[zaph]

Quote

LORDING IT: Penelope Crossman with daughter Elizabeth outside her castle. Story Book Cottages, which constructed the castle kit, can be found at the Home Show. Picture: David Kapernick Source: The Courier-Mail

THEY say a man's home is his castle - and now they come in kits.

Ben and Penelope Crossman bought their own castle as a kit-home in 2009 for the princely sum of $330,000.

"I wanted something that wasn't a normal, boring house," Mr Crossman, 34, said.

And their four-bedroom, two-bathroom Mt Crosby home complete with turrets, a "mead hall" - and soon a drawbridge - was just what they were after.

It all came about after the couple sat down one night to decide where to live, Mrs Crossman said.

"He doesn't like Queenslanders; he thinks they're a lot of work," Mrs Crossman, also 34, said.

And Mrs Crossman didn't like modern houses that looked like they came in an Ikea flat-pack.

"So after three bottles of red, it was either a castle or a pirate ship."

They drew up the basic design on a napkin that night and took it to Story Book Cottages to explain their idea.

Story Book Cottages is a Gold Coast-based business that specialises in custom-designed kit-homes, employee Ellen Pallant said.

"We can build anything," Ms Pallant said.

They used hoobler stone for the castle-wall look.

Inside, the house has stone-look floors, a 12-light chandelier, swords and medieval-style decorations throughout.

Mr Crossman said building a castle wasn't as hard as some people might think.

"A castle is just a normal house with funny-shaped corners," Mr Crossman said.

"We have to pinch ourselves every time we go home; I can't believe they let us build this."

Story Book Cottages can tailor designs to what the customer wants, Ms Pallant said.

http://www.courierma...6-1226295479652
i could imagine Tor building one of these!!

[tor]

zaph, on 09 March 2012 - 11:47 PM, said:

i could imagine Tor building one of these!!

I admit I was looking at the stone facade and thinking "hmmmm these guys might be able to do my aqueduct"...

(stupid fake stone company that won't get back to me with a quote and stupid ex girlfriend causing budgeting changes and stupid ATO wanting all my money all coming together to mean I can't have my bloody aqueduct!)

[staringclown]

tor, on 10 March 2012 - 12:37 AM, said:

I admit I was looking at the stone facade and thinking "hmmmm these guys might be able to do my aqueduct"...

(stupid fake stone company that won't get back to me with a quote and stupid ex girlfriend causing budgeting changes and stupid ATO wanting all my money all coming together to mean I can't have my bloody aqueduct!)

Most people have simple watering systems but I like the idea of an aqueduct. Marble of course. Corinthian columns.

[Mr Medved]

That is pretty cool. If I build in the future my preference is for a stone dwelling, though that one seems to have too much concrete for my liking.

[urchin]

isn't it great expectations where pip befriends someone who lives in a castle with a cannon which he shoots off at intervals? i thought that was the best part of the novel... a castle would be cool, but if you're not going to have at least one cannon, a moat and something shark-like swimming in the moat then its just another lost opportunity...

[tor]

staringclown, on 10 March 2012 - 10:31 AM, said:

Most people have simple watering systems but I like the idea of an aqueduct. Marble of course. Corinthian columns.

Was thinking something like this:



For storm water through the backyard. Maybe whack a waterwheel on the end like this.

[mattau]

I'd have to say that the pictured castle kit looks horrible. It looks like an imitation castle or a toy, definitely not a luxury home.

If I were to live in a castle, I'd prefer a real one (with shields and swords on the walls too).

[staringclown]

tor, on 11 March 2012 - 05:52 AM, said:

Was thinking something like this:



For storm water through the backyard. Maybe whack a waterwheel on the end like this.

To scale I hope.

A lot of houses in SA are made from this really nice cream limestone surrounded by red brick. I quite liked the look. Seems to be a cladding version and solid stone. It would look good as an aqueduct. They can probably even cut the arches as the tourism film showed a guy cutting it with a band saw into blocks.

I thought about the waterwheel driving a pump which could push the water back up the top so the aqueduct could double as a water feature. Then I remembered perpetual motion doesn't work. You could even construct an Esher sculpture though at that point it would probably not function as a storm water drain anymore. But it could serve as an aerator for a pond/rainwater tanks.

You do realise building a small scale aqueduct is the first slippery step to you constructing a model village in your backyard. That way lies madness. Though the water wheel could then power the trains.

[urchin]

staringclown, on 12 March 2012 - 08:54 AM, said:

You do realise building a small scale aqueduct is the first slippery step to you constructing a model village in your backyard. That way lies madness. Though the water wheel could then power the trains.

which the model godzilla could then stomp and crush. madness doesn't sound half bad...

