Adelaide Hills escape with a ‘perfect country feel’
This Mylor dwelling was inspired by its owners’ love of New Zealand barn-style architecture and features a heated plunge pool and a free-standing bath with “epic views” of the surrounding landscape.
Tim and Kate Cece intended 67 Kangaroo Island Road, Mylor, to be their forever home.
The house, which was shortlisted for the HIA’s Rural Build award, was completed by St Georges Constructions in 2024 and was inspired by Tim’s love of New Zealand barn-style architecture.
“We have spent a lot of time in New Zealand and absolutely love it,” explains Tim, a mortgage broker.
“It’s the sharp line of those pitched roofs that I absolutely love. I loved the exposed steel as well – it gives it that real rugged, sharp look.”
But with changing life circumstances, Tim and Kate have decided to put their property on the market after less than a year living there.
“We absolutely built in mind to live there full time, but we have a business in Robe and it demanded a bit more attention, and most of our other work’s done from home, so we decided that we needed to be there,” says Tim.
Tim says he was initially drawn to the “epic views” and the easy maintenance of the property.
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“I went to look at the property in the evening, and it was so still and amazing with the light that comes through down the valley, because the sun sets in the west,” says Tim.
Tim describes the property as having a “perfect country feel”.
“It’s a property that feels really rural when you’re standing on it, but in reality, it’s actually not far from anything, really,” he says.
Tim and Kate enlisted Clint Girardi of Girardi Design to turn their vision into a reality, living in an existing red brick house while their new home was being built.
The brief was simple.
The design brief envisaged three barns, with a central section facing the dam and separate areas for the kids and parents.
“I basically said three barns, connect them, and have pretty much the entire house with windows facing the dam so that every room in the house gets an epic view … even when you’re standing in the kitchen,” Tim tells SALIFE.
“I pictured that the moment you drive down the driveway, you’re looking straight at the big gabled ceiling and then the other two barns, which are connected by the flat roofs that come off the side.”
In a nod to the previous owners, Tim and Kate retained the nickname Valchiusa, which translates to “closed valley”.
The former owners’ favourite poet, Petrarca, took refuge in the northern Italian town of Valchiusa to devote himself to writing.
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“They used to call it their closed valley escape, and that’s why they used the term Valchiusa,” says Tim.
“I just love the story behind it, and so, we kept the name on the property.”
Set on 2.53 hectares, the house includes four bedrooms, two bathrooms and space for up to four cars.
Among the standout features are the heated plunge pool, a free-standing bath in the master en suite, which overlooks the dam, and the soaring 2.7-metre-high ceilings.
For the interior design, Tim and Kate opted for a clean and modern look, with hidden cabinetry reducing clutter.
One unique element of the house is the light fitting above the kitchen, an idea Kate borrowed from her cousin’s renovation project in Prospect.
Tim says another must-have was the prominent chimney, which was built using Cape Jaffa limestone from Robe.
“I absolutely wanted to make sure that the feature of the house with the entry and the chimney was those limestone blocks,” says Tim.
Outdoors, the landscaping maintains a rural look, with plantings such as native grasses and shrubbery.
“I wanted the focus to be on the house rather than doing fancy landscaping, so it’s just grass, open spaces and then basic, native planter beds,” says Tim.
Tim says his favourite feature of the home is the living room with its two-way fireplace, which is accessible from both indoors and out.
“You can sit down on a nice, calm night in Mylor and have the fire absolutely roaring and the evening light over the dam is just magic,” he says.
Tim says he will miss spending time at the property on weekends.
“I think I’ll mostly miss what you can do in your spare time on the property.”
The sale of 67 Kangaroo Island Road, Mylor, is being handled by Sam Oborn and Georgia Shorland of Harcourts Adelaide Hills.
