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Inside the home at 100 Greatorex Road, Ilparpa.
A unique family home has hit the market in Alice Springs but don’t let its practical exterior fool you.
Behind the corrugated iron walls there is a beautiful balance of bold colours and textures.
Aoife Milson and Anna Flouris bought the 2.23ha block at 100 Greatorex Rd, Ilparpa, in 2015 and began building the custom two-storey house in 2016.
The couple called in the experts to do the polished concrete slab, structural steel, plumbing and electrics and then spent three years transforming the house into a home of moody tones, warm timber accents and steel.
The home is on a 2.23ha block with granny flat and pool.
The practical exterior hides a warm and colourful interior.
The main house is spread across two floors with a mezzanine level wrapping around a void.
There is an open plan living, dining and kitchen space downstairs, along with a lounge, family bathroom, laundry and two bedrooms.
On one side of the mezzanine there is a study and on the other, a main bedroom with ensuite.
The living spaces open to a covered deck, which overlooks a water tank pool, and there is also a granny flat on the property.
“The house is orientated so the sun comes in during the winter and heats the floors to create that passive heating,” Ms Milson said.
“And in summer the house is shaded from the sun to help keep it cool.”
The mezzanine level is light filled.
Ms Milson said she and Ms Flouris had very different design tastes so the home ended up being a blend of what they agreed upon and what they could source locally.
“It’s the first house that I had attempted to design and create in,” she said.
“I used it as an experimental space.
“It’s colourful but not offensively bright.
“There are different types of timber throughout and the ceiling is painted a dark green that almost looks black.
“There’s some old steel guttering in the main bathroom and just outside, there are old factory light shades in the smaller downstairs part and all the metal work was folded and rolled locally and fabricated on site.”
The living area opens to the deck.
Stunning views continue up into the main bedroom on the mezzanine level.
Ms Milson built the ash timber kitchen with the help of her handyman and she bought the concrete kitchen sink at a yard sale.
“In the granny flat, the pavers in the bathroom are the site numbers from the old caravan park and the sink is an old bubbler from a school,” she said.
Ms Milson said her favourite part of the home was the deck looking out and the living area where the windows created framed snapshots of the surrounding landscape.
“When you’re inside you don’t feel like you’re stuck in a house because of all the glass,” she said.
“And the height of the ceiling, it’s 6m at its highest point, it definitely gives you a sense of openness and airiness.”
The bathroom floor in the granny flat is made from old caravan park site numbers.
The pool is a 1.5m deep, smooth sided water tank.
The property backs on to the Ilparpa Swamp wildlife reserve and has views across the land to the West MacDonnell Ranges.
“We’ve seen kangaroos and emus over the fence,” Ms Milson said.
“And we’ve had perenties, goannas and bearded dragons on the property.”
Ms Milson said the house had been a wonderful home for her, Ms Flouris and their two children but it was time to move on.
“It’s a beautiful home that has afforded us a lot of enjoyment of being in Alice Springs and the beautiful environmental aspects,” Ms Milson said.
“And we love living in Alice Springs but with small kids, it’s time to move closer to family.
“We hope some nice people or a nice family buy it to continue the good energy that is on the block.”
The property is for sale for $1.07 million.