[tor]

staringclown, on 12 March 2012 - 08:54 AM, said:

To scale I hope.
...You do realise building a small scale aqueduct is the first slippery step to you constructing a model village in your backyard. That way lies madness. Though the water wheel could then power the trains.

urchin, on 12 March 2012 - 08:57 AM, said:

which the model godzilla could then stomp and crush. madness doesn't sound half bad...

All my intellectual friends are online, totally loves you guys

[mattau]

staringclown, on 12 March 2012 - 08:54 AM, said:

To scale I hope.

A lot of houses in SA are made from this really nice cream limestone surrounded by red brick. I quite liked the look. Seems to be a cladding version and solid stone. It would look good as an aqueduct. They can probably even cut the arches as the tourism film showed a guy cutting it with a band saw into blocks.

I thought about the waterwheel driving a pump which could push the water back up the top so the aqueduct could double as a water feature. Then I remembered perpetual motion doesn't work. You could even construct an Esher sculpture though at that point it would probably not function as a storm water drain anymore. But it could serve as an aerator for a pond/rainwater tanks.

You do realise building a small scale aqueduct is the first slippery step to you constructing a model village in your backyard. That way lies madness. Though the water wheel could then power the trains.

Ooooh. I took a look at the cream limestone look - I like that too. IT's natural but soft in color.. more relaxed feel

[staringclown]

mattau, on 19 March 2012 - 01:58 AM, said:

Ooooh. I took a look at the cream limestone look - I like that too. IT's natural but soft in color.. more relaxed feel

I like stone houses. They always feel that bit more secure.

Man you've passed 150 posts! It's time you posted a recipe and formally introduced yourself.

Here and here

[RumpledElf]

Having lived in a few stone houses now ... they have their issues. They stay extremely cold in winter, and after a week or two of 40+ weather the hot gets completely through the walls and you get no relief at all. I don't really want another stone house again.

That said, if you've got the walls REALLY thick they're pretty good with keeping temperature stable. But then you have metre thick stone walls ...

What I'd like is a light construction house, double glazed windows, and a thumping great stone fireplace breast in the center of the house with a wood or gas fire in it. Suck up all the warmth of the fire into serious thermal mass.

[sydney3000]

Do I remember stone to have different thermal characteristics than other people? Stone is better because in the summer it takes longer for the heat to penetrate it and in the winter it takes longer for the cold to penetrate it.

That is why in Russia they slept on stone ovens. In the summer it kept them cool and in the winter (after lighting the oven) it kept them warm.

[tor]

sydney3000, on 23 June 2012 - 04:46 AM, said:

Do I remember stone to have different thermal characteristics than other people? Stone is better because in the summer it takes longer for the heat to penetrate it and in the winter it takes longer for the cold to penetrate it.

That is why in Russia they slept on stone ovens. In the summer it kept them cool and in the winter (after lighting the oven) it kept them warm.

But once it is hot all the way through it stays hot all the way through for a hell of a long time.

[staringclown]

You do need a cellar for the extreme heat waves. And hypocausts for winter. And 457 visas for the labour.

[zaph]

This one looks better - http://www.courierma...v-1226492408582

[Popeye]

RumpledElf, on 23 June 2012 - 03:03 AM, said:

Having lived in a few stone houses now ... they have their issues. They stay extremely cold in winter, and after a week or two of 40+ weather the hot gets completely through the walls and you get no relief at all. I don't really want another stone house again.

That said, if you've got the walls REALLY thick they're pretty good with keeping temperature stable. But then you have metre thick stone walls ...

What I'd like is a light construction house, double glazed windows, and a thumping great stone fireplace breast in the center of the house with a wood or gas fire in it. Suck up all the warmth of the fire into serious thermal mass.

Having once been a part time gold mine owner and operator, realising that heating and cooling are a complete non event underground, I've always dreamt of an underground home on a moderately high hilltop or ridge,.. I don't like the thought of low lying underground homes in the event of heavy rain and local flooding. I've never been fussed about having home with "a view", you only look at it for the first week or so, and then ignore it.


Adding new rooms or enlarging present ones is no problem, and think of it, there's no need to tell the council what you are up to as you are well away from prying eyes. Bush fires are no great worry either.

This post has been edited by Popeye: 23 October 2012 - 01:49 AM

[AndersB]

Popeye, on 23 October 2012 - 01:41 AM, said:

Adding new rooms or enlarging present ones is no problem, and think of it, there's no need to tell the council what you are up to as you are well away from prying eyes.

What is it with South Australians and dungeons, where you can hide gold, guns, bodies...

[Popeye]

AndersB, on 23 October 2012 - 01:44 AM, said:

What is it with South Australians and dungeons, where you can hide gold, guns, bodies...

I guess we're just an imaginative lot.

This underground home idea has been an obsession with me for almost as long as I've given thought to where I'd really like to live. It's only the lack of time and money that has stopped me, I even have the site picked out