Luxurious Hills entertainer a true labour of love

7 Jennings Drive, Ashton. Supplied by Harcourts Adelaide Hills

It’s been their dream home for a quarter of a century, and now, with most of their children having moved out, it’s time for someone else to fall in love with this Ashton property and call it home. Jan Kazmer-Daly and Guy Daly built the home 25 years ago, basing it on a home they held great affection for.

“We built it from the ground up and we built it with love,” Mrs Kazmer-Daly says. “We lived in Orchard Ave in Everard Park and there was a grand old villa just around the corner from us which has actually been turned into a retirement home, and we designed the house around that. Most of the verandas are 3m wide and it has 3.4m ornate ceilings.

7 Jennings Drive, Ashton. Supplied by Harcourts Adelaide Hills

“Clive Holden, who used to be commissioned to restore overseas chapels, did the painting and all the cornices are gold leaf. Quality was extremely important to us. It’s all French plastered and the two brothers that came here to do that spent about six weeks getting it perfect. The home is double brick, and then there’s Kanmantoo bluestone on the outside. We gave it our all. You can’t tell whether the house is new or 150 years old.”

7 Jennings Drive, Ashton. Supplied by Harcourts Adelaide Hills

The property has six bedrooms, four bathrooms and numerous areas for indoor and outdoor entertaining. Mrs Kazmer-Daly says the home’s location – which allows them to live an off-the-grid lifestyle – immediately appealed to the couple, who have since raised five children in the home, its clever layout making it an ideal entertainer.

7 Jennings Drive, Ashton. Supplied by Harcourts Adelaide Hills

“That’s what I’m going to miss most – it’s incredible for entertaining because you can actually follow the weather around the house,” she says. “The sun sets over the ocean at the front of the house and then the sun rises over the back of the home in the morning, and we’ve got entertaining areas the whole way round. We had our daughter’s wedding here last year and we hosted 175 people and it was easy because there’s so much space. It’s also incredibly private here, despite the fact that we’re just 20 minutes from the GPO.”