Gill and David had long dreamt about building a forever home for their family, which includes Olive, five, Louis, two, and Maisy, the German shorthaired pointer. And they knew the perfect spot: Lambton, a leafy, inner-city suburb of Newcastle, NSW, close to where they both grew up. The couple purchased a little 1960s timber cottage on a large block in 2015, which they rented out while they made plans for their dream build.
“We wanted a house that wouldn’t date inside or out,” says David. “A home we could grow into and enjoy for the next 20 to