Beulah International Executive Director Adelene Teh discusses The Grounds of Kew development

The Grounds of Kew by Beulah International is about to set a new standard of luxury – so much so, that residents from neighbouring suburbs are willing to pay double what their detached home is worth for a total lifestyle upgrade. 

Construction is now underway, so Urban.com.au caught up with the company's Executive Director Adelene Teh about the success of the pre-sales, the inspiration behind the design and future developments in the pipeline. 

Urban.com.au: Congratulations on the success of The Grounds of Kew’s record-breaking sales! What do you believe were the key drivers for the property purchases?

Adelene Teh: Thank you! We were excited to launch Kew as a project and having such successful sales was definitely a great reinforcement to what we [Beulah International] believe with regards to what people are looking for when purchasing a new home. Location is certainly key and for The Grounds of Kew in particular, this corner positioning on Cotham Road is second to none. It is amongst the highly coveted Sackville Ward of Kew, and is near some of the state’s most prestigious schools and mansions. This was certainly a key driver for several buyers. Each of our projects goes through a rigorous research, design and development process to ensure that we are delivering a tailored product that will add value to its unique location. We often get comments on the generous size of the apartments within Kew. While it is uncommon for multi-residential developments to offer such spaces, we know that purchasers love the fact they can leave their established home and not compromise on space. One thing that has been truly fulfilling for us is the sense of community our projects bring to the residents. We recently held a demolition party for our future residents at Kew and see the relationships begin to form was so wonderful. Our whole team said we would love to move in; it looks like it will be a very fun, supportive and friendly place to live. We’re really proud that we can offer our purchasers something different and that our projects are going to truly enhance their lifestyle too.

U: The Grounds of Kew has been referred to as a “hyper-luxury” residence. What defining features set the development apart from other luxury lifestyle builds of the area?

AT: The word luxury has been overused in the development industry. Generally speaking, in the industry, luxury is defined by space, finishes and materiality - use of stone etc. However, at Beulah, we value the use of good materials but more than just the tangible, luxury is thoughtful design integrated to elevate the everyday lifestyle. We see luxury as the gift of health; body, soul and mind. A big focus for us is bringing back that sense of community living, while still maintaining a sense of privacy and retreat. This is achievable by including sizeable ground floor backyards. For The Grounds of Kew specifically, we have drawn inspiration from the grand estates and gardens of the suburb. The entrance itself adds another layer of privacy and security, located back from public domain, framing it with a bronzed gateway and two contemporary columns, leading to a canopied doorway. Meanwhile the large ground floor gardens are a private playground for their residents, with courtyards ranging in size from 200sqm – 300sqm. Large spaces and the ease spatial flow also enhance each home. Again, luxury is receiving the gift of time. Giving our residents that comfort and ease throughout every aspect of their day. From slowing down in the morning (e.g. getting ready at the makeup vanity) to cooking and entertaining across the expansive kitchen island bench, butler’s pantry, and outdoor spaces. When residents return home they’ll find cupboards just inside the entry for their shoes and keys, while the luxurious walk-in robe includes a makeup/vanity station for comfort and ease. We really like to include details based on how people live on a daily basis. It’s all about bringing a human touch to our designs to enhance every resident’s quality of life. Similarly, quality of life can often be dependent on location. This is our first consideration in any of our project. It was important to us that if we were to build in Kew, the site had to be amongst the Sackville Ward. The Sackville Ward is one of the most prestigious residential precincts in Melbourne with most homes valued at $5 million, and many above $10 million. These homes are the calibre of property we want to produce. Moreso, it is an untapped market when it comes to hyper-luxury, modern developments, so we saw an opportunity to provide something that is the pinnacle of design. The corner location of this site also enhances the offering.

U: The inspiration of Sackville Ward mansions and Federation Architecture has been masterfully achieved by The Grounds of Kew’s architectural team. Which elements of these designs were most important to incorporate in The Grounds of Kew?

AT: First and foremost, The Grounds of Kew will only be four levels high and will be set back from the public domain. The entrance will be framed by a bronzed gateway and two contemporary columns, leading to a canopied doorway. Other Sackville Ward inspired-designs include the interior colour palettes. We’re giving residents the option of two customised material and colour palettes, with the lighter scheme featuring light stone and pale joinery with accents of brass, whereas the darker and more dramatic scheme brings together graphic stone, rich joinery and contemporary bronze highlights.

From a landscaping perspective, has drawn inspiration from the grand estates and gardens to create a private playground for each ground floor residence. Ground-floor residences have the choice of including a private putting green which is actually an Australian-first from a development perspective.

U: Who was the target demographic for the development, and how has the building been designed to appeal to their lifestyle?

AT: Established homeowners and local downsizers who have lived in the area for over 20 years, as well as those people living in surrounding suburbs – attracting them to the Sackville Ward and Kew. It was important to cater to people that wanted to stay within the suburb they know and love but without the upkeep. Fender Katsalidis has an amazing understanding of how individuals like to live and always ensure the spaces are designed efficiently and respond to the residents' needs. Their philosophy is underpinned by innovation through collaboration and that was something that really evident working alongside them on this project. There is nothing in Kew of this calibre, we have taken the approved permit scheme of 28-apartments, and reduced it to 20 house-size apartments in order to enhance our buyer's lives. There will be spacious two, three and four bedroom residences, with massive kitchens and dining areas that are perfect for entertaining guests, as well as butler’s pantries, wine cellars, walk-in-robes and plenty of storage.

U: Given the sales success of The Grounds of Kew, what future residential developments are on the cards?

AT: We are currently developing apartment homes in Camberwell following the amazing success of projects such as Hallmark Ivanhoe and The Grounds of Kew. With our high end collaborations attracting home owner-occupiers, Beulah believes that there is a true need in the market for this particular development and we are committed to deliver hyper luxurious spaces for these buyers to live in. We take ownership to deliver bespoke and beautiful developments that reflect the nature of the area and customers' needs. In terms of our current projects, our Fawkner House development in South Yarra’s exclusive Domain Precinct is in the process of moving into its next phase with construction beginning soon. We’ve also partnered with Ironside to begin construction on The Grounds of Kew, who recently delivered an incredibly successful project with Hallmark Ivanhoe.