The Spagnolos have always been a couple that knows how to create a modern, on-trend home – without being caught by fly-by-night fads. With their new Hunter Valley home, they zeroed in on the Hamptons look, cleverly identifying it as a style that’s here to stay.
Their last big build was a Tuscan affair – that much-loved trend of the 1990s, but this time they have opted for a different, yet classic look.
“I think the thing I like about the Hamptons is that it’s quite simple as well,” says Stacy. “One of the homes I’ve lived in was that shabby-chic sort of look, which can tend to get a little messy, where this is more about clean lines and traditional finishings. I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible internally as well, with marble counters and silver mirrors, that sort of look. So, it’s nice, it’s clean, it’s white, it’s beautiful.
Their last big build was a Tuscan affair – that much-loved trend of the 1990s, but this time they have opted for a different, yet classic look.
“I think the thing I like about the Hamptons is that it’s quite simple as well,” says Stacy. “One of the homes I’ve lived in was that shabby-chic sort of look, which can tend to get a little messy, where this is more about clean lines and traditional finishings. I’m trying to keep it as simple as possible internally as well, with marble counters and silver mirrors, that sort of look. So, it’s nice, it’s clean, it’s white, it’s beautiful.
“I’m so happy with it; it turned out quite well.”
The house was a new build on a new estate in Pokolbin called The Vintage, surrounded by wineries and with a generous parcel of land around it.
“I needed a flat block because of the style of the home, and I needed a large block because I got a little bit out of control with the design,” Stacy says, laughing. “It’s interesting because we had to shrink it twice to get it onto the block, and I look at it now and I think, what the hell was I thinking?”
The house was a new build on a new estate in Pokolbin called The Vintage, surrounded by wineries and with a generous parcel of land around it.
“I needed a flat block because of the style of the home, and I needed a large block because I got a little bit out of control with the design,” Stacy says, laughing. “It’s interesting because we had to shrink it twice to get it onto the block, and I look at it now and I think, what the hell was I thinking?”
She enjoys the surrounding space, too. “We’re on the golf-course,” she explains, “right near the driving range, so we don’t have anyone behind us. We’re on a corner block, there’s a lot of privacy, and The Vintage is just amazing. I mean, you wake up in the morning and there’s kangaroos everywhere and big balloons flying overhead with people. It’s a lovely environment. So the home sort of really fits into that sort of lifestyle – it’s beautiful.”
For the roof, Stacy chose Monier Terracotta Nullarbor tiles - in Titan colour, which had the streamlined, slate-style appearance she wanted to complete the Hamptons look of her home, taking time to wait until she could secure the whole of the roof from a single batch of tiles.
“It’s such a massive roof and I didn’t want to get the roof tiles from different batches, so we had to wait for a whole batch to be made,” she says. “Monier was fantastic with that and the roof turned out absolutely beautiful. It looks like slate, but it’s actually a terracotta roof.”
She says that she also likes the fact that the colour of the tiles will never fade, thus preserving the look of the roof for decades.
“Their colour is straight through the tile, so it’s not just a glaze, so there won’t be any discolouration or anything like that in years to come,” Stacy explains.
This house is first and foremost a family house – Stacy and Joe have two teenage sons, Nicholas, 15, and Alex, 12. This house has a pool, lots of extra living areas and great entertaining spaces.
“The boys love the house,” Stacy says. “We’ve got a little putting green in the backyard, and we’ve got the pool. Where we live at the Hunter Valley, there really isn’t anywhere for teenagers to go out and socialise. I really wanted to create a home where the kids can be at home and be happy and bring mates over.”
“The boys love the house,” Stacy says. “We’ve got a little putting green in the backyard, and we’ve got the pool. Where we live at the Hunter Valley, there really isn’t anywhere for teenagers to go out and socialise. I really wanted to create a home where the kids can be at home and be happy and bring mates over.”
THE KEY ELEMENTS OF STACY’S HAMPTONS HOME
1. The front door
The front doors of the Spagnolo home are a traditional style and made of iron and glass. The inside panel of glass can be opened separately, allowing the breeze to come through during the hot summer. “I thought, there’s no way I’m going to skimp on the front door,” says Stacy, “and it looks beautiful.” She found the doors, complete with screens, from the Wrought Iron Shop.
2. Porthole windows
Because of the generous size of the house, Stacy wanted large porthole windows, sourcing them from the US. “I just couldn’t get them big enough in Australia; they were all too little. When you’ve got these beautiful gables and then you’re putting up these tiny little portholes that look quite silly.”
3. Slate-look tiles
The streamlined and minimalistic styling of Monier’s Terracotta Nullarbor tiles perfectly suited the home’s classical features. The Titan shade is baked through the tiles, locking in the colour permanently.
4. Monochromatic palette
Grey and white were the hero exterior colours for Stacy, who chose Dulux’s Evening Dusk and Surf Mist as her base palette.
The front doors of the Spagnolo home are a traditional style and made of iron and glass. The inside panel of glass can be opened separately, allowing the breeze to come through during the hot summer. “I thought, there’s no way I’m going to skimp on the front door,” says Stacy, “and it looks beautiful.” She found the doors, complete with screens, from the Wrought Iron Shop.
2. Porthole windows
Because of the generous size of the house, Stacy wanted large porthole windows, sourcing them from the US. “I just couldn’t get them big enough in Australia; they were all too little. When you’ve got these beautiful gables and then you’re putting up these tiny little portholes that look quite silly.”
3. Slate-look tiles
The streamlined and minimalistic styling of Monier’s Terracotta Nullarbor tiles perfectly suited the home’s classical features. The Titan shade is baked through the tiles, locking in the colour permanently.
4. Monochromatic palette
Grey and white were the hero exterior colours for Stacy, who chose Dulux’s Evening Dusk and Surf Mist as her base palette.
