They are Coral Homes couple goals.
It was a warm, sunny Spring morning when we met Torie and Kevin. Their traditional Hamptons façade against the backdrop of Australian bushland was a charming combination for a first impression. To create a closer connection between the home and the surrounds, the pair opted to forgo typical Hamptons flowers like pansies, and instead planted magnolia trees and lined the footpath with earthy pebble stones. The warmth continued when the door opened, and we were met with beaming smiles welcoming us in.
Stepping inside their home you’re instantly transported to a peaceful, cool oasis filled with light décor and exquisite styling. Torie immediately offers refreshments and excuses herself to her dreamy Hamptons kitchen while Kevin introduces their two daughters Aria and Vale.
The couple start explaining that they always knew they wanted to be near the bush and surrounded by nature. Their outlook from the heart of the home is a picturesque, natural landscape. But they didn’t always plan on a Hamptons home. Originally an ultra-modern home was on the cards, and halfway through the building process the Hamptons façade was released. “I grew up living in a Queenslander and I just love that kind of feel and style of home. Then when I noticed that Coral Homes were starting to do a Hamptons style, I just knew I was going to do it, and I don’t think it’ll date.”
One thing the couple were sure of, was their decision to build with Coral Homes. “At the start the main thing that we loved (about Coral Homes) was that we could change the floor plan. That was the biggest thing that so many other builders couldn’t offer us.” Torie said. “A bit more flexibility” Kevin agreed.
Torie continued “I loved your inclusions. We actually compared every single builder and got quotes from a number of them and Coral Homes came out the best.” “And in terms of value for money, Coral Homes was the best” Kevin added.
The couple considered buying a pre-existing home, but knew they weren’t going to get everything they wanted if they went in that direction. “We’d have to renovate – and with two little ones, I just couldn’t do that. It’d be too stressful.” Torie said.
The determined couple saved for two years before commencing their build, and to save on costs, they decided to do some work on the home themselves. “We did everything we knew we couldn’t do through Coral Homes, and we have plans to do some extra bits and pieces later on,” Kevin said.
Torie and Kevin are planning to install a barn door that closes off their media room, and have already added down lights, an outdoor deck and a mailbox to the house themselves. The handy couple also plan to revamp their laundry in due course. This approach meant they could allocate more of the money they’d already saved to the build, and chip away at their DIY elements over time when it suited them financially.
A calm and collected Torie was making maternity leave look easy as the day went on. The mum of two would glide between rooms checking on both her girls in between chatting, all while reassuring us that it’s not always like this. The super mum said “we got a lot of inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram, and we visited a lot of Display Homes. We went to Bunnings, we went to Laminex, and we collected samples of everything. We also visited the MyChoice show room before our appointment. We spent so long researching – months! Even when we signed our contract with Coral Homes, we continued to spend months researching.” Torie said. “But we enjoyed it!” Kevin insisted.
And the research paid off! Looking around the home and noticing unique and personalised details, it becomes clear why preparation was key for the clever couple. For instance, the kitchen island has been reconfigured to fit the microwave next to the sink, so a coffee machine could be customised into the oven tower where the microwave is designed to live. All they had to do was have the vision, send through the specifications for the coffee machine – and we took care of the rest.
The coffee machine made for an important personalised addition to the home, as Torie explained “the other morning, I went out on the deck with my morning coffee and watched the sun come up.” It’s specially made features like this that make daily rituals more meaningful in a Coral home.
Torie and Kevin’s advice for first home buyers or first-time builders is to “save as much as you can. Also know your budget and don’t exceed it. We had a budget in mind, and we came in under it. We continued to save after we secured land, and after we got our loan, because we knew we were going to need it for extra things like at our colour selections, and we wanted to pay for that all outright at the time” Torie said.
Get their style!
We asked Torie and Kevin to run us through how they made their own mailbox. Simply follow these steps;
1) Purchase a cheap letterbox template that has the shape you are after (Bunnings is a great place to start looking, consider eBay and second hand options). Measure your template for Length, Width, and Height
2) Decide on the materials you want to use and order your paint, outdoor cladding and cladding edging (if required), trim & letterbox number
3) Cut the metal edging to size and drill into place
4) Measure up the cladding, cut and then slide into the edging to hold it in place. Place the trim on top of the cladding to hide any gaps
5) Paint the letterbox with three coats of paint. Use a roller and a paint brush
6) Once dry, add the letter box number and cement in place
For more Coral Homes style inspiration from the dynamic duo, head to @thewhitehamptonhouse on Instagram.
