Based in Cairns, Zoe Wicks purchased an 800sqm block in Millaa Millaa on the Atherton Tablelands with the intention of building a home-away-from-home. “I love going up there, and my plan is to live up there part time,” she says.
When Zoe explored building options, Paal’s name came up - and after contacting Mauree Grace and Jamie Thomson at the Queensland office, she chose the Hastings 3 design from the Met Kit range, as it suited both her vision and budget.
Zoe decided to go owner-builder and project-managed the build, organising trades to complete the work. While this was a challenging process, working with Paal was easy. “I found Paal really good to deal with,” she says. “Especially Mauree who was so helpful.”
Zoe made a number of modifications which Paal was happy to accommodate. “I wanted to capitalise on the view and Paal was really patient with my vision and constant changes,” she says.
Firstly, Zoe flipped the plan and built the mirror image, plus she installed larger windows to capture the outlook. “I also made the ceilings higher,” she says. “Jamie suggested that which was a great idea.”
Other additions were not quite as straightforward. “I wanted to build the house higher up off the ground,” says Zoe. “That cost more money with steel and labour, but it was worth it because if you go up higher you get a better view.”
A more unusual request was installing a large window behind the fireplace and an outdoor bathtub on the back deck. “I had to work hard for a couple of things, but we got there in the end,” she says.
Zoe kept the interior clean and uncluttered, using classic pieces to add charm to the contemporary backdrop. “I upcycled furniture and upholstered chairs,” she says. “I kept it simple; I didn’t want to detract from the view.”
While the build presented difficulties such as wet weather and managing tradies and rising labour costs during Covid, Zoe’s dealings with Paal were more than satisfying. “Paal was great, always supportive, always ready to troubleshoot,” she says. “I was so appreciative of Mauree, she was really good.”
Now she’s out the other side, Zoe couldn’t be happier with her beautiful property. As well as spending as much time there as possible, she put it on Airbnb which is proving extremely successful. “It’s going really well, people love it,” she says. “It’s great, I got through it, it’s paying for itself – it all worked out in the end.”
