This property at 115 Hornsey Rd, Anstead, is for sale. Image supplied.
LEONARDO da Vinci immortalised the Mona Lisa, and 115 Hornsey Road in Anstead is
where Barry Maguire’s magnum opus proudly reigns supreme.
“This home is the culmination of my life’s work,” Mr Maguire said. “It is a representation of everything I absorbed about great architecture and homes and artwork.”
One of six bathrooms in the home at 115 Hornsey Rd, Anstead. Image supplied.
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Passion and visionary brilliance converge in this six-bedroom, six-bathroom abode,
where the limits of conventional design are surpassed by meticulous craftsmanship and
ingenuity.
Photographs from travels through France and the UK served as inspiration for each
fastidiously planned detail, right down to the hand carved bookshelves and Capability
Brown-style landscaping.
The timber furnishings throughout the home give it a French provincial feel. Image supplied.
Mr Maguire’s Masters in Materials Conservation also paid dividends, as did his
experience working at the State Library, Old Parliament House, and Brisbane Museum
in artwork restoration.
“We spend a lot of time touring the great homes of the UK and French provincial
architecture and set out to recreate that feel,” he said.
The living area evokes a sense of old world Europe. Image supplied.
“Some of the details I wanted to add were incredibly intricate and took tremendous
planning.
“The ceiling in the kitchen was originally sketched out in chalk on the floor before being
built with layers and layers of timber strips.”
The home is divided into two wings by a porte cochere, with palatial living spaces and
king-sized bedrooms Mr Maguire’s children lived in long after they were grown.
The kitchen is crafted from red cedar timber. Image supplied.
“We built the home so everyone could have their own privacy, so the kids stayed on
until they were quite a bit older,” he said.
“Their rooms had ensuites, but I drew the line at letting them have their own fridge
because I knew I’d never see them again.”
The modern trappings are all there, including a fully-equipped home cinema, laundry
chute, children’s retreat, master suite with private balcony, and high-end European
appliances.
Modern trappings such as a cinema are included. Image supplied.
But the details transcend any tick-the-box style inclusions, with Mr Maguire’s
architectural wanderlust and impeccable artistry evident in every corner.
From the extensive use of red cedar joinery to the antique front door sourced from a
French colony in Buenos Aires that required structural modifications to make it fit.
“When I find a piece of art I think is special I will make doorways fit doors, not the other
way around,” Mr Maguire said.
The six bedrooms are huge, and many have their own balconies and ensuites. Image supplied.
“Even if that requires taking out a transom above the doorway and changing the ceiling
height. I like things that are individual, things that are artwork, things that you won’t find
anywhere else.”
So remarkable is its allure, a production company swiftly sought out the home as a
potential movie location after stumbling upon the online listing.
For Mr Maguire, this serendipitous turn of events carried a special significance, having
devoted 13 years of his career to the television industry.
Imagine entertaining out here overlooking the lush gardens. Image supplied.
“They’re interested in filming a family entertainment movie here with a female architect
protagonist,” Mr Maguire said.
“They said the film would have Christmas overtones, perhaps even snow, which I would
really love to see them create in Anstead.”
So, what lies ahead for empty nesters and connoisseurs of refined aesthetics like the
Maguires?
The grounds span over 1ha and include a pond and park-like gardens. Image supplied.
“We won’t do another build like this again — we’re too old,” Mr Maguire said. “But the next house won’t be an off-the-shelf house, and there won’t be any flat packs, I
can tell you that.
“I have an idea for something Victorian because I love how they pulled bits and pieces
from different eras to create an eclectic style, so maybe along those lines.”
The property at 115 Hornsey Rd, Anstead, is for sale with Christine and Kim Rolph-Smith from Brookfield Agencies.
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