The top of the real estate market is filled with anonymous dentist lobby-like mansions that look like they were designed by Midjourney, but every now and then, you come across a special home that was clearly a labour of passion where every detail was considered and no expense was spared. That’s exactly what we’ve got with 3520 Point Nepean Road, Sorrento, as a texture-rich villa that would fit right in on the Etruscan Coast but instead was built as a nearby home away from home for a Melbourne family with money and taste in equal parts.
Located about halfway between Portsea and Sorrento near the tip of Point King, the property known as ‘Blue Bay’ is owned by Jeffrey Browne, a former partner at Sullivan and Cromwell’s Corporate & Finance Group. Such a residence doesn’t come together by accident and was designed by the Rob Mills architecture firm while its interiors are the spectacular work of interior designer Stuart Rattle.
The build was completed by the luxury builders VCON, with materials sourced from far and wide. The facade of the property was sourced partially from a Western Australian limestone quarry while the remainder is salvaged vintage French Limestone that was shipped to Sorrento from a residence in France. The terracotta tiles found in the home arrived directly from Spain and the grade 1 Abcascara marble benchtops were sourced from Italy.
RELATED: On The Market – This $50 Million Vaucluse Trophy Home Hasn’t Been Sold In 83 Years
As we’ve mentioned, no expense was spared in the construction and finishing of ‘Blue Bay’, not only with the sourcing of the materials a meticulous process, but the finishing requiring some of the most skilled builders in Victoria. The real estate agent handling the sale, Kay & Burton Portsea director Liz Jensen, explained to the AFR that, “it is the most extraordinarily built property in the area – and would be impossible to replicate today, considering it took years to source the materials, and years to build the home.”
Including its long and winding driveway up to the residence, the block covers a palatial 3,336 square metres with the home itself featuring five bedrooms, four bathrooms and a space to park no less than a fleet of eight cars, four of which can fit in the garage. Upon entry to the home, you’re immediately greeted by an open entry foyer and spiral staircase up to the second level, topped with a circular skylight that serves as the architectural fulcrum of the home.
The lower level is home to four of the five bedrooms and an enormous climate-controlled wine cellar that looks to have the capacity for a collection of at least 2,000 bottles, as well as a rumpus room that opens up onto a private courtyard. The upper level is where you’ll find the 30 square meter master bedroom complete with a walk-in-robe and ensuite bathroom, as well as an expansive open-plan dining and family room, a study, lounge and even a sunroom.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling double glass doors of the family room is another courtyard and a covered alfresco terrace, both of which overlook the sparkling waters of the emerald pool, making for a perfect spot to unwind after a long week in Collins Street boardrooms. Perhaps the most special element of the pool is the views that can be enjoyed while reclining in its tepid waters, overlooking the shallower waters of Port Philip Bay and the hills of Mornington in the distance.
As one of the most remarkable houses in all of greater Melbourne, let alone the well-heeled Mornington Peninsula, ‘Blue Bay’ at 3520 Point Nepean Road, Sorrento, is a rare opportunity to enjoy a slice of the Tuscan clifftops, without getting your passport out of the safe. Its sale is being managed by Kay & Burton Portsea, with a price guide of between $25 million and $27.5 million.
