Australia. You know Sydney: sunshine, surf, sushi, an antipodean California. And Melbourne, with its museums and lingering Victorian architecture. But sometimes life is more interesting turned upside-down—and down under is always ready with a surprise.
Two properties here illustrate that point beautifully. Both stand in the leafy suburb of Wahroonga, about 20 minutes’ drive north of Sydney Harbour, yet they could not be more different. One is a pure Queen Anne Revival English garden house; the other, a cloistered Spanish-Mission style villa. Forbes Global Properties
1. Leicester Gardens — 82 Grosvenor Street, Wahroonga
A vision of a quintessential English family home from the close of the 19th century. Built in 1895, during the latter years of Queen Victoria’s reign, this solid red-brick residence embodies history, dignity and status. Forbes Global Properties
Planted on a half-acre plot, its grounds sweep with manicured plantings, hedges, water-features and classical statuary—yet the home manages to avoid the stiff formality of many Victorian houses. Forbes Global Properties
Inside, you’ll find gleaming mahogany, expansive windows, eggshell walls, sumptuous drapes and button-backed sofas—but mixed with cheeky eclectic touches that declare the house is lived in and loved. Forbes Global Properties
Owned by interior designer Kim Taylor, the home has hosted fashion shoots (Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Cartier) and magazine spreads (Vogue, Harper’s, Marie Claire). Forbes Global Properties
Listed by Private Property Global for approx AUS $8.5 million (USD $5.5 million). Forbes Global Properties
2. La Encantada — 98 Junction Road, Wahroonga
Just two blocks from Leicester Gardens sits this quite different property: a Spanish-Mission style villa built in 1937, reflecting 18th-century Spanish architecture transposed to Australia via California. Forbes Global Properties
Designed by architect Alan Edgecliff Stafford, it features wrought-iron filigree staircases, arching doorways, terracotta-tile and oak-plank floors—and upstairs an Art Deco bathroom that surprises its Spanish shell. Forbes Global Properties
The gardens, redesigned in 2000 by landscaper Peter Fudge, span the full acreage around the red-roofed residence and combine formal parterres with lush native-Australian planting. Forbes Global Properties
Also listed by Private Property Global, guide price AUS $16 million (USD $10.36 million). Forbes Global Properties
Both homes showcase how affluent suburbia north of Sydney can offer two very different visions of luxury: one rooted in English garden traditions, the other in Spanish-inspired exoticism. Whether you prefer classic elegance or architectural drama, Wahroonga delivers.
Post a Comment