For the first time in two decades, a beachside gem is on sale with a worldwide campaign.
Key Takeaways
- Margaret and Bob Rose put Bellona on the market for first time in 20 years
- Exclusive: Historic mansion on Toorak’s ‘billionaires’ row goes on sale
In Sydney, a 7,000 square foot residence in the exclusive enclave of Palm Beach has been listed.
Owners of Bellona, Margaret and Bob Rose designed a home in collaboration with architect Drew Barnyak that is so timeless that its original form has not been altered since it was completed in 2003.
“After we built it and the interiors were completed, I swore to God that I wouldn’t change it,” says Margaret Rose. “And it is still up to date. People still walk into it and say, ‘Isn’t this divine?’ I always wanted it to be a house that would grow old gracefully.”
The neighbourhood is another constant. The locale is so desirable that residents rarely leave.
“The Palm Beach neighbourhood hasn’t changed at all since we arrived,” says Rose. “People don’t want it to change.”
Bellona provided a luxurious weekend and holiday escape for the couple from their busy commercial lives in Sydney, where they ran large-scale residential projects for Rose Group.
Rose has designed all her homes and takes great pleasure in the creative outlet. Her ethos is that a person’s surroundings dictate their behaviour. Elegance and liveability are top of mind.
“I always wanted to design homes that women could just go in, hang their clothes, sit down and open a bottle of champagne,” she says. “And that’s exactly what we did.”
The seven-bedroom home includes servants’ quarters with a separate entrance and “separate everything”, says Rose. The kitchen has an exceptionally high ceiling with timber beams, while doors from the connected living area open into two courtyards. The design is such that one of the courtyards is always protected from the wind.
“You always feel as though you’re outside while living inside,” says Rose.
Bellona has fulfilled its purpose as a place to create memories with their four children and nine grandchildren. Two of Margaret and Bob’s children had their weddings there. Tables for 50 guests were set up on the wide veranda and vows were exchanged in the expansive gardens, which feature a carpet of frangipani in summer.
“She is a real family home and works really well when filled with all the children and is equally blissful when it’s just the two of us sitting there on the veranda, listening to the lorikeets.”
Rose has a strong attachment to Bellona and says it is with a heavy heart that a decision was made to list the property.
“But you must be practical in life. My husband is not well, and it is time to let other people enjoy her,” she says.
A price has not been set for this property.
Disclosure: The above property is listed with Forbes Global Properties, the exclusive worldwide real estate partner of Forbes.