Anna Dimond and Family

Writer

Lucy Feagins

15th of November 2011

Loungeroom details from the home of Anna Dimond and family in the Adelaide Hills. All shots - Lucy Feagins

Loungeroom (and levels!) in the 1970's home of Anna Dimond and family.

I am fast gaining the impression that Adelaide is a GOLD MINE of fabulous Australian homes! During my recent visit I was so seriously bowled over with every single home I set foot in, and today's is no exception! Welcome to the stunning 1970's home of Anna Dimond and family!

This beautiful family home is set amongst the leafy surroundings of Stirling in the Adelaide hills. This is the most breathtakingly picturesque area - full of rolling green front gardens and incredibly tall pine and gum trees, and just a short drive from the city. A truly special place to live. There were KOALAS in the FRONT GARDEN, people. I kid you not.

Anna, (designer and director of jewellery label Palas Jewellery) and partner Chris (an architect) purchased their home 2.5yrs ago, in near original condition. Whilst it was in need of a little love, Anna and Chris saw the home's potential immediately - 'the home was designed by Hassells architects the same time they designed the Adelaide Festival Theatre' says Anna... 'the detail and quality is exceptional - it just needed to be revitalised with some love and passion'. Stage One of the renovation commenced immediately with painting throughout and new flooring, but Anna and Chris didn’t want to change anything structural. Their goal was to highlight the fantastic original features of the home including stone fireplaces and oak panelled ceilings.

The pair also did a huge amount of work in the garden – 'Chris used to have a landscaping business before he became an architect, so he has brought life into our stunning garden' says Anna. The impressive 2 acre block is dotted with stunning (and massive!) old English trees - Chris added hedges and more modern succulents into the mix. Check out the exterior shots at the bottom of this post - truly picture perfect! In actual fact the exterior of this home is so perfectly manicured it kind of reminds me of a still frame from some 70's American family sitcom - I mean that in a good way!

Stage Two of the Dimond home renovation, completed just last month, entailed a total re-fit of all of the wet areas – kitchen, laundry, bathrooms. 'Chris designed these great new spaces that are modern and elegant but also tie in with the era of the house' says Anna, 'we wanted to really complement rather than just shoving a big white kitchen amongst the earthiness of the original interior. All the new spaces have touches of Danish styling to match the original detail'.

I must say the re-furb of this striking modernist home really is spot on. It's been done with such restraint and deference to the home's existing features - you can tell both Anna and Chris have a particular knack for this! They've pulled the home together so perfectly, right down to furniture and lighting selection.

When asked for her favourite aspects of the home, as is often the case, Anna finds it tricky to edit her enthusiasm! - 'The space that surrounds the house, the 45 year old massive trees, our resident koalas and ducks, the air, the birds…. it's all so zen and beautiful, but only a 10 minute drive into the city' she says. 'I love the high ceilings and the stone fireplaces - an open fire in the hills brings a house alive. I feel like my awareness of the seasons and nature has developed so much since we moved here – its quite amazing that when you live on the flat you just don’t see these incredible daily changes in the sky, trees and air. Everyone who lives here truly loves the hills. Its like living in a little village with all the character, conveniences and fresh air you could want - and a most idylic natural setting that is just iridescent green this time of year'.

Couldn't have put it better myself!

Massive thanks to Anna and family for sharing their stunning home with us today! If you've enjoyed this tour do share the love by popping over to check out Anna's Palas Jewellery website - aside from having one seriously lovely house, she's also one seriously impressive businesswoman (And a recipient of a Telstra Business Women's award!)