Seeing the world through rose-coloured glasses has paid off for the owner of this pretty-in-pink dream home.
Antoinette Idzikowski bought a neglected three-storey house and transformed it into a contemporary showstopper to be featured on TV by Grand Designs Australia next year.
Named Maison de Rose — ‘House of Pink’ in French — for its elegant blush accents, the luxury home at 10 Trafalgar St, Highland Park is listed for auction on November 11 with Guy Powell, of Harcourts Coastal and Mitch Wakeham, of Harcourts Connections.
Custom electric stone fireplaceIt was one of the Gold Coast’s most-viewed homes of the week when it launched on realestate.com.au.
Ms Idzikowski said she envisaged the property as her family’s ‘forever home’ and so was guided by the heart in design choices, sparing no expense on sourcing unique, high-quality finishes such as the rose quartz stone featured in the kitchen.
“We bought the house that everyone said not to buy,” she said.
“So many people took one look at this place and said, ‘it’s too much work, what you’re trying to take on is impossible’.
“Well, maybe I was optimistic — I can be to a fault sometimes — but I think the end result was worth all the tears to get here.”
Ms Idzikowski, a makeup artist with a passion for design, oversaw the mammoth year-long restoration of the 1992-built house, which had never been entirely finished by its original owners, while living with her three young children in an upstairs bedroom and no kitchen.
The home has five bedrooms and three bathrooms set over a 737 sqm lot, with stunning outdoor entertaining areas completed by a pool, spa, and outdoor kitchen.
Four bedrooms and a charming playroom with pink-and-white check feature wall are on the ground floor, while the middle level hosts open-plan living spaces with a custom electric stone fireplace.
There’s a media room and clever office nook tucked beside the staircase, while the entire top floor is given over to a master bedroom retreat with a generous walk-in robe, stylish ensuite, and wide balconies capturing city skyline views.
Ms Idzikowski said she “agonised over every little detail”, choosing pink accents to harmonise with the home’s white-and-neutral palette and natural textures of timber and stone.
“I’ve always loved pink. I think it can bring such a calming presence to a space, and I chose soft shades of it as an accent throughout the home,” she said.
The showstopper kitchenThe rose quartz featured as the kitchen island bench, and backlit to stunning effect in the splashback, was sourced even before Ms Idzikowski purchased the property in 2022.
“I saw a slab of rose quartz years ago when I was shopping with my mum for her new kitchen and I immediately knew that I wanted to have it in my kitchen one day,” she said.
“It’s a semi-precious stone and some people say it has love energy. It is so pretty the way the morning light hits it and it kind of sparkles.”
As it turned out, the home’s completion was perfectly timed with the release earlier this year of Margot Robbie’s Barbie movie and resulting craze for all-things pink. It has become a sought-after photoshoot location commanding $1800 a day.
Ms Idzikowski admits it will be hard to leave, but with an unexpected opportunity arising closeby, she is ready to hand her beloved home over for its next chapter.
Mr Wakeham described the property as “a masterpiece of modern design and craftsmanship”.
“This home is a piece of artistry and a place where dreams come true. It is also a profitable venture, currently providing a gorgeous filming backdrop for some well-known Australian brands,” he said.
PropTrack data shows the median house price in Highland Park is $875,000.
Article source: www.realestate.com.au
