A timeless state-of-the-art mansion with a unique design, a floating pool and its own art gallery and winery must be seen to be believed.
That Di Stasio Estate sits atop a grassy green hill in Gruyere in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, which is just over an hour’s drive northeast of Melbourne. Its unique location boasts panoramic views of the Great Dividing Range.
The property is owned by renowned Melbourne restaurateur Rinaldo Di Stasio, who built the house in collaboration with his friend and acclaimed late architect Allan Powell.
Although the property looks ultra-modern, it was actually designed and built nearly 30 years ago in 1995, with the cantilevered pool added in 2007.
The Di Stasio Estate is on the market for $9.5million-$10million, and listing agent Tracey Atkins of Forbes Global Properties Australia told FEMAIL the home ‘straddles the perfect line between modernism and nostalgia’.
A timeless state-of-the-art mansion with a unique design, a floating pool and its own art gallery and winery must be seen to be believed
The Di Stasio Estate sits atop a grassy green hill in Gruyere in Victoria’s Yarra Valley, which is just over an hour’s drive northeast of Melbourne. Its unique location boasts panoramic views of the Great Dividing Range
The stunning property is owned by renowned Melbourne restaurateur Rinaldo Di Stasio, who built the house in collaboration with his friend and acclaimed architect Allan Powell
A gravel courtyard with a circular reflecting pool shaded by a green crown of ancient sycamore trees welcomes guests before entering the chic Tuscan-inspired home.
Di Stasio and Powell took an iterative approach to the interior design, with a minimalist theme running through using raw industrial textures.
Bare walls and high ceilings were created so that Di Stasio could pour his extensive art collection. There’s even a sprawling art gallery where he displays an eclectic array of his favorite pieces.
The gourmet kitchen is, unsurprisingly for a renowned restaurateur like Di Stasio, equipped with industrial appliances worthy of a high-end restaurant.
Off the kitchen is a stylish dining room with a warm log fire, terrazzo floors, low-hanging pendant lights and café-style chairs, as well as a sliding glass door with bushland views.
A gravel courtyard with a circular reflecting pool shaded by a green crown of ancient sycamore trees welcomes guests before entering the chic Tuscan-inspired home
The gourmet kitchen is, unsurprisingly for a well-known restaurateur like Di Stasio, equipped with industrial appliances well enough for a high-end restaurant
Off the kitchen is a stylish dining room with a warm log fire, terrazzo floors, low-hanging pendant lights and café-style chairs, as well as a sliding glass door with bushland views.
Bare walls and high ceilings were created so that Di Stasio could pour his extensive art collection. There’s even a sprawling art gallery where he displays an eclectic array of his favorite pieces
A cozy living room with a second roaring fireplace neighbors the master bedroom with a home study and restrained ensuite.
Outside is the long lap pool that looks like it’s floating above the hill it sits on and overlooks the breathtaking mountain views.
Beneath the pool is an atmospheric entertainment space where Di Stasio has hosted lavish soirees since the structure was added to the property 17 years ago.
The expansive grounds are surrounded by the Warramate Fauna and Flora Nature Reserve, so it feels secluded and peaceful, and contains two hecks and three hectares of vineyards which have grown the grapes for the wines served in Di Stasio’s restaurants.
Di Stasio is the mastermind behind Rosati Restaurant and St Kilda’s Cafe Di Stasio, which opened in 1988 and has been hailed as one of Melbourne’s best Italian restaurants.
Powell is one of Victoria’s most famous architects whose other well-known creations include the TarraWarra Museum of Art. He has worked with the hospitality legend not only at his Gruyere home but also at his elegant dining establishments.
Di Stasio and Powell took an iterative approach to the interior design, with a minimalist theme running through using raw industrial textures. A cozy sitting room adjoins the master bedroom with a home study and a restrained ensuite
Beneath the unique pool is an atmospheric entertainment space where Di Stasio has hosted lavish soirées since the structure was added to the home 17 years ago
The expansive grounds are surrounded by the Warramate Fauna and Flora Nature Reserve, giving it a secluded feel and containing two hecks and three hectares of vineyards which have grown the grapes for the wines served in Di Stasio’s restaurants
Atkins said properties like The Di Stasio Estate rarely present themselves and it attracted ‘instant’ interest as soon as it came on the market.
‘(Di Stasio’s) name is so well known in Melbourne that he is seen as having such good taste and culture and he knows how to live life very well. It’s been a real draw card and a fascination for people,” she said.
‘It’s a place you don’t come across very often, purely because it was created by two great minds. He had such a good relationship with Allan Powell, who was of course one of Australia’s great architects. They created a real intimacy together and it feels really beautiful.’
Di Stasio is selling his beloved property, which he wanted to use to escape the hustle and bustle of Melbourne, to focus on his new business and art and is sad to let it go.
“He’s owned it for 29 years and he’s just reached a stage in his life right now where he’s concentrating on a new chapter with his restaurant and really leaning into some exciting new developments in the art space,” Atkins said .
The Di Stasio Estate is on the market for $9.5million-$10million and listing agent Tracey Atkins of Forbes Global Properties Australia told FEMAIL the home “straddles the perfect line between modernism and nostalgia”
Selling his beloved property, which he wanted to use to escape the hustle and bustle of Melbourne to focus on his new business and art, Di Stasio is sad to let it go
‘He’s at a point where he just doesn’t have time to spread himself across all the different properties in his life. It’s a difficult decision for Rinaldo because it’s been his place to escape to and bring his family and friends to for so long.’
The estate agent said the property has attracted interest from domestic and international buyers keen to have their own slice of quiet country life in a “romantic location”.
The Yarra Valley is such a great tourism destination and it’s so close to the city so you get all kinds of accommodation there. You get incredible lifestyle properties and then you have more modest spaces. This one would definitely stand out, she said.
‘Not only because of the beauty of the architecture, but the rarity of the location in the fact that most of it is surrounded by a flora and fauna reserve, which means that for the most part it doesn’t really have any neighbors that give it a real sense of escapism.’