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A resort-style home in Palm Cove boasting marble and stone finishes and a 25-metre pool has taken out Home of the Year at this year’s Housing Industry Association (HIA) Cairns awards.
A ceremony celebrating the region’s best builders, renovators and designers was held on Friday night at the Pullman Cairns International.
Awards were also given out for specialised, affordable and sustainable housing as well as homes on small and unique blocks, along with the best renovations, bathrooms and kitchens.
However, the big winner was Eastbuild Designer homes, which not only took out home of the year but best custom home, best bathroom, and best outdoor project.
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The home features nine bedrooms on a huge block of land, with marble walls and floors, natural timbers, abalone mosaic tiles and a granite bathtub.
As well as the 25-metre pool, the massive outdoor area has numerous pergolas, exotic gardens, stone columns and marble decks.
Builder Ron Easterbrook told Tropic Now it was an exciting project to work on.
“We’re obviously very pleased to have been approached by this client,” he said.
“The brief was to design and construct a large home capable of accommodating the client’s family when they get together.
“It’s a bespoke home with grand stone, marble and timber features.
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“The photos don’t do it justice.”
The home also boasts a 24-seat al fresco area, gym, wine cellar, a five-bay garage, six bathrooms and six kitchens.
In conjunction with Pacific Kitchens, the builder also won best new kitchen over $50,000, best outdoor kitchen and interior cabinetry.
Other custom-built home award winners included:
Up to $450,000
Mick Langtree Builders for a country/Hamptons style home at Little Mulgrave
$450,000 - $650,000
MyStyle Homes for a home that takes advantage of its rainforest setting at Redlynch
$650,000 - $850,000
Liam Gilligan Builders for a Queenslander-style home with a modern twist at Trinity Beach
Among the other big winners on the night was MiHaven, which scooped three awards, including the best specialised housing for a project incorporating two disability houses at Cairns North.
"There are four people now living there and it's changed their lives basically," MiHaven co-founder Sarah Mort told Tropic Now.
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"We are a social enterprise so our mode of operating is quite different when it comes to the why.
"ARC Disability Services, through the disability network, asked me to meet the service providers about providing specialist accommodation and that set me on a journey to setting up a focus group with providers.
"We had to learn all the codes, our design team took on that commitment because every single detail down to the millimetre has to be correct and if you don't get that right you will fail the certification process.
"We are the first locally-owned building and property management company that is SDA (Specialist Disability Accommodation) certified by the NDIS (National Disability Insurance Scheme) and within 12 months we have created $15-million worth of specialised disability accommodation to be built in Cairns."
MiHaven also took out townhouse/villa of the year and townhouse/villa development for a private complex with four separate titles at Parramatta Park, while its apprentice Eric Latham was named apprentice of the year.
Other HIA award winners
GreenSmart Sustainable Home – MyStyle Homes
Located at Evelyn on the southern Atherton Tablelands, the energy-efficient home features cutting edge automation, Tesla battery storage with solar panels, a filtration system for bore and drain water and extensive use of strategically positioned louvres. The building also took out project home of the year, while MyStyle also won the award for small lot housing for a home at Smithfield.
Best display home – Unique Constructions
A cutting-edge build at Palm Cove that combines sophistication with practicality took out best overall display home as well as display home over $450,000 for Unique Constructions.
Best renovation – Boscon Constructions
The transformation of a standard block home to an architectural masterpiece at Kanimbla won Boscon Constructions the award for renovation/addition project of the year. Lots of glass and folding walls and doors and an opening roof system were used to take advantage of natural airflow and panoramic views.
Unique and difficult sites – Allaro Homes
Taking full advantage of the elevated location, Allaro Homes’ hillside design at Brinsmead has three levels that follow the contours of the slope.
Affordable housing - Matt Greenwood Constructions
A strict budget led to a cleverly designed and planned family home at Mooroobool.
Kitchen of the year – Artizan Kitchens
Black granite dominates Artizan Kitchen’s design in a home at Edge Hill. The room also features black cabinetry highlighted with warm Huon pine panels and LED strip lighting. Appliances are fully integrated and handle-less. The kitchen is completed by a butler’s pantry and servery to the outdoor entertaining area.
Renovations up to $300,00
Sherriff Contractors
Residential interior design
Liam Gilligan Builders
Best steel frame project
Superior Steel Homes NQ
Renovated kitchen under $25,000 and best affordable kitchen
Style Line
Best new kitchen in the $30,000 - $50,000 category
CCW Cabinet Works
Main points
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A Palm Cove house by Eastbuild Designer Homes has been named HIA's Cairns Home of the Year
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The home also took out best custom home, best bathroom and best outdoor project
- It features plenty of natural stone, marble and tiles as well as a 25-metre pool
