Character piece

Lucy and Steven Cahill's new build looked lived in from day one because of the beauty of the materials used - from weathered oak to aged limestone

- RACHEL LEEDHAM

HOME TRUTHS

THE PROPERTY Detached new build

LOCATION Mornington Peninsula, Victoria, Australia

ROOMS Kitchen-diner/living area, playroom, cloakroom, wine cellar, four bedrooms (two en suite), bathroom, dressing room

PURCHASED 2017 PREVIOUS PROPERTY 'We lived in a townhouse that we had built ourselves,' says Steven.

For a number of years, Steven Cahill and his wife Lucy had dreamt of living on Victoria's Mornington Peninsula, so when the chance arose to buy a rather dilapidated house just a five-minute walk from the beach, they snapped it up. 'We lived in the property while I made plans for a new home on the site,' explains Steven, who co-owns the building firm Cahill (cahillbg.com.au). 'I love designing houses so I spent months working on about eight different floor plans,' he says. Once Lucy and I had decided on our favourite option, we had it drawn up by a draughtsman.'