Inside Kew's Grand "Prague House"

The landmark Victorian slate-roofed residence, “Prague House”, formally known as “Dunboe” is arguably one of the finest period mansions in Kew, Melbourne.

Set back from Sackville Street, the circa 1880s-built home of 6-bedrooms, 6-bathrooms and 4-car parking is set on approximately 3400sqm of lush gardens with beautiful mature trees that speak to an era of gracious living undertaken on a grand scale.

Today, Prague House offers a heady combination of Victorian elegance — through the restoration of character features such as the original staircase, arches and mantles — and modern amenities for entertaining and living.

Inside, the home’s generous proportions are complemented by 4.5-metre ceilings and exquisite period attributes including ornate external rendering, stained glass windows and ceilings ornately decorated cornices, arches and columns.

Downstairs the entrance hall features a tessellated tile that leads to a large study, formal sitting room and dining room with an arched bay window and Black Belgian mantle alongside a billiards room. The home sees 12 (yes, 12) marble mantels, with eight of them in original condition.

Central to the home’s function is the expansive contemporary family domain boasting herringbone parquetry floors and incorporating a kitchen equipped with stone benchtops, an island bench and prestige Smeg appliances plus a butler’s pantry.

Upstairs features the flexibility of five bedrooms including a sumptuous main with walk-in-robes, and a glorious ensuite with a floor-to-ceiling glass wall overlooking the rear gardens as well as a retreat or playroom and a family bathroom.

The covered pool helps the home’s entertaining space transition from indoors to outdoors and accompanies the alfresco entertaining area that is completed by a barbeque kitchen that overlooks the night-lit tennis court.

Also found on the grounds are large lawn areas, retreats and rebuilt Victorian stables uses as a pavilion, outdoor entertainment area or possible self-contained guest accommodation or home office.

The listing is with Marshall White’s Marcus Chiminello (+61 411 411 271) with a price guide of $16.5m – $17.5m; marshallwhite.com.au

Two years ago, fed up with the long drive to the Hamptons, the actress and daytime talk-show host Drew Barrymore started looking for a weekend home in Westchester County.

When she saw a circa-1700s mansion for sale, Barrymore said, she felt a karmic connection to the Harrison, N.Y., property.

“I walked in, and I was, like, ‘I know my family’s been here. I know that I have to work on this house. I know that I’m supposed to be doing this,’” said Barrymore, 51 years old, who lives primarily in Manhattan with her two daughters. “It was like a strange, spiritual calling.”

It turned out she actually did have a connection to the area: Her great-aunt, the late actress Ethel Barrymore, had a home in nearby Mamaroneck, where an enclave known as Barrymore Lane is widely believed to be named for the family.

Barrymore bought the roughly 12-acre estate for $4.4 million, according to property records. She did an extensive renovation; she has a deep interest in interior design and has considered pursuing it professionally. “Between Pinterest, thrifting and a can of paint, there’s nothing you can’t do,” Barrymore said with a laugh.

But roughly two years later, the actress is listing the property for $4.99 million. The renovation took longer than expected, she said, and the family’s lives have changed in the interim.

The estate includes a roughly 5,600-square-foot, five-bedroom main house, a pool and a poolhouse with an additional bedroom, according to Kori Sassower of Compass.

Barrymore said she previously owned a home in Sagaponack, N.Y., but the distance from the city and the weekend traffic to the Hamptons became untenable as her children’s schedules filled up with social and sporting activities.

Harrison, by contrast, offered accessibility and charm. The property, located roughly an hour from Manhattan, is a short drive from picturesque Rye and Bronxville, while nearby Bedford has drawn celebrities. The median sales price for a home in Harrison is around $1.1 million, according to Redfin.

The property’s expansive acreage gave Barrymore a sense of being close to nature. “It’s really like being in your own personal park,” she said. “There are tons of deer. There are pheasants, there are ducks, there are rabbits.”

When she purchased the home, Barrymore said, she thought it would need only a cosmetic renovation. Instead, it turned into a “complete internal gut,” with much of the plumbing, heating and air conditioning replaced, she said.

Barrymore also revamped the ground floor to open up the kitchen, which felt dark and boxed in. “It took a year of engineering to figure out how to accomplish it,” she said.

Barrymore declined to comment on the exact costs of the renovation, but compared herself to actress Shelley Long’s character in the 1986 film “The Money Pit.”

Some of the rooms have maximalist patterned wallpaper, elaborate art walls and heavy, old-fashioned draperies. Others are minimalist. “Every little corner gets scrutinised for what it could be,” she said. “If I see a closet, it’s probably not a closet, it’s going to become some secret hideout for my kid, or I’m going to take the door off and turn it into a sculptural piece.”

In the home’s living room, Barrymore said she cycled through multiple paint colours, including pink and green.

“I painted it all green because I was dying for greenery. And then the summer came, and I was, like, ‘Oh, God, everything is green!’”

She spent time at the property even while it was under construction. When they didn’t have a kitchen, the family cooked dinner on a grill outside and drank boxed water, she said.

When workers were redoing the pipes, Barrymore couldn’t shower. “I lived in the house in the most primitive of scenarios,” she said. “It’s some of my favourite times and memories.”

When Barrymore celebrated her birthday at the property in February, she and two friends decided to grill for old time’s sake, even though the kitchen was fully functional.

“There we were in zero-degree weather with parkas, hoodies, gloves and face masks. But we were, like, ‘We gotta do it. It’s the tradition.”

Barrymore, who grew up in Los Angeles, stars in films like “Never Been Kissed,” “Riding in Cars With Boys” and “Charlie’s Angels.” Her eponymous daytime talk show launched in September 2020.

Sassower is listing the property with her colleague Brian K. Lewis in New York City.

Inside Kew’s Grand “Prague House”

The expansive pile is one of the finest Victorian-style homes in Melbourne.

The actress, who felt a ‘spiritual calling’ to the Harrison, N.Y., property, is asking $4.99 million for the home.