The home has been modernised over the years.
“Most people would know it as the Opera House, especially the older generation, because it’s got those triangle ceilings.
“(As for) myself, I call it the Bali retreat because the garden has a Bali feel with the tropical plants.
“You don’t need a holiday when you have got this house.’’
The distinctive timber-lined cathedral ceilings give way to expansive windows that pull natural light deep into the home’s interior, framing views of the treetop canopies and the distant Stonyfell ranges.
It’s an outlook that Ms Dishnica has never failed to appreciate, particularly during winter, seated in front of the formal family room’s feature fireplace.
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“The house has got a good flow with nature,’’ she said.
“The sky (soaring) windows are very beautiful and let a lot of nature in.
“In the dawn time, around six or seven o’clock, you get the real vibe of the house, which is very serene and calm and relaxing.
“This house can be enjoyed in every season – in winter and summer and autumn, it’s beautiful.’’
Ms Dishnica said her husband was working in the building industry when they purchased the home, sparking a two-year renovation.
It’s unlike any other home in Adelaide.
It’s on a sprawling 1043sqm block.
It’s impressive at every turn.
Staying sympathetic to the home’s original architecture, the couple installed underfloor heating, double glazed windows and restored the outdoor pool and spa, along with an outdoor living space that now includes a much-used pizza oven.
Terrazzo flooring, expanses of spotted gum, imported ply, Venetian plaster, marble and granite sit alongside exposed masonry and dark structural elements, with the home’s transformation making the shortlist for the Interior Design Excellence Awards.
Ms Dishnica said the property, which enjoys private gated access to the Michael Perry Botanic Reserve, had been listed for sale with much regret but accepted it was too big for the couple since their daughter had left home.
The Dishnicas plan to move closer to their business, Italian restaurant Gepetto’s at Hahndorf.
“I’m very sad to be letting it go. I have my doubts and think, ‘Do we really want to (sell)?,’’ Ms Dishnica said.
“I hope it goes to an Adelaide family. I know there’s been lots of interest from Sydney and Melbourne but I hope it’s someone from Adelaide – a family with teenagers would be perfect.
“Whoever will get (buy) it, good on them but I will be very jealous.’’
The home, which has an asking price of $4.7m, is listed through Belle Ker and Harry Shorland of Harcourts Adelaide Hills – Stirling/Mount Barker.
– by Lauren Ahwan
English (US) · 