Adding a touch of luxury to a quality-built home

Industrial design meets contemporary living at The Russet House, located in the tranquil suburb of Paddington in Brisbane, Queensland.

The house was built by the talented brothers from Graya Construction, Rob and Andrew Gray, known for their creative work with high profile clients including Brisbane Broncos captain, Darius Boyd and former Wallabies captain, Stephen Moore.

The Russet House provided an opportunity for Rob to create his ultimate dream home, which he and his wife Meghan now reside in. The overall design embodies a strong colour palette of russet and copper, paying homage to the property’s name.

With its contemporary architecture and luxurious design, the home spans four levels, accommodating five bedrooms, four spa-style bathrooms, two rumpus rooms, a butler’s pantry, fireplace, underground car park and sauna.

There are several standout-entertaining spaces throughout the home, including a rooftop-viewing terrace with city views, a loft-style mezzanine on the second level that overlooks the open-plan kitchen, and a backyard featuring a pool and suspended planter boxes.

“The Graya philosophy is about quality design and finishes, so these elements were key when it came to sourcing product and materials for the build,” explains Rob. Working alongside architect Tim Stewart, CSR Gyprock plasterboard products were specified throughout the home, covering the projects needs across acoustics, durability and fire performance levels.

To add a unique design element, Rob envisioned curved walls, which were achieved with the use of Gyprock Flexible Plasterboard. “Featured throughout the hallways and in the rumpus rooms, the curved walls soften the transition between the zones whilst adding an architectural point of interest – my favourite feature by far,” says Rob.

Due to increasingly smaller block and land sizes in the inner-city suburb of Paddington, there were fire protection rules that needed to be met. Rob explains, “The Russet House sits on a small lot close to its neighbours, so we specified Gyprock Fyrchek plasterboard as part of the wall system, where a fire resistance level for separation walls was required.”

A desirable new home attribute is soundproofing, and as Rob explains, “the property is located on a busy road and we wanted a place where we could escape unwanted noise and enjoy peace and quiet.” To achieve a high level of acoustic comfort, Gyprock Superchek plasterboard was specified.

"Working with Gyprock has allowed us to incorporate quality building materials and finishes, and I only ever wanted to use the best of the best for my dream house." Rob Gray

Walls lined with Superchek plasterboard provide a 15 per cent reduction in perceived loudness compared to standard plasterboard. “We also have a large surround sound system, so Superchek allowed for reduced sound transmission to other rooms making it a quieter, more comfortable home,” continues Rob.

The other advantage to using Superchek was the high levels of impact resistance – allowing for peace of mind and durability overtime. As the plasterboard is manufactured with a high recycled content, it increases density and board strength to deliver improved impact and sound resistance.

“Working with Gyprock has allowed us to incorporate quality building materials and finishes, and I only ever wanted to use the best of the best for my dream house. After two years in the making, my wife and I are extremely proud of what we can now call home,” concludes Rob.