An unassuming house front in suburban Brisbane, Queensland, conceals a lavish five-bedroom mansion, complete with a gold class cinema, towering 20ft ceilings and a white marbled kitchen designed by one of MasterChef Australia’s first ever finalists.
The owner of the property, Sandra Morena, 46, spent 11 weeks on the first series of MasterChef in 2009 and fitted the sprawling kitchen with a walk-in scullery, two island benches and a cold storage room to create a professional grade space in the comfort of her own home.
Littered with luxury facilities, the house also boasts a gold class cinema, indoor pool and sauna, billiards room and a hand-carved solid stone bathtub, with five-car parking spaces at the side of the property.
This unassuming house front in suburban Brisbane, Queensland conceals a lavish five-bedroom mansion, complete with a gold class cinema, towering 20ft ceilings and a white marbled kitchen
The rear view of the property is decidedly more dramatic, with pristine lawns offering ample space for adults to entertain and children to play
Sandra Morena (left and right on MasterChef), 46, spent 11 weeks on the first series of MasterChef in 2009 and since making it to the finals has made a successful living out of teaching cooking to parents. She is currently studying interior design and is set to start a new career as a property developer
The kitchen is fitted with a walk-in scullery, two island benches and a cold storage room, all of which creates a professional grade space in the comfort of the home
Living spaces in the home are light, bright and airy, thanks to towering 20ft ceilings and huge windows which cover much of the walls
Coffered ceilings, an architectural technique where a section of the normal ceiling is raise by a series of grids, run throughout the living spaces
The opulent design was inspired by renaissance art and the style of exclusive hotels like the Ritz Carlton and Raffles Hotel in Singapore
Catering at a professional standard, the kitchen has an integrated dishwasher, two warming doors for entertaining, a steam oven, two fridges and an integrated bar fridge at both ends of the island benches.
On the inspiration behind her design, the mother-of-two said: ‘I have a passion for cooking and being a contestant in MasterChef made me want to develop a huge kitchen where I could have everything I wanted.’
Her love of travel and luxury influenced the overall theme of the house, which was inspired by renaissance art and the style of exclusive hotels like the Ritz Carlton and Raffles Hotel in Singapore.
The opulent bathroom is fitted with a hand-carved solid stone tub, chandelier and two-door shower
Luxury features include an indoor swimming pool, hot tub and ice bath, as well as a fully functional gym and exercise room
The sprawling property boasts a gold class cinema, fitted with leather recliners and black-out curtains for a real movie theatre experience
The in-house gym is fitted with a wide variety of weights and equipment, enough to rival professional training spaces
Each of the five bedrooms is decorated in a monochrome colour scheme, with plush accessories and French-inspired furniture like the chaise lounge sitting below the window
A standout feature are the coffered ceilings – made with a traditional technique where a section of the normal ceiling is raise by a series of grids – which run throughout the living areas.
Coffered fixtures are most commonly used used over dining areas and open plan living spaces, and are usually combined with artistic architectural moulding, pressed metal, timber boards or beams, to add light and a sense of luxury to the home.
Since making it to the finals of MasterChef, Ms Morena has made a successful living out of teaching cooking to parents, is currently studying interior design and is set to start a new career as a property developer.
Queensland Sotheby’s International Realty agent Tyson Clarke is currently selling the property by private tender.