Inside the Grandeur: The Art of Luxury Living
Building your dream home is incredibly fun in theory. Taking ideas and inspirations from each home you see, thinking about the ways you would do it better and listing off endless luxury features is all light-hearted and enjoyable fun when it is just a dream. But bringing that vision to fruition is the hard part. Things don’t always work out how we hope when we are faced with the reality of constraints such as budget, space and resources. Jessica Muller from Melbourne Home Design + Living visits Sam Pantou to discuss the building of his dream home – one that he envisioned years ago and has now flawlessly brought to life.
The vision Pantou had for this home had always been centred on optimising family living. When designing the house, he pictured space for a whole family living in its walls, with features to suit multiple generations. Keeping this vision in mind, Pantou has built a mansion like no other. Combining all the flavours and standout features of all of his favourite display homes, the end result really speaks for itself.
Getting to the finished product that stands today hasn’t been a short process, but it is one that Pantou has thoroughly enjoyed. “Attention to detail is paramount,” Pantou advises. “I’m a stickler for all that stuff.” Although finding good trades can be difficult, Pantou found the building and design process went pretty smoothly overall. “Most things were okay because I’ve had exposure to it in the past,” he says.
BUILT FOR LUXURY
The home immediately exudes grandeur with the front entrance opening to an opulent curved double stairway with an exquisite chandelier hung in the centre of the room. Off to the side is a beautiful library sitting room with generous shelves and an inviting fireplace, an ideal room for receiving guests. Past the grand staircase is the hub of the home, encompassing the vast living spaces. The kitchen is every cooking-lover’s dream, with an enviable amount of storage, a superb kitchen island bench and a generous butler’s pantry with an extra refrigerator. The brilliant dining table seats ten people, large enough to accommodate the whole family. The kitchen also has an attached indulgent wine cellar, integrated dishwasher and coffee machine, strip lighting and glamorous light features.
The top floor of the home boasts five expansive bedrooms, each fitted with its own en suite and private balcony. The three larger bedrooms are also fitted with their own fireplace, while the main bedroom features an additional two private balconies, an expansive walk-in wardrobe and an extravagant drop-down television. The main bedroom’s en suite is designed in a his-and-her style, with two sinks and two rainfall and handheld showerheads. The unique free-standing bathtub completes the spa-like feel of the bathroom.
BUILT FOR ENTERTAINMENT
The home is undeniably built with entertainment in mind. The spectacular home theatre is fitted with luxury automated armchairs with cup holders for the ultimate cinematic experience. The ceiling can be transformed in the dark into a glittering, starry night sky, creating a cosy and intimate atmosphere.
Attached to the living room is a swanky cocktail lounge and fully functional bar. Originally intended to be a games room, Pantou decided to opt for a space that was more relaxing to entertain guests in.
The outdoor entertainment areas are where the real fun happens. The glistening pool is the perfect size and shape for any user, whether it be children splashing around or an adult working out by swimming laps. Playful elephant sculptures double as water features that shoot water into the pool and the spa allows a dip in the water at any time of the year.
Additionally, the ten-person sauna attached to the pool house is the perfect place for relaxing with family or friends. The backyard also boasts
an impressive, lush tennis court which provides a great way to engage with the family while keeping fit and active.
BUILT FOR THE FAMILY
Optimising family living was Pantou’s goal, which is evident in the meticulous way he has designed this spectacular home. The home consists of a home office, library, salon and eight car garage designed for an ultimate executive who does not need to leave the home.
The house also features a home gym with a barre and wall-length mirror installed. The generous room is designed immaculately to be used as a dance or yoga studio, further catering to the diverse needs of family living.
The whole house is built to be user-friendly, accommodative to a growing family and with ease of day-to-day living in mind. The outside has cameras and electric gates to ensure safety of the occupants, while the automatic sprinkler system is connected to an underground water tank to ensure ease of use. The house optimises safety for maintenance, as the chandelier is on a pully system to enable easy cleaning and changing of bulbs, and a drop down set of stairs gives access to the roof to enable smooth maintenance of the skylights.
This passion project of Sam Pantou has seen him build a home like no other, perfectly suited to the wants and needs of any family. After years of careful design and build, this home will be placed on the market shortly – watch this space!
