When the sky’s the limit for custom-built luxury homes
With their awe-inspiring, new display home now open, Helen Sheppard of Alan Sheppard Constructions sits down to talk luxury homes and attention to detail.
Helen Sheppard is sitting in the dining area of her company’s newest display home in leafy Hawthorn.
The built-in banquette seating, on which she relaxes, follows the expanse of curved glass overlooking the whimsical rear garden. The parquetry flooring, a dark coffee hue in the mid-morning light, provides a seamless flow from the traditional stylings of the front rooms to the modern, yet timeless, open plan living area.
There are great slabs of tactile, Cosentino ‘leather finish’ Sant Angelo stone benchtops, complemented with bronze touches – including the custom-made exhaust canopy – and contrasting with the surrounding soft furnishings.
The overall effect is unadulterated luxury and of a level you’d expect in a boutique hotel.
“We’re master builders, so Alan still has the traditional way of doing things,” says Helen of her husband and their company’s obsession with quality and attention to detail.
Last year, Alan Sheppard Constructions celebrated 50 years in residential construction. The company is also South Australia’s most awarded builder of luxury homes.
There’s a fully equipped butler’s pantry and laundry off the kitchen
For this two-storey, 4-bedroom, 560m2 display home, Helen took the lead with the interior design.
Her starting point was the herringbone flooring, a reference to the dark timber floors so often found in Hawthorn’s character homes.
Asked what luxury means to her, she says “it’s a cut above the rest”.
“Luxury to me is not ‘standard’, it means the sky’s the limit, it’s infinity.
“It’s about having something that’s so individual, it’s a reflection of you, and the combinations you put together can be very different from what you see elsewhere.”
The homes they build for clients are clearly an expression of this. “There isn’t a set package, we will tailor the home to what the client wants,” Helen explains.
“We sit down with the clients at our display home and go through their wish list and what their aspirations are, what they’d like to achieve.”
A sparkling pool is a hidden surprise, running parallel to the wine room
Most recently, this has included golf simulator rooms in two homes and indoor swimming pools in several others – “they’re a little difficult because you’ve got to install air handling systems to deal with the humidity”.
Then, there are underground cellars, banquette seating and must-haves like wine rooms, walk-in robes and coffee stations with Zip taps. Dedicated prayer rooms are also becoming more common.
Some clients come to those first meetings with a multitude of references for features and finishes, while others simply bring an instinct for what they like.
For Helen, it’s hard to point to just one ‘wow’ feature in the display home at Hawthorn with its spacious rooms.
“I like the fact that we’ve created the character elevation at the front and it blends really seamlessly with the other homes in the suburb – a lot of people think it’s a renovation,” she says.
“The leadlight, the proportions, the archways and all the detail we’ve included, I think it’s just beautiful.”
However, she does admit to gravitating toward the library with its bespoke granite fireplace.
“There’s nothing on the market like it. I saw something in England that we sketched up and had very good, local stone people craft it beautifully.”
Opposite the master bedroom is the elegant library with its feature fireplace
Touring the home, that passion for detail is evident everywhere. From the curves of the skirting boards and custom stair rail to the rolling library ladder for the tall bookcases, to the ornate bronzed handle on the glass-fronted wine room, to the car turntable that services the discreetly positioned garage with its custom storage and tiled floor.
The paint finish, too, is exemplary.
“Alan has established this fabulous team that goes on the creative journey with him and finishes off these beautiful houses,” says Helen.
“High end homes are Alan’s trademark and he has an eye for detail, as do the master painters and tradespeople that work with us.”
The company has a senior building designer and interior designer on staff, while their trusted network includes architects, joinery designers and stone suppliers – all of whom work with clients to make their dream homes a reality.
With the master bedroom at the front of the home, the ensuite has a traditional feel
The whole team find joy working in the luxury end of the residential building market and support the idea of one’s home being a reward for hard work.
Most of the time that means crafting generously sized homes with an eye-catching street presence that can adapt to accommodate young adults remaining at home for longer. Upstairs at Hawthorn, alongside the bedrooms, the family area includes a kitchenette.
But luxury can also come in smaller ‘jewel box’ homes that aren’t constrained by budget.
“We have this niche in the market and we know our brand really well,” says Helen.
Having a good name and reputation is important to the business, which is based on referrals. Helen says she looks to build trusted relationships that feel akin to teamwork, with client and builder collaborating on a common goal of realising a beautiful home.
She recognises that their clients are usually time-poor and wanting a hassle-free process and build.
“A good relationship is not ‘us’ and ‘them’, we’re a team, we don’t have a closed-door policy at head office,” says Helen.
“We want clients to ring any of us anytime, and I think that openness really works.”
She is also passionate about encouraging more women into the building industry. A veteran of 25 years, she is also on the board – aka ‘the council’ – of Master Builders SA and the only woman to hold such a position. It’s a source of immense pride and, one suspects, a little frustration as she works to get more women on the council in an industry that’s traditionally been male dominated.
“Our HiViZ program is also very important, as we’re trying to encourage women into the industry in any capacity and any role that they want … there’s a gamut of different career paths you can take in the building industry.”
Standing in the relaxing outdoors entertaining area that flows seamlessly from the interior, she is justifiably proud of the gorgeous display home. But she’s not taking the credit.
“The whole house is a testament to our team.”
