Ten years ago, Corlette and Chris moved from Waratah to Dudley to have a bit more space for their growing family.
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Corlette didn't know much about the area before they moved, but fast-forward to now and they have made many cherished memories in their four-bedroom home with their 12, 13 and 15 year-old daughters and their cavoodle, Gumball.
"The years have kind of flown in a way, our kids were quite small and now they're sassy teenagers," she says.
Despite her unfamiliarity with Dudley, Corlette was convinced the location was perfect when she saw the pool and experienced the peace of the property's natural surroundings.
Plus, they were close to the ocean without paying Merewether prices.
"The front, it's very private," she says.
"Because it's a cul de sac, you literally wake up and all you hear is birds.
"You could be in a tent in the middle of the bush."
It's private but very spacious with heaps of room for kids to run around.
It was built 25 years ago by a couple; she was an architect and he owned a glass business. They designed a family-friendly home with amazing glass windows and natural light, which is great for entertaining.
When Corlette and Chris first moved in, the trees on their boundary were established but much lower, so the family had glimpses of the ocean. Now the trees have taken over the view.
"We don't miss the ocean glimpses. I will trade a tiny bit of water view for this lovely green massive aspect," Corlette says.
"They bring in lots of birds.
"Because we have lots of glass we can say 'oh, look there's a rainbow lorikeet.'"
They haven't done any major renovations, but they've been chipping away at different things.
They refurbished the pool, which was a big process, and redid the deck.
The property is on the side of a hill and had drainage issues until Chris (an engineer with a hydrology background) sorted it out.
Like the previous owners, Chris and Corlette have found the house perfect for entertaining. Their friends have even dubbed it Club Dudley because it feels like a resort.
The lounge room next to the pool has a marine vibe with its "boat deck" finish of hardwood jarrah.
"That floor is a very interesting floor. The original family had a friend who was a boat builder. This floor is similar to what you would find on a boat," she says.
The downstairs and upstairs lounge rooms mirror each other, but Corlette and Chris tend to spend most of their time upstairs, leaving the downstairs to the kids.
As a family they spend most of their time in the upstairs lounge room, especially in winter where it's a great place to relax around the fireplace.
One of the downstairs rooms is what she calls the "pool room" or "bedsitter". It laid the foundation for what became the house 70 years ago.
"The bedsitter is the original cottage that was on the site," she says.
"Someone came along and saw the site and bought the little cottage, which has become this bedsitter. That original bit is maybe 10 per cent of the house."
IN THE NEWS:
Above the bedsit is a sun room with a glass roof and many windows.
"You've already got two living spaces, then you get this extra sun room, so that's a funny room," she says.
"When we first got here we didn't have enough furniture to put anything in there. We used to have parties in there.
Then my husband started a business and it became an office, we had five people working from there."
Later she reclaimed it as an exercise space. Then it became an arts and crafts space, and it's currently the "COVID craft room" where the kids are also set up doing their online learning.
Unfortunately, the pandemic has affected their plans with the house. They had always planned to sell one day and move closer to town.
They were getting prepared to put it on the market but decided now isn't the best time.
But, once it's blown over, she'll be excited to show others how special their decade at Club Dudley has been